The shootout reached its fifth round after 80 minutes of play, and when the game was on the line, Lucy Zich — who had recently been named the Big East Freshman of the Week — scored the decisive goal. University of Connecticut won the shootout, 3-1 and defeated Rutgers, 4-3. The win brings UConn’s record to 3-1 and leaves the Scarlet Knights at 2-3 this season.
Laura Loycke scored unassisted at 6:34 in the first quarter to give Rutgers a 1-0 lead. UConn maintained the pressure in the second quarter, earning four penalty corners and making eight shots. During that time, Rutgers goalie Emily Nicholls stopped seven shots from Zich, Abby Davidson, and Maya Everett. UConn then scored at 19:32, when Charlotte Ritter scored unassisted to tie the game 1-1 before halftime.
In the third quarter, the scoring began immediately. Within 56 seconds, Lauren Iaccio scored from a corner insert by Ella Gandy, with an assist from Eden Doucelin, to give Rutgers a 2-1 lead at 30:56. UConn quickly responded with its own corner set piece. At 34:41, Olivia McKenna and Ritter combined to set up Zich, who then tied the score at 2-2.
UConn took its first lead of the game late in the fourth quarter. At 52:53, Lene Reiche assisted Emma Larit, making it 3-2 UConn with about seven minutes left in regulation. Rutgers answered with less than four minutes remaining. At 56:23, Anna Cogdell scored unassisted to tie the game at 3-3 and sent it to extra time.
The teams then played two 10-minute periods of 7-on-7 sudden-victory overtime. Four seconds into the second overtime, UConn defender Fien Hollander was issued a green card at 70:04, leaving UConn short a player for two minutes. At 70:45, Frederique Vernooij missed a shot wide while Rutgers had the advantage, but UConn managed to kill the penalty. During both overtime periods, UConn’s defense prevented any shots on goal and held Rutgers to just one off-target attempt, sending the game to a shootout.
In the five-round shootout, neither Davidson nor Cogdell scored in the first round. In the second round, Reiche scored for UConn, while Natalie McKenna stopped Talia Schenck. In the third round, Ritter scored to make it 2–0 before Olivia Fraticelli got Rutgers on the board to make it 2–1. Nicholls denied Olivia McKenna in the fourth round, but Natalie McKenna kept UConn in front by stopping Martha Goodridge. In the fifth round, Zich scored against Nicholls, ending the shootout at 3-1.
UConn finished with 15 total shots compared to Rutgers’ 13, with 12 shots on goal to Rutgers’ eight. The Huskies also led 12-6 in penalty corners. Natalie McKenna made five saves in regulation and stopped three of four shooters in the shootout, securing the victory. UConn’s next match is against Villanova on Sept. 18 as Big East Conference play begins.