No. 20 Rutgers Sweeps Weekly ECAC Awards
Apr 10 | Men's Lacrosse
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Three Rutgers men's lacrosse players earned weekly ECAC honors, the league announced on Tuesday. Mike Dugan (Summit, N.J.) was named the Offensive Player of the Week, Chris O'Dougherty (Kinnelon, N.J.) earned co-Defensive Player of the Week honors and Justin Pennington (Flemington, N.J.) was named the Rookie of the Week for the third time this spring. Rutgers (4-4, 2-2) posted two victories this past week, including a 17-7 upset of eighth-ranked Loyola on April 7. The win, the program's first-ever against the Greyhounds, came following a 10-3 defeat of Manhattan on April 3.
Dugan's play on offense helped guide Rutgers to its two wins this past week. He had a goal and an assist in the 10-3 win over Manhattan. He then went on to score a game-high four goals against Loyola while adding in another assist. Dugan took seven shots against a Loyola defense that allowed its highest number of goals in a single game this season. Through eight games, the sophomore has seven goals on 21 shots and recorded six assists, good for third on the team.
O'Dougherty anchored a Rutgers defense that held Manhattan to just three goals and No. 8 Loyola to seven en route to earning ECAC recognition. The three goals by Manhattan were the fewest scored by an RU opponent this season, as the Jaspers were held scoreless for three-straight quarters. Loyola entered the April 7 contest averaging 9.43 goals-per-game but O'Dougherty was able to help hold the Greyhounds to just seven, their lowest goal total of the season. O'Dougherty also helped keep Loyola's leading scorer, Dan Bauers, scoreless. Bauers entered the game with a team-high 19 goals. The Greyhounds' second leading scorer, Shane Koppens, was also held goalless. O'Dougherty and the RU defense kept Loyola without a goal in the third quarter and to just one in the final quarter of play.
Pennington earned his third Rookie of the Week honor after scoring five goals and recording two assists this past week. In Rutgers' 10-3 win over Manhattan on April 3, he scored twice, scooped-up a game-high six ground balls and went 2-of-2 from the face-off circle. Pennington then recorded a hat trick against Loyola and had seven ground balls and a 15-of-22 (.682) performance in face-offs. He also took a game-high seven shots. For the season, Pennington is second on the team in goals with 14 and has a team-high 35 ground balls. He is also 38-of-49 (.776) in face-offs. Pennington is ranked third in the ECAC in face-off percentage (.563) and ninth in shots per game (6.12 spg).
After posting a 2-0 record last week, Rutgers earned its first national ranking of the season when the Nike/Inside Lacrosse poll ranked the Scarlet Knights 20th. The team also received votes in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association's April 9 poll. In addition, head coach Jim Stagnitta was named the U.S. Lacrosse Coach of the Week.
The Scarlet Knights, who have now won two-straight games, are back in action when they travel to No. 17/18 Syracuse (3-5) on Sunday, April 15, at 1:00 p.m.
