No. 6 Rutgers field hockey to play No. 8 Harvard in 1st round of NCAA Tournament
The Rutgers field hockey team has earned a bid to compete in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021. The Scarlet Knights (15-2, 6-2) will face off against Harvard in the first round of the tournament on Friday.
No. 6 Rutgers will play the Crimson (13-3, 7-0) for the first time in program history.
No. 8 Harvard has had a successful season, as it won the Ivy League Tournament and went undefeated in conference play. The Crimson are also on a 10-game winning streak.
Harvard has had a high-powered attack this year, scoring the second-most goals in the Ivy League.
Lara Beekhuis has netted a team-leading 9 goals. The Knights must also look out for the duo of Emily Guckian and Sage Piekarski, as together they have combined for 16 goals and 12 assists.
The Crimson are just as strong on defense and have conceded the fewest goals in the Ivy League. Much of this can be attributed to goalkeeper Tessa Shahbo. Shahbo has a save percentage of .709 and holds a conference-leading goals-against average of 1.12.
Rutgers holds an overall record of 3-4 in the NCAA Tournament in its five appearances.
The Knights have had an impressive season, winning against seven ranked opponents and setting a program record of 15 consecutive victories.
Junior midfielder Guillermina Causarano leads Rutgers with 32 points off 12 goals and eight assists. The Knights will look to Causarano to make an impact in the contest on Friday.
Rutgers has been awarded several personal accolades due to its record-breaking season.
Redshirt senior back Iris Langejans was named the Big Ten Player of the Year, becoming only the second member of the program to win the award. Langejans has started every game this season and has helped lead the backline.
Junior midfielders Paulina Niklaus and Lucy Bannatyne were named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team.
Redshirt junior goalkeeper Sophia Howard has been solid between the posts with a save percentage of .764 in 19 starts. Howard spoke about the Knights' bid to play in the NCAA Tournament.
"We're really excited to get on the road and get down there, play our best. We're really grateful for the opportunity," Howard said.
The contest between Rutgers and Harvard will begin at 2:30 p.m. on Friday in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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