The field hockey closes at the No. 12 Duke season opener

PISCATAWAY, NJ At the start of his 2021 fall campaign, No. 15 Rutgers field hockey showed a complete 3-0 win over 12th place Duke on Friday night. Scarlet Knights was enhanced with goals Milena Redlingshoefer, Kerrie Burns and Lucy Bannatyne, goalkeeper Sophia Howard got his first career.

The win marked the team’s first win from the active ACC team after its last win against Duke in 1989 and the first win from the current ACC team after he defeated Louisville in 2012.

The game was very smooth during the opening season. Each team sent two shots to the opening frame, which ended unpaved. Sophia Howard made his first career savings early on.

In the second quarter, Howard blocked a kick from Duke’s lonely frame. In the final minute of the second quarter, RU earned the first penalty corner of the game and in the ensuing game, Rutgers received a penalty kick. Milena Redlingshoefer buried the ball in the left corner for the team’s first goal of the season so that RU moved 1-0 in the half.

In the third quarter, Rutgers had two goals to extend their lead 3-0. They made a penalty angle, like Kerrie Burns directed a shot at the target Milena Redlingshoefer to the back of the network. Just four minutes later it was Lucy Bannatyne scored his first collegial goal. He shot in a reverse shot with room from the top of the circle for RU to win 3-0 at the end of the third quarter. The Scarlet Knights held on to stop the victory.

The team will remain in Durham and return to operations on Saturday. Scarlet Knights will face Richmond in a neutral site competition for the second game of the season at 2 p.m.

Post-game notes

• Rutgers Freshmen Lucy Bannatyne, Guillermina Causarano, Iris Langejans and Noelle Leaf made their collegiate debut.
• Iris Langejans and Lucy Bannatyne both deserved their first collegial start during their debut.
• Bannatyne’s goal was the first of his career.
• Sophia Howard also started the first goal of his career, and the sophomore made his first fight in two fights.
• Rutgers improves 2-1-1 in the all-time series against Duke and earns the program’s first win over the Blue Devils since 1989.
• Winning No. 12 from the Blue Devils was 20 on the program^th victory after head coach Citizen Meredith took over the program in 2012.
• It marked 9^th to win a team that has been among the top 12 nationally since 2017.
• It marked the highest win on the road after winning No. 6 at Princeton on September 20, 2019.
• The Scarlet Knights win the season opener for the fifth consecutive season.
• It marked the team’s first win from the active ACC team since its last Duke win in 1989 and the first win from the current ACC team since he defeated Louisville in 2012.
• RU made its first home season opening loss to Duke since 1985.