Rutgers’ 2021 field hockey season filled with historic feats
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (BVM) — The Rutgers field hockey team redefined the program’s standards in 2021, setting a handful of new records, and, more importantly, securing the school’s first-ever Big Ten tournament title.
It felt like a long time coming for a school that joined the conference in 2014, and it’s only the start of an appetite for even more success.
Coming into the season, the Scarlet Knights were on a high. Their 2020 campaign, which was delayed to last spring due to the pandemic, had gone better than expected. The team showed promise with a 9-6 record, proving it could compete at the highest level with four top-10 wins.
Rutgers sought to build on that success in coach Meredith Civico’s 10th season, returning a large part of the team, including All-Americans in goaltender Gianna Glatz and midfielder Katie Larmour. The returning parts allowed them to continue to grow a chemistry that a lot of other teams wouldn’t have.
The 2021 campaign started off hot for the Scarlet Knights with an 8-2 record. Seven of the wins came against ranked opponents, including a double overtime victory at UConn, which had been at the top of collegiate field hockey for years.
By the end of the regular season, Rutgers was turning heads. The team finished 15-3 and tied the program’s single-season record for wins. Ten came against ranked opponents.
The Scarlet Knight’s 6-2 conference record earned the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten tournament. It was the highest seed in program history and set them up to make a run for the title – their preseason goal.
In the first two rounds, Rutgers took down Indiana, (3-1), and Penn State, (2-1), at home to advance to the Big Ten championship game for the first time. To make it even more exciting for the Scarlet Knights, Michigan took down No. 1 seed Iowa in the semifinals and allowed them to play the championship on their home turf at Bauer Track and Field Complex.
The name of Rutgers’ game all season had been defense, and this was no different against Michigan on Nov. 7. Tayla Parkes scored the game’s only goal in the first half, and the rest of the contest consisted of stellar defensive efforts, particularly by midfielder Kerrie Burns, the tournament MVP, and Glatz, an all-tournament selection in goal.
After the clock ticked down to zero, history was made. The players, coaches, and many of the 1,617 fans in attendance, the biggest crowd of any NCAA field hockey game all season, celebrated the first Big Ten championship trophy to find a home in Piscataway.
Soon after, the Scarlet Knights had their eye on an even bigger achievement as they entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 seed.
The momentum continued with their first NCAA win since 1986, 2-1 over Delaware in the first round. The magical season then came to a surprising end in the second round, when No. 9 seed Liberty upset Rutgers, 3-2.
Despite the disappointing loss, the season was one to remember. The Scarlet Knights set program records for wins (19), ranked wins (13), top-10 wins (6) and Big Ten regular-season wins (6).
“Our goal was to be Big Ten champions and we accomplished that,” Larmour told The Daily Targum. “Regardless of this result and this season’s ending, no one will ever take that away from us. It’s such a testament to what this team and staff have done here. We can’t forget that we made history as Big Ten champions. There’s still history to be made and it’s only up from here for this program.”
The 2021 Rutgers field hockey team raised both the program and university’s overall athletics standards. Perhaps the Big Ten tournament championship is the first in a budding collection. Regardless, the Scarlet Knights proved they belong in a conference as strong as the Big Ten.
