Rutgers, Rutgers field hockey, Big Ten
(Photo credit: Michael Cummo / Rutgers Athletics)

No. 5 Rutgers Tops Rival No.4 Penn State For Another Statement Victory

After weeks of diligent game action that led to impressive wins, Rutgers Field Hockey worked their way to a national ranking of No.5. Simultaneously, standout Lucy Bannatyne was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second time this season. Joining Lucy in success, freshmen Iris Langejans and Guillermina Causarano have also earned Big Ten honors for being outstanding newcomers.

The Rutgers' team as a whole and its individual players have all demonstrated that they are hungry for more accolades and recognition as they continuously put their best feet forward. This past weekend, the Scarlet Knights traveled to University Park to display their best efforts as they set out to conquer Rutgers' ultimate rival, No.4 Penn State.

Both Rutgers and Penn State were in for an uphill battle, as they both approached competition as a representative of one of the six Big Ten teams that are ranked. The teams came out with even playing, creating immense difficulties for each other to capitalize on their shots and corners. Rutgers remained offensive, searching for every opening and opportunity to get a point on the scoreboard, but also locked down their efforts on the defensive play to ensure nothing slipped through the cracks as the game became increasingly more competitive.

The Scarlet Knights applied a lot of pressure in the first quarter, but it went by without any alterations to the score, entering the second quarter with a score of 0-0. The team on attack switched positions and suddenly Rutgers was relying abnormally heavily on senior, Gianna Glatz to keep Penn State from sneaking onto the board. Glatz ended up posting a season-high of eight saves as she stretched, lunged, and slid to prevent the Nittany Lions from prevailing over her hardworking crew.

After a long and what fans could constitute as an actionless first half, junior, Rachel Houston changed up the pace of the game by taking the dominant approach by shooting and further scoring within the first few minutes of the second half. This bold move brought the advantage to the Scarlet Knights with a lead and score of 1-0.

Penn State held firm and seemed unphased as they persisted with aggressive play, forcing Rutgers to survive based upon their ability to defend. The Nittany Lions did not allow for the Scarlet Knights to improve their 1-0 margin as they turned aside two quality shot attempts on late corners. Even down to the concluding moments, Rutgers was made to guard their lead with an incredible line of resistance.

After all the tug and pull presented throughout this testy game, the Scarlet Knights were the successors with a final score of 1-0. This victory was Rutgers' eighth imposing win this season over a top 25 team in the country. Rutgers continues to establish their spot at the top as they smash records and strive towards larger goals.

Next Up For Rutgers Field Hockey:

The Scarlet Knights will be opposing the Maryland Terrapins at home this Friday, October 15 at 3 p.m.

You can support Rutgers by cheering at the Bauer Track and Field Complex or tuning into Big Ten Plus.