Rutgers’ field hockey program is entering the 2025 campaign with a .500 record from a year ago, finishing 9‑9 overall and 4‑4 in the Big Ten, and the coaching staff believes the team is poised for a step forward.
Watch List Highlights
Six Scarlet Knights earned spots on the NFHCA’s Collegiate Watch List, including senior Olivia Fraticelli, who leads the squad with 11 goals, and sophomore Anna Cogdell, who helped anchor a potent attack that produced 28 points across 35 collegiate games.
In goal, Emily Nicholls will again anchor the defense after posting 108 saves last season, the most for a Rutgers keeper since 2006, while senior Olivia Beattie joins her as one of the team’s captains.
Fresh faces promise to add depth; Talia Schenck, a Princeton transfer and former Lawrence High standout, arrives with 27 collegiate points and a silver medal from the 2025 Junior Pan Am Games, while fellow transfer Fredrique Vernooij brings experience from Virginia, having scored twice in 16 appearances.
The season opens with a No. 17 national ranking and early matchups against Monmouth and Wagner, the latter being the Northeast Conference favorite, giving the team a clear early test.
Coach Meredith Civico has repeatedly emphasized that chemistry — both on the field and in the locker room — will be the team’s greatest asset as they look to translate talent into consistent results.