PISCATAWAY, N.J. – No. 22 Rutgers women's lacrosse (4-0) takes its undefeated record down Route 27 to face No. 23 Princeton (1-1) on Wednesday night at Sherrerd Field at Class of 1952 Stadium. First draw is set for 7 p.m. and will stream on ESPN+.
 
Admission for Wednesday night's highly anticipated ranked-versus-ranked matchup is free. This will be the second consecutive meeting between the two programs – which are separated by less than 20 miles – after the Tigers defeated the Scarlet Knights, 18-12, last season in Piscataway.
 

Last Time Out

• RU remained undefeated with its 16-9 victory over Army (0-4) last Saturday at SHI Stadium. The Scarlet Knights never trailed the visitors, as sophomore Lily Dixon tallied a career-high six points and graduate student Cassidy Spilis added five goals to pace RU's offense.
• Rutgers used a 19-10 advantage on the draw to help dictate the pace, as senior Ashley Moynahan produced a game-high seven draw controls to go along with a career-high three goals. Moynahan was one of five Scarlet Knights to tally two or more goals, along with Dixon, Spilis, sophomore Ava Kane and freshman Payton Tini. Senior goalkeeper Sophia Cardello stopped 10 shots for her fourth win of the year.
• The win avenged last season's road loss to the Black Knights, who advanced to the 2023 NCAA Tournament, in West Point and moved RU to 4-0 for the third time in its past four seasons under head coach Melissa Lehman. The Scarlet Knights have yet to trail at any point during the 2024 season, which spans four games and 240 minutes of play.

 

Moving on Up!

• Rutgers moved up to spots to No. 22 in this week's IWLCA Coaches Poll. It is the fourth consecutive season the Scarlet Knights have earned a national ranking. RU has been as high as No. 8 in the poll during regular season play under Lehman, achieved during the first few weeks of the 2023 campaign.
• RU is one of six Big Ten programs ranked in this week's poll, joining No. 3 Northwestern, No. 6 Michigan, No. 9 Maryland, No. 15 Johns Hopkins and No. 25 Penn State.

 

Spilis Leading the Way

• Spilis continues to establish herself as one of the best midfielders in the country. The graduate student ranks within the top 30 nationally in goals (seventh), goals per game (eighth), points per game (24^th), points (25^th) and draw controls per game (27^th). Her 24 draw controls lead the Big Ten, while her 18 goals rank second behind Ashley Mackin of Johns Hopkins.
• With her 210 career goals, Spilis ranks third amongst active players in Division I in that category, trailing only Northwestern's Izzy Scane (301) and James Madison's Isabella Peterson (240).
• Spilis needs 11 points to pass Denis Reed (232) for second all-time in points scored at Rutgers.

 

Goldrick Back in the Mix

• After missing her first two seasons due to injury, junior Victoria Goldrick has been a standout for the Scarlet Knights with 11 points on seven assists and four goals in 2024.
• Goldrick ranks fourth in the Big Ten in both assists (seven) and assists per game (1.75).

 

Rookie Connection

• Freshmen Reese Robinson and Payton Tini have enjoyed productive starts to their first collegiate seasons. The duo has combined for 12 points on nine goals and three assists.
• Tini has tallied at least one point in each of her first four games, including three points against Manhattan and Monmouth.

 

Statistical Standouts

Cassidy Spilis

• Draw Controls Per Game: 6.00 (1st Big Ten/27th NCAA)
• Goals: 18 (2nd Big Ten/7th NCAA)
• Goals Per Game: 4.50 (1st Big Ten/8th NCAA)
• Points: 20 (5th Big Ten/24th NCAA)
• Points Per Game: 5.00 (4th Big Ten/25th NCAA)

Victoria Goldrick

• Assists: 7 (4th Big Ten/40th NCAA)
• Assists Per Game: 1.75 (4th Big Ten/57th NCAA)

Sophia Cardello

• GAA.: 7.44 (3rd Big Ten/10th NCAA)
• Save Percentage: .533 (4th Big Ten/13th NCAA)
• Saves: 32 (5th Big Ten/32nd NCAA)
• Saves Per Game: 8.00 (4th Big Ten/44th NCAA)

Ashley Moynahan

• Ground Balls Per Game: 3.00 (2nd Big Ten/37th NCAA)

 

Scouting Princeton & Series History

• The Tigers enter Wednesday with a 1-1 record, delivering a come-from-behind win at then-No. 22 Penn State on Saturday in State College during their last time out. Princeton rallied from a 13-9 deficit with a 9-0 scoring run in the final 20:14 of play to secure its signature win of the season.
• After it received votes in last week's poll, Princeton is No. 23 in the IWLCA Coaches Poll.
• In two games, Jami MacDonald leads the Tigers with 10 points on six assists and four goals. McKenzie Blake has a team-high six goals and 15 draw controls.
• The Tigers finished 7-9 last season, which included a loss to Yale in the first round of the IVY League Tournament.
• Princeton leads the all-time series with Rutgers, 13-4-1, which includes an 18-12 win over the Scarlet Knights last season. Last year's meeting was the first between the two schools since the 2014 campaign, with the first meeting taking place in 1977.

 

Up Next

• Rutgers is set for its first of three nationally televised games during the regular season when it hosts Oregon on Sunday, March 3 at SHI Stadium. First draw is at noon and will broadcast on Big Ten Network.