2017 MLAX Season Recap
Jun 27 | Men's Lacrosse
Scarlet Knights post ten win season
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers men's lacrosse enjoyed a very successful campaign in 2017. The Scarlet Knights finished with a 10-4 record, recording back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time in program history. The team recorded four ranked victories, reached number one in the national rankings themselves and concluded the season with a thrilling victory over the No. 3 team in the nation.
The Scarlet Knights drew 12,602 fans for seven home games, finishing 13th in the nation in average attendance, and drawing 7,049 fans for the two Big Ten home games combined. RU boasted two All-Americans, three All-conference selections, while showcasing an outstanding young core that is poised for even greater success going forward.
"For the second year in a row, I am very pleased with the overall level of play and the commitment the guys have provided to play at the highest level in the toughest conference in the country," head coach Brian Brecht said. "Having 21 wins in the last two seasons and back to back years with double digit victories says a lot about the returning guys and what they've been able to accomplish throughout their careers."
The Season
Rutgers raced out to a historic start to the season, winning the first eight games, starting 8-0 for the first time since 1955.
After doubling up St. John's in a 16-8 road win in the season opener, the Scarlet Knights earned a victory over a strong opponent in the home opener. Facing Army West Point, who finished the season ranked, RU got 15 saves from goalkeeper Max Edelmann to backstop a 12-10 win over the Black Knights.
The season continued with a stout defensive effort on the road, as Rutgers allowed a season-low in goals in an 8-3 win at Fairfield. The team returned home for a contest against Wagner nationally televised on Big Ten Network, cruising to a 12-5 victory.
What followed was an impressive run of three-straight victories over ranked opponents. That began on March 4 against No. 19 Brown, a team that was coming off of a Final Four run and boasted the reining Tewaaraton Award winner in Dylan Molloy. With a 13-11 win over the Bears, Rutgers claimed its 600th victory in program history, becoming the 12th Division I program to reach the milestone. Kieran Mullins scored three times in the final minutes of a game that was tied at 10 to ensure the victory.
Next up, Rutgers trounced No. 14 Stony Brook, sending the Seawolves home after a resounding 17-4 victory. RU took a 6-0 lead and never looked back behind hat tricks from Mullins and Casey Rose, among 10 different goal scorers.
After a blizzard cleared the area, No. 15 Princeton came to town on March 15 for an in-state rivalry showdown. The Scarlet Knights got seven points from Jules Heningburg, four goals from Mullins and 14 saves from Edelman in a 16-11 win. With the victory, Rutgers claimed the Tots Meistrell Cup defeating Princeton for the first time since 2005 and the second time since 1989.
A win a week later at NJIT gave Rutgers an 8-0 start to begin the season. It marked the second time in program history RU started a season at 8-0, the only other time coming in 1955.
With that 8-0 start, the Scarlet Knights found themselves ranked No. 1 in the nation when the media poll came out the following Monday. That number one ranking, the first in program history, made men's lacrosse the first Rutgers team to earn a top ranking since the men's soccer program was ranked No. 1 in 1995 in the Soccer America preseason rankings.
After a loss at Delaware, the Scarlet Knights opened Big Ten conference play with a loss at Homewood Field to No. 13 Johns Hopkins. The team earned its first Big Ten win of the season at Michigan behind a spectacular individual performance. Freshman Kieran Mullins scored eight times and added an assist for a nine-point day, outscoring the Wolverines singlehandedly in a 14-7 victory.
The next game was an epic duel with eventual national champion Maryland. The Scarlet Knights got a goal from Jeff George with 39 seconds left in regulation to extend the game, but the Terrapins won a heartbreaker in triple overtime.
After a road loss to a top-10 Penn State team, Rutgers returned home for the season finale. The team put a stamp on the season by concluding the year with a landmark victory over No. 3 Ohio State in dramatic fashion. A back-and-forth battle needed extra time to settle things. After RU won the opening faceoff of OT, Mullins wrapped around the net and put home the game-winning-goal, sparking a dogpile in celebration. The victory over the No. 3 Buckeyes (who went on to play in the national championship game) tied for the highest ranked win in program history.
On the year, the team was anchored by a strong defense. RU finished third in the nation in caused turnovers per game (9.71 per game) and was also top-10 in ground balls (32.14 per game), leading the Big Ten in both categories.
Accolades
Off the field, Rutgers was rewarded for its strong season with a number of individual accolades. The Scarlet Knights had a pair of All-Americans in Michael Rexrode and Jules Heningburg, giving the program 210 All-Americans in its history.
Michael Rexrode, who was named a Third Team All-American by both the USILA and Inside Lacrosse, excelled as the Scarlet Knights' top defenseman. He led the Big Ten with a career-high 23 caused turnovers and collected 28 ground balls. The Leesburg, Va., native, who has started all 40 of his career games played at RU, was named First Team All-Big Ten and Second Team All-ECAC.
Jules Heningburg was named Honorable Mention All-America by the USILA. The Maplewood, N.J., native started all 14 games on attack, scoring 20 goals and adding a career-high 26 assists for 46 points, also collecting 20 ground balls. He had had 10 multi-point games, five multi-goal games and seven multi-assist games.
