Rutgers to Host UMass in Final Regular-Season Game
May 04 | Men's Lacrosse
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Rutgers men's lacrosse team (6-6, 3-3) will close out the 2007 regular season when it hosts ECAC opponent UMass (7-6, 4-2) on Saturday, May 5, at 1:00 p.m. Prior to the start of the game, the Scarlet Knights will hold a ceremony to honor the five seniors on the roster: Josh Ashcraft (Carthage, N.Y.), Colin Checcio (Wayne, Pa.), Chris Doctor (Skaneateles, N.Y.), Matt Gaines (Abingdon, Md.) and volunteer assistant coach Zach Trent.
RU is coming off a 10-9 win over Army on Wednesday night. The game was a tale of two halves, with a combined five goals scored in the opening half and 14 in the second. Checcioscored four of RU's goals, including the game-winner with six seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, tohelp guide Rutgers to the win. The win snapped the Scarlet Knights' eight-game losing streak against the Black Knights, dating back to the 1999 season, and also marked Rutgers' 20th all-time victory against Army.
Checcio leads the team in goals (31) and total points (37), both career-highs. Chris Doctor (Skaneateles, N.Y.) has a team-best 12 assists this season, also a career-high for the senior. Freshman goalie Bill Olin (Horseheads, N.Y.) has recorded 81 saves in eight games and has goals-against average of 8.14 this spring.
The Minutemen enter Saturday's game on a two-game win streak, including a win over twelfth-ranked Syracuse on April 28. Jim Connolly leads the team in scoring with 27 goals and Brian Jacovina has a team-best 17 assists. Goalie Doc Schneider has made 102 saves this season.
UMass leads the all-time series against the Scarlet Knights, 17-8, including a 10-5 win on May 7 last spring. With a win against the Minutemen on Saturday, Rutgers would finish the season with a winning record at 7-6, including a 4-3 mark in ECAC play.
