March 10, 2017
Box Score PISCATAWAY, N.J. - No. 7 Rutgers men's lacrosse used a dominating performance to control the entire game, running away with a 17-4 victory over No. 14 Stony Brook. The Scarlet Knights (6-0) scored the first six goals of the game in the opening 10 minutes and never looked back, cruising to a 13-goal margin over victory over the previously unbeaten Seawolves (4-1).
Rutgers had 10 different goal scorers on the day, led by three tallies from both freshman Kieran Mullins and redshirt sophomore Casey Rose. Connor Murphy (five points), Jules Heningburg (four points) and Jeff George each also added a pair of goals. Garrett Michaeli and Matthew Chase each scored the first goals of their career, with Chad Toliver, Christian Mazzone Josh Jordan also tallying.
The home squad dominated most statistical categories, holding an advantage in shots (39-21), ground balls (41-25), and forcing 21 Stony Brook turnovers. Rutgers was 18-of-25 on faceoffs, 19-of-23 on clears, and limited SBU to 0-of-6 on the extra-man.
"I was impressed with the way prepared during the week and how focused we were," head coach Brian Brecht said. "That's the way top-10 programs should play at home. I'm proud of how they responded to their task and played extremely well tonight. Our defense was lights out. We were sharp and mature in everything we did on and off the field."
The Scarlet Knights blitzed the Seawolves out of the gates, scoring the first six goals of the game and holding the visitors off the board for the first 18 minutes of action. Joe Francisco won the first 10 faceoffs of the game, allowing the Scarlet Knights to control possession early on.
RU's lead grew to as much as 11-1 in the opening half, with the squad taking a nine goal lead into the intermission. In the first stanza, Rutgers had a 29-8 advantage in shots and 25-14 in ground balls, while being perfect on clears and 12-of-15 on faceoffs.
The Scarlet Knights added to their lead in third frame, outscoring SBU 5-0 to increase the lead to 16-2. The Scarlet Knights used the fourth quarter to allow multiple players to see action, with 37 total players seeing action, en route to a 13-goal final margin of victory.
Next up for the Scarlet Knights is another test against a ranked opponent, with a game against in-state rival No. 19 Princeton. That contest is currently scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast by Big Ten Network.
Postgame Notes
With the win, Rutgers has now won five of its past seven matchups against ranked opponents (defeating No. 9 Johns Hopkins, No. 17 Penn State, No. 10 Johns Hopkins, No. 19 Brown and No. 14 Stony Brook).
Rutgers has now won 12 straight games at home.
Kieran Mullins had a career-high six points and three assists.
Garrett Michaeli and Matthew Chase each recorded their first career points with a goal in the game.
Michael Rexrode, the Big Ten's leader in caused turnovers, had four CTs for the second straight game (matching his career-high).
Max Edelmann made eight saves and allowed just four goals in the victory. His record as RU's starting goalkeeper improved to 9-0.
Stony Brook entered the game as the No. 5 scoring offense in the NCAA with 15 goals/game. RU held them to just four goals.
The win is Rutgers first over Stony Brook since 2006. The Seawolves had won the past four matchups. The Scarlet Knights now lead the all-time series 6-5.
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook (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 (@RUMLaxand @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.
