Rutgers Game Notes
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers men's lacrosse (1-0) hits the road for the first time this weekend, taking a trip to Army West Point for a 2:30 p.m. contest on Saturday. The game will be live-streamed by the Patriot League Network.
Rutgers versus Army is the second most played contest in the history of Rutgers lacrosse. This meeting is the 79th time the two teams will meet up, with Army holding a 56-21-1 advantage. Rutgers last victory in the series came in 2014 when Scott Klimchak scored the game-winning goal in overtime for a 9-8 victory. Last season's contest was a tight affair at High Point Solutions Stadium, as then-No. 9 Army earned a 9-7 win. Scott Bieda had two goals and two assists in that game.
"We've tried to show the team in practice some of the things they are going to need to be mentally and physically prepared for," head coach Brian Brecht explained. "It's going to be a tall order. The Rutgers-Army game has always been a battle for sixty minutes. Army is coming off a good win against a good team. We have to make sure we are focused and well prepared and understand who we are playing."
The Scarlet Knights are coming off a strong performance in the season opener, downing St. John's 19-11. Senior captain Scott Bieda had a record-breaking day with nine points (five goals, four assists), and was named NCAA and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. Redshirt freshman Adam Charalambides scored six times in his career debut, the first RU freshman to score six goals in a game since 1984, and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week. Max Edelmann made his Rutgers debut with the start in goal, making nine saves to earn the win.
Army is tasked with replacing departed three-time All-American John Glesener and 2015 Patriot League Goalie of the year Sam Somers from last season's team, which went 10-7 last season. They return a pair of 35-goal scorers in Cole Johnson and Connor Cook. In goal they feature freshman AJ Barretto, the top goalie recruit in NCAA (by Inside Lacrosse). Last week they downed UMass 9-5 in the season opener. Tim Stackpole (five caused turnovers, two ground balls) and Dan Grabher (eight faceoff wins, five ground balls, one goal) each won Patriot League Weekly Awards.
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersAthletics ) and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding Rutgers men's lacrosse, follow the program and Brecht on Twitter (@RUMLax and @RUlaxCoach) and Facebook. Fans can receive timely information, including special offers and giveaways throughout the year on our social media outlets along with www.ScarletKnights.com.
