Northwestern University Athletics
Friday, October 17
Piscataway, N.J.
3 p.m. CT
Northwestern
at
Rutgers
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
NU Travels East to No. 15 Rutgers, No. 10 Maryland
10/16/2025 11:41:00 AM | Field Hockey
EVANSTON, Ill. - Returning to conference play, the No. 1 Northwestern field hockey team (11-1, 3-0 Big Ten) heads to the East Coast this weekend for ranked matchups against Big Ten foes No. 15 Rutgers (8-5, 3-1 Big Ten) and No. 10 Maryland (8-4, 4-1 Big Ten).
The Wildcats visit the Scarlet Knights on Friday, Oct. 17, slated for a 3 p.m. CT pass-back on the Big Ten Network. Two days later, the 'Cats meet the Terrapins on Sunday, Oct. 19, at noon CT on B1G+.
Scouting the Scarlet Knights
Since their first matchup in 2014, the Wildcats have won 12 of 17 games (12-5-0) against the Scarlet Knights. In 2024, NU took down Rutgers, 4-0, in Evanston. The last time they played in Piscataway, the 'Cats won, 2-1, in a shootout.
Winning four of its last five games, RU has outscored those opponents 20-3. Rutgers has four shutouts on the season, three within that span.
Forward Olivia Fraticelli leads the team with eight goals and 18 points. The junior has three multi-goal games. Redshirt first-year goalkeeper Emily Nicholls leads the Big Ten with 77 saves and places fourth nationally in save percentage.
Scouting the Terrapins
Following back-to-back losses to No. 8 Princeton and Ohio State, Maryland rebounded with wins over Michigan State and No. 10 Iowa last week. The Terrapins are now in sole possession of second place in the conference standings.
Maryland is sporting one of the strongest defenses in the conference, allowing just 0.99 goals per game. That average is second only to Northwestern in the Big Ten standings.
Junior goalkeeper Alyssa Klebasko is third in the conference in goals against average (1.01) and fourth in the conference in save percentage (0.760). Sophomore forward Ella Gaitan and first-year midfielder Jordyn Holloman are also tied for No. 9 in the conference in goals per game (0.50).
Northwestern Notables
Despite two goals on its home turf, the No. 1 Northwestern field hockey team fell short, 3-3, on Monday, Oct. 13, as it was dealt its first loss of the season by No. 8 Princeton.
The Wildcats (11-1, 3-0 Big Ten) hosted the Tigers (8-3, 3-1 Ivy) for their final non-conference matchup of the season, finding themselves outmatched by Princeton's efficiency on the field. The top-10 teams were even in shots on goal, but the Tigers excelled on their fewer, yet more lucrative, penalty corners and overall shots.
Princeton is the highest-ranked RPI opponent on Northwestern's 2025 slate, now the NCAA's No. 4 team.
With 40 saves through her first 12 collegiate starts, redshirt first-year 'Cats goalkeeper Juliana Boon leads the nation in goals against average (0.51). She has allowed just six goals on the year and is fourth in the country in goalie win-loss percentage (0.909) and leads the NCAA in save percentage (0.870).
Three NU starters are in the top 10 in the Big Ten in points per game: Ashley Sessa (No. 3 - 2.64 points per game), Ilse Tromp (No. 4 - 1.92), and Grace Schulze (No. 8 - 1.42). Schulze found previous success against Rutgers during her undergraduate stint at Princeton, scoring a hat trick against the Scarlet Knights on Sept. 22, 2024, in Piscataway.
After claiming their second national championship in four years and eighth Big Ten regular season title in 2024, the 'Cats look ahead to attack their 2025 slate. Over half of Northwestern's 2025 opponents appeared in NFHCA preseason rankings.
The 2025 captains for Northwestern are Greta Hinke, Aerin Krys, and Maddie Zimmer.
