Puck Winter Named National Defensive Player of the Week

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – No. 15 Rutgers field hockey star Puck Winter earned a national accolade on Wednesday as the NFHCA named her the National Defensive Player of the Week. Winter, who was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday for the second time, was recognized as the National Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in her career (previously in 2023).

Winter buoyed a Rutgers defensive effort that held opponents to one goal in 127 minutes of action over the weekend. In RU’s 2-1 overtime win over Ohio State in the conference opener, she made two crucial defensive saves in the final minutes of regulation to send the game to overtime, where RU prevailed. Then in a shutout victory over Columbia on Sunday, Winter had five points with two goals and an assist, notching her first multi-goal game since 2023.

The graduate student from The Netherlands currently shares the NCAA lead this season with four defensive saves after previously leading the NCAA in the statistic each of the past two seasons. For her career, she has 29 defensive saves, which is Rutgers’ program record, second in Big Ten history and seventh in NCAA history.

Winter and the Scarlet Knights hold a 6-4 overall record and are 1-0 in league play after the win over the Buckeyes. The team hits the road this weekend for a pair of games in the state of Michigan. On Friday, RU plays at Michigan State (3 pm, B1G+). Then on Sunday, the Scarlet Knights play a nationally televised game at No. 12 Michigan, a noon start on Big Ten Network.