No. 10 Rutgers field hockey (7-0; 1-0) won its seventh straight game to begin the 2023 season with a 1-0 double overtime victory against No. 12 Penn State (4-3; 0-1) on Friday in Happy Valley. All seven wins have come on the road, tying for the second most ever in a season for RU. The Scarlet Knights are now off to its best start in program history. It’s also the fourth straight season that Rutgers has opened Big Ten play with a victory.
Guillermina Causarano scored the game-winning goal off a rebound in double overtime. It was her fourth goal of the season and she’s now tied with leading scorer Puck Winter for the team lead in points with 12 apiece. Rutgers took the lead in the 72nd minute of the contest.
Rutgers goalkeeper Sophia Howard made seven saves for her third shutout of the season. Howard stood strong against multiple shots coming from penalty corners. Penn State held a 8-4 advantage in corners but the defense didn’t budge. Howard now has a goals against average of only 0.63.
It was a tightly contested game against two of the best field hockey programs in the Big Ten and the country. Rutgers held a 17-16 shot advantage including an 8-7 edge with shots on goal. Neither team could capitalize on scoring chances in regulation. Ultimately, RU was able to close it out in double overtime.
Rutgers field hockey has now beaten three ranked teams this season. Its the program’s eighth ranked win since last season and 25th overall since the spring (Covid) 2021 season. Head coach Meredith Civico now has 41 ranked wins in her Rutgers tenure. The Scarlet Knights have now defeated Penn State in five of its last six meeting.
Up next, Rutgers will finally play at home against La Salle on Sunday, September 17 at 1 p.m.
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