The 2021 Big Ten Tournament Champions are looking to get back to the top this season with the help of their young stars. After a bit of a dip in winning last season, the Rutgers Field Hockey Team is ready to bounce back and get back to where they were during the 2021 season.
The Big Ten announced their players to watch list Wednesday afternoon, which featured three of Rutgers' exceptional athletes. Ava Cickavage, Iris Langejans and Puck Winter are all expected to stand out and show out this upcoming season for the Scarlet Knights.
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Ava Cickavage, Iris Langejans and Puck Winter from #RUFH were named Preseason Players to Watch by the Big Ten!
đź“°: https://t.co/gtYzW0VMSf pic.twitter.com/YdaLfpjGrZ
— Rutgers Field Hockey (@RUFieldHockey) August 23, 2023
On top of the Big Ten Releasing their Watch List, Rutgers Field Hockey earned the ranking of 16 in the NFHCA Preseason Poll. With the Scarlet Knights starting within the top 20, the excitement and hope for the program could not be higher.
#RUFH is ranked No. 16 in the @NFHCA Preseason Poll!
The season begins this Friday with three games in California.
2023 Season Preview ⬇️
đź“°: https://t.co/mBgycf8oqu pic.twitter.com/AcW94AZsBO
— Rutgers Field Hockey (@RUFieldHockey) August 22, 2023
Ava Chickavage
The transfer from Wake Forest is bringing with her a whole lot of offense and consistency for the Scarlet Knights. The rising sophomore midfielder appeared in 20 games with three starts for the Demon Deacons, recording a total of 472 minutes. The New Jersey native attempted nine shots last year and put away six of them.
Chickavage also brings some international experience with her to “The Banks”, as she had a stellar performance at the 2023 U-21 Senior Nexus Championship. Chickavage will continue to represent the USA as she has been selected to attend the U-21 Junior Women’s National Team Selection Camp.
A previous top-50 player in the 2022 class, Chickavage is surely going to make a huge impact at Rutgers. Chickavage’s talent will hopefully help propel and excite the Scarlet Knights' offense.
Iris Langejans
The rising redshirt senior back has been excellent for Rutgers over the past two years. The Netherlands native started in all 18 games last season and was the team’s leader in assists and points with four goals and eight assists. Langejans collected various accolades for her performance last season, including First Team All-Big Ten, First Team All-Region, Third Team All-American and Academic All American. Langejans also earned several Rutgers awards including the Werblin Award and AD’s Excellence Award.
In 2021, Langejans started all of the Scarlet Knights games at right halfback and recorded one assist on the year. The two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week provided consistency and stability to the team as they captured the 2021 Big Ten Tournament Championship.
Puck Winter
The rising redshirt sophomore back was outstanding in her first season for the Scarlet Knights. As a freshman, the Netherlands native posted a team high four defensive saves to go with three goals and one assist. The 2022 Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year and 2022 Second Team All-Region provided clutch defense and offensive goals to lift the Scarlet Knights over several opponents.
Prior to Rutgers, Winter played for both the Dutch U-15 and U-16 team in matches all around Europe.
Full List of 2023 Big Ten Field Hockey Players To Watch
| Sofia Arrebola Garcia | Indiana | Jr. | Midfielder | Santander, Spain |
| Sarah Charley | Indiana | Gr. | Forward | Worthington, Ohio |
| Sydney Keld | Indiana | Sr. | Back | Middletown, Del. |
| Esme Gibson | Iowa | 5th | Midfielder/Defense | Worcestershire, England |
| Mia Magnotta | Iowa | So. | Goalkeeper | Forty-Fort, Pa. |
| Sofie Stribos | Iowa | 5th | Forward/Midfielder | Brussels, Belgium |
| Josie Hollamon | Maryland | Fr. | Midfielder/Defense | Delmar, Del. |
| Hope Rose | Maryland | Jr. | Forward | Dauphin, Pa. |
| Maura Verleg | Maryland | 5th | Defense | Geldrop, Netherlands |
| Lora Clarke | Michigan | Sr. | Forward/Midfielder | Shaker Heights, Ohio |
| Kate McLaughlin | Michigan | Sr. | Forward | Winnetka, Ill. |
| Anouk Veen | Michigan | Sr. | Back | The Hague, Netherlands |
| Hannah Jarvie | Michigan State | 5th | Forward | Saline, Mich. |
| Celina Riccardo | Michigan State | 5th | Midfielder | Dowingtown, Pa. |
| Ellie Rutherford | Michigan State | Jr. | Midfielder | Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Peyton Halsey | Northwestern | Gr. | Forward/Midfielder | Reading, Pa. |
| Annabel Skubisz | Northwestern | Sr. | Goalkeeper | Houston, Texas |
| Lauren Wadas | Northwestern | Sr. | Midfielder | Annville, Pa. |
| Leanne Bough | Ohio State | Gr. | Midfielder | Whitney Point, N.Y. |
| Abby Danson | Ohio State | Sr. | Goalkeeper | Clifton Park, N.Y. |
| Makenna Webster | Ohio State | Sr. | Forward | St. Louis, Mo. |
| Mackenzie Allessie | Penn State | Sr. | Midfielder | Mount Joy, Pa. |
| Brie Barraco | Penn State | Gr. | Goalkeeper | Allentown, Pa. |
| Sophia Gladieux | Penn State | Sr. | Forward | Boyertown, Pa. |
| Ava Cickavage | Rutgers | So. | Midfielder | Morrestown, N.J. |
| Iris Langejans | Rutgers | Sr. | Back | Almelo, Netherlands |
| Puck Winter | Rutgers | So. | Back | Deventer, Netherlands |
2023 NFHCA Field Hockey Pre Season Poll
| 1.0 | University of North Carolina | 0-0 | 955 (29) |
| 2.0 | Northwestern University | 0-0 | 914 (13) |
| 3.0 | University of Maryland | 0-0 | 871 (6) |
| 4.0 | University of Michigan | 0-0 | 751 (1) |
| 5.0 | Pennsylvania State University | 0-0 | 719 (1) |
| 6.0 | University of Virginia | 0-0 | 676 (1) |
| 7.0 | University of Iowa | 0-0 | 671 (0) |
| 8.0 | Syracuse University | 0-0 | 589 (0) |
| 9.0 | University of Louisville | 0-0 | 520 (0) |
| 10.0 | Princeton University | 0-0 | 485 (0) |
| 11.0 | Saint Joseph's University | 0-0 | 432 (0) |
| 12.0 | Wake Forest University | 0-0 | 431 (0) |
| 13.0 | Harvard University | 0-0 | 398 (0) |
| 14.0 | Liberty University | 0-0 | 361 (0) |
| 15.0 | University of Connecticut | 0-0 | 309 (0) |
| 16.0 | Rutgers University | 0-0 | 301 (0) |
| 17.0 | Boston College | 0-0 | 285 (0) |
| 18.0 | Old Dominion University | 0-0 | 193 (0) |
| 19.0 | University at Albany | 0-0 | 188 (0) |
| 20.0 | Duke University | 0-0 | 103 (0) |
Rutgers Field Hockey’s First Game
The Scarlet Knight’s first game is on August 25 at 3:00 PM EST against UC Davis (away). You can watch the game on ESPN+.
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