No. 4 Rutgers field hockey faces crucial week against Indiana, No. 1 Northwestern
The Rutgers field hockey team is heading back to Piscataway to host two games this weekend. The Scarlet Knights (14-0, 5-0) are coming off another winning week on the road against Ohio State and Michigan State.
No. 4 Rutgers will face off against Indiana on Friday and Northwestern on Sunday at the Bauer Track and Field Complex on Livingston campus.
The Knights have proven themselves to be legitimate national title contenders, as they are the only undefeated team left in the top 20.
Last week, Rutgers beat the Buckeyes (12-5, 4-4) by a score of 1-0 in a penalty shootout. The win over No. 9 Ohio State was the Knights' seventh-ranked win of the season and their highest-ranked road win of the campaign.
After a win over the Buckeyes, Rutgers faced the Spartans (3-10, 1-6) in East Lansing, Michigan, two days later. The Knights picked up the 3-1 victory on Sunday as senior forward Bridy Molyneaux scored 2 goals in the match. It was Molyneaux's first multi-goal game of the season.
Rutgers will first look to extend its undefeated streak against the Hoosiers (5-10, 0-5) this week. Indiana has had a rough season, as it has not won a Big Ten game and is coming into this match on a three-game losing streak.
The Hoosiers have struggled on both offense and defense, as they have been outscored 29-18 this season. That said, the Knights will need to look out for Sarah Charley, who leads Indiana with 5 goals and four assists.
Rutgers will arguably play its biggest game of the season against the Wildcats (13-1, 5-0) on Sunday.
The Knights and No. 1 Northwestern are both undefeated in Big Ten play and are thus tied for first place in the conference standings. The Wildcats are also the number one ranked team in Division I Field Hockey, so if Rutgers can defeat them, the team will take sole possession of first place in the Big Ten and has a good chance of being ranked number one in the entire nation.
Northwestern has not lost a game since dropping the season-opener to Louisville and will definitely be the Knights' most challenging opponent.
The Wildcats boast a strong defense and an incredible offense, as they are currently outscoring their opponents 42-7 and averaging an outstanding 3 goals per game. Their offense is led by Peyton Halsey, Olivia Bent-Cole and Maja Zivojnovic. Halsey leads the team with 10 goals and 28 points. Bent-Cole and Zivojnovic are not far behind Halsey with 19 points each.
Redshirt junior goalkeeper Sophia Howard will need to continue her impressive form for Rutgers when it takes on Northwestern. Howard has played every minute in goal for the Knights and has a stellar .806 save percentage.
Rutgers will take on the Hoosiers on Friday at 3 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network, and it will be the Knights' senior day. Rutgers will host the Wildcats on Sunday at 11 a.m. and will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus.
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