No. 6 Rutgers field hockey wins 10th straight game in shootout against No. 8 Maryland
The Rutgers field hockey team extended its undefeated start to the season with a 3-2 win over Maryland on Thursday. The Scarlet Knights (10-0, 2-0) got the victory in dramatic fashion, winning in a shootout.
No. 6 Rutgers faced off with the No. 8 Terrapins (7-3, 0-1) in front of its home crowd at the Bauer Track and Field Complex on Livingston campus.
Maryland struck early, netting a goal in the opening 3 minutes of play. Margot Lawn scored for the Terrapins, giving them an early advantage.
After a first period with only one shot, the Knights got on the board in the second period with junior midfielder Julianne Kopec scoring the game-tying goal.
The match stayed tied at 1-1 heading into halftime.
Rutgers opened the scoring in the third period with a shot that put the team up 2-1. Junior midfielder Guillermina Causarano netted the goal, her eighth of the season.
The Knights' lead did not last long, though, as not even 7 minutes later, Maci Bradford got her breakaway shot past Rutgers' redshirt junior goaltender Sophia Howard to tie the game for Maryland.
The third period was full of offensive action from both sides, as both teams put up nine shots combined.
Despite a high-octane third period, the fourth period was much quieter. The Knights put up three shots to the Terrapins one, but neither team could score, which led to overtime.
After 10 minutes of back-and-forth action with no scoring, the game headed to its second overtime period.
Rutgers outshot Maryland 4-1 in the second overtime but could not place the ball in the back of the cage. The game would have to be settled in a shootout.
The Knights started the shootout on the back foot, as redshirt sophomore back Puck Winter missed her first attempt, and the Terrapins converted their first attempt.
From there, Howard would take over, making three consecutive saves in the shootout. After Rutgers made its next two shots, junior midfielder Paulina Niklaus placed her shot into the back of the cage to give the Knights the thrilling 3-2 victory.
The win marks Rutgers' 10th win of the season, its best start to a season in program history.
The Knights will be looking to continue their red-hot streak when they host No. 15 Michigan and Monmouth next week. Rutgers is set for a weekend break before facing off against the Wolverines (5-4, 0-2) next Friday at 3 p.m. and the Falcons (6-3, 2-0) next Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Bauer Track and Field Complex.
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