Piscataway, NJ- No. 16 Rutgers Field Hockey took his first Big at Weekly Award of the season on Tuesday was named the BIG in Defensive Player of the Week. Nicholls did not allow a goal in 105 minutes to play in the cage, making 11 rescues during a 2-0 start for the Scarlet Knights during the opening weekend of the season.
In the first two games of her career, the Redshirt-first year student played the first three quarters against Wagner in the home opener, made three saves and did not allow a goal, the departure at that time with Ru Vooruit 4-0. When on Sunday she started her first collegial road with a strong performance, Blanking Vermont, the reigning America East Champions and 2024 NCAA Tournament participants. The Haddon Heights, NJ Native, made eight Saves to keep the catamounts of the scoreboard.
Nicholls became the first goalkeeper during 'S 14 season management as a RU head coach not to score a goal in their first two collegial starts. Her eight Saves in Vermont was the second most saves by a RU Freshman goalkeeper since 2013, with 32 games started by first -year goalkeepers in that period, and most by a first -year goalkeeper since Gianna Glatz had nine saves in Michigan in October 2017.
A product from Camden Catholic, she took a Redshirt season last fall. Nicholls was then called the MVP of the Big Apple tournament in the spring. She was selected for the Senior Nexus Championships, U-21 USA Junior Women's National Team Selection Camp and was placed on the NFHCA Collegiate Watch list.
Rutgers returns to action this weekend with four consecutive games against teams arranged no. 11 or better in the nation. The Scarlet Knights trip to Columbus this weekend for a few neutral Sitegames against No. 11 Syracuse and No. 3 Virginia.