Rutgers Drops Heartbreaker to No. 15/18 Army
Mar 15 | Men's Lacrosse
DALLAS, Texas - Despite outscoring No. 15/18 Army in both the third and fourth quarters, the Rutgers men's lacrosse team was unable to overcome a four goal deficit while falling to the Black Knights, 12-11, at Texas Stadium in Dallas Saturday afternoon. Freshman Kory Kelly (Princeton, N.J.) led the Scarlet Knights with three goals, while classmate Collin Donahue (Camillus, N.Y.) netted his first two goals of the season in the inaugural Patriot Cup.
Rutgers (1-3) trailed by four early in the third quarter after Army tallied the first score of the half to go up 9-5. However, RU would score five of the next six goals, spanning the final two quarters to draw even at 10-10 with 14:04 remaining in the game.
Andrew Supiano halted the RU run, scoring his first goal of the season at the 9:03 mark, giving Army an 11-10 advantage. After both teams failed on numerous scoring opportunities, the Scarlet Knights were forced to pull goalie Billy Olin (Horseheads, N.Y.) with a little under two minutes remaining in the contest. The Black Knights would take advantage as they took possession and tallied an open net goal with 1:08 remaining in the game. Rutgers would win the ensuing faceoff though and score quickly as Kelly notched his third goal of the day with 48 second left.
Rutgers lost the following faceoff, however gained possession back with 29 seconds left as Army turned the ball over on a long pass. The Scarlet Knights would get a good look to tie the game as junior co-captain Jeff Rommel (Syracuse, N.Y.) missed a shot wide left with 13 seconds left on the clock. Rommel's shot would be the last attempt that the Scarlet Knights could muster.
Army (3-2) was led by Jeremy Boltus and Justin Bokmeyer, who each tallied two goals. Eight other Black Knights posted a goal each to bolster a balanced Army scoring attack.
Proceeds from the 2008 Patriot Cup will benefit Wounded Warrior, a non-profit organization which seeks to assist those men and women of our armed forces who have been severely injured during the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations around the world. The event showcased the first ever lacrosse games played in Texas Stadium, which is home to the Dallas Cowboys.
Rutgers will return to ECAC play Friday, March 21 when the Scarlet Knights host Hobart at the RU Turf Field. The game is slated to begin at 7 p.m.