NFHCA Week Six Ranking: No. 1. The Oct. 14 ranking maintains NU's No. 1 position, for the seventh straight poll. While still at the top, the 'Cats are again sharing first-place votes with No. 2 UNC. Following its first-ever unanimous preseason No. 1 from the NFHCA, the 'Cats collected back-to-back weeks of unanimous selections at the end of September and early October.
The Wildcats visit the Scarlet Knights on Friday, Oct. 17, slated for a 3 p.m. CT pass-back on the Big Ten Network. Two days later, the 'Cats meet the Terrapins on Sunday, Oct. 19, at noon CT on B1G+.
Scouting the Scarlet Knights
Since their first matchup in 2014, the Wildcats have won 12 of 17 games (12-5-0) against the Scarlet Knights. In 2024, NU took down Rutgers, 4-0, in Evanston. The last time they played in Piscataway, the 'Cats won, 2-1, in a shootout.
Winning four of its last five games, RU has outscored those opponents 20-3. Rutgers has four shutouts on the season, three within that span.
Forward Olivia Fraticelli leads the team with eight goals and 18 points. The junior has three multi-goal games. Redshirt first-year goalkeeper Emily Nicholls leads the Big Ten with 77 saves and places fourth nationally in save percentage.
Scouting the Terrapins
Following back-to-back losses to No. 8 Princeton and Ohio State, Maryland rebounded with wins over Michigan State and No. 10 Iowa last week. The Terrapins are now in sole possession of second place in the conference standings.
Maryland is sporting one of the strongest defenses in the conference, allowing just 0.99 goals per game. That average is second only to Northwestern in the Big Ten standings.
Junior goalkeeper Alyssa Klebasko is third in the conference in goals against average (1.01) and fourth in the conference in save percentage (0.760). Sophomore forward Ella Gaitan and first-year midfielder Jordyn Holloman are also tied for No. 9 in the conference in goals per game (0.50).
Northwestern Notables
Despite two goals on its home turf, the No. 1 Northwestern field hockey team fell short, 3-3, on Monday, Oct. 13, as it was dealt its first loss of the season by No. 8 Princeton.
The Wildcats (11-1, 3-0 Big Ten) hosted the Tigers (8-3, 3-1 Ivy) for their final non-conference matchup of the season, finding themselves outmatched by Princeton's efficiency on the field. The top-10 teams were even in shots on goal, but the Tigers excelled on their fewer, yet more lucrative, penalty corners and overall shots.
Princeton is the highest-ranked RPI opponent on Northwestern's 2025 slate, now the NCAA's No. 4 team.
With 40 saves through her first 12 collegiate starts, redshirt first-year 'Cats goalkeeper Juliana Boon leads the nation in goals against average (0.51). She has allowed just six goals on the year and is fourth in the country in goalie win-loss percentage (0.909) and leads the NCAA in save percentage (0.870).
Three NU starters are in the top 10 in the Big Ten in points per game: Ashley Sessa (No. 3 - 2.64 points per game), Ilse Tromp (No. 4 - 1.92), and Grace Schulze (No. 8 - 1.42). Schulze found previous success against Rutgers during her undergraduate stint at Princeton, scoring a hat trick against the Scarlet Knights on Sept. 22, 2024, in Piscataway.
After claiming their second national championship in four years and eighth Big Ten regular season title in 2024, the 'Cats look ahead to attack their 2025 slate. Over half of Northwestern's 2025 opponents appeared in NFHCA preseason rankings.
The 2025 captains for Northwestern are Greta Hinke, Aerin Krys, and Maddie Zimmer.
NFHCA Week Six Ranking: No. 1. The Oct. 14 ranking maintains NU's No. 1 position, for the seventh straight poll. While still at the top, the 'Cats are again sharing first-place votes with No. 2 UNC. Following its first-ever unanimous preseason No. 1 from the NFHCA, the 'Cats collected back-to-back weeks of unanimous selections at the end of September and early October.
Players Mentioned
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