No. 19 Rutgers field hockey travels to No. 12 Syracuse for another ranked matchup
The Rutgers field hockey team is taking a trip this weekend to face Syracuse on Sunday. The No. 19 Scarlet Knights (7-7, 3-4) are heading into their second week on the road coming off of a hard-fought loss to Maryland last week.
After a close 4-3 loss against the No. 2 Terrapins (14-1, 7-0), Rutgers has moved up in the national rankings from No. 20 to No. 19 and is ready to get back in the win column.
With facing the No. 12 Orange (12-3, 2-2) this weekend, the Knights finally get a break in their long conference schedule stretch with 6 of their last 8 regular season games all being Big Ten opponents. Though Syracuse is not a part of the Big Ten, the program is ranked amongst the top teams in the country.
This matchup will account for Rutgers’ 11th ranked match of the season. The Knights have been dealt with an incredibly difficult schedule this season facing so many ranked teams, and it will not let up in the team’s final regular-season games.
Despite the program's trying schedule, Rutgers has proven to be a solid team even after losing so many graduating athletes from its historic run last season. Its consistent core has highlighted some of its immense talent. Junior back Iris Langejans, freshman back Puck Winter and sophomore goalkeeper Sophia Howard are just a few of the examples of what a dominant team the Knights can be.
Still, Rutgers faces an offensive giant this weekend. The Orange are a top-10 scoring offense, putting up impressive numbers when compared to the rest of the country, ranking fifth in scoring average and sixth in scoring margin, assists, points and goals per game.
Quirine Comans and Charlotte de Vries lead Syracuse in offense with 31 points a piece. While it is obvious that the Orange have an impressive offensive side, there is still credit to be given on the other side of things as well.
Brooke Borzymowski is an asset in net for Syracuse. With her .741 save percentage and 1.06 goals-against-average, the Knights have their work cut out for them in the goal-scoring department.
Before entering the Big Ten, Rutgers and the Orange were rivals and often opponents in the Big East. As a result, the Knights hold a 7-21 all-time record against Syracuse, with their last win against the team coming last season in a double overtime match with the game-winning goal coming from now-sophomore midfielder Lucy Bannatyne.
The two top-20 teams will meet in Syracuse, New York, on Sunday at noon with the game being broadcasted on the ACC Network.
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