Max Edelmann was a Second Team All-Big Ten selection. The Scarlet Knights goalkeeper started all 14 games between the pipes, backstopping the team to a 10-4 record, making 143 saves for a .532 save percentage. In 848 minutes played, the Middletown, Md., native notched an 8.91 goals-against average that was second in the Big Ten. He also collected 23 ground balls and caused six turnovers.
Kieran Mullins also earned Second Team All-Big Ten accolades. The freshman led the team with 35 goals and 51 points. His breakout performance came at Michigan, where he outscored the Wolverines in a 14-7 win with an eight-goal, nine-point performance at Michigan that earned him National Player of the Week honors. The Islip, N.Y., native also scored the game-winning goal in overtime versus No. 3 Ohio State to lift Rutgers to its highest ranked victory since 2003.
Connor Murphy capped a strong senior season with multiple recognitions. He was named a Scholar All-American and was a Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree. The Clifton, Va., native set career-highs with 26 goals, 14 assists and 40 points on the season. In Big Ten games alone, Murphy was third in the league in goals (13) and fourth in points (18).
Jeff George represented RU at the North-South All-Star game. He set career-highs this past season with 19 goals, 28 points and 15 ground balls. The Warren, N.J., native started 37 games in three season "On the Banks", compiling 40 goals and 20 assists for 60 points.
Pat McCabe was awarded a postgraduate scholarship from the Big Ten Conference. The senior captain, who was featured in this video from the Big Ten Network, graduated with a 3.9 GPA, major in criminal justice.
The team also excelled in the classroom. The program had a total of 16 All-Big Ten Academic Team selections, as well as 15 players make the Dean's List.
Future
The Scarlet Knights will need to replace an eight-member senior class, which included starters at attack (Connor Murphy), midfield (Jeff George) and defense (Chris Groel). However, Rutgers is well positioned for the future with a very talented core of players returning. Of the 19 players to record a point this year, RU brings back 14, while also returning 10 of the 12 players who scored multiple goals this season. Additionally, Rutgers welcomes back Adam Charalambides (2016 Big Ten Freshman of the Year) and Christian Trasolini (69 career goals in 46 starts) after both took medical redshirt seasons after injuries in the preseason.
"I'm excited for this coming years seniors, with all they've accomplished in the past three years, for what they can accomplish in 2018," Brecht said. "This group of seniors have been a big part of turning the program around. Their impact on game day is significant and it will be exciting to see what they can do in their last season 'On the Banks.' For the younger guys returning, the competition they've shown in practice and the mentoring they've gotten from the seniors, gives me a lot of excitement as we start up practices in the fall."
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.
The Scarlet Knights drew 12,602 fans for seven home games, finishing 13th in the nation in average attendance, and drawing 7,049 fans for the two Big Ten home games combined. RU boasted two All-Americans, three All-conference selections, while showcasing an outstanding young core that is poised for even greater success going forward.
"For the second year in a row, I am very pleased with the overall level of play and the commitment the guys have provided to play at the highest level in the toughest conference in the country," head coach Brian Brecht said. "Having 21 wins in the last two seasons and back to back years with double digit victories says a lot about the returning guys and what they've been able to accomplish throughout their careers."
The Season
Rutgers raced out to a historic start to the season, winning the first eight games, starting 8-0 for the first time since 1955.
After doubling up St. John's in a 16-8 road win in the season opener, the Scarlet Knights earned a victory over a strong opponent in the home opener. Facing Army West Point, who finished the season ranked, RU got 15 saves from goalkeeper Max Edelmann to backstop a 12-10 win over the Black Knights.
The season continued with a stout defensive effort on the road, as Rutgers allowed a season-low in goals in an 8-3 win at Fairfield. The team returned home for a contest against Wagner nationally televised on Big Ten Network, cruising to a 12-5 victory.
What followed was an impressive run of three-straight victories over ranked opponents. That began on March 4 against No. 19 Brown, a team that was coming off of a Final Four run and boasted the reining Tewaaraton Award winner in Dylan Molloy. With a 13-11 win over the Bears, Rutgers claimed its 600th victory in program history, becoming the 12th Division I program to reach the milestone. Kieran Mullins scored three times in the final minutes of a game that was tied at 10 to ensure the victory.
Next up, Rutgers trounced No. 14 Stony Brook, sending the Seawolves home after a resounding 17-4 victory. RU took a 6-0 lead and never looked back behind hat tricks from Mullins and Casey Rose, among 10 different goal scorers.
After a blizzard cleared the area, No. 15 Princeton came to town on March 15 for an in-state rivalry showdown. The Scarlet Knights got seven points from Jules Heningburg, four goals from Mullins and 14 saves from Edelman in a 16-11 win. With the victory, Rutgers claimed the Tots Meistrell Cup defeating Princeton for the first time since 2005 and the second time since 1989.
A win a week later at NJIT gave Rutgers an 8-0 start to begin the season. It marked the second time in program history RU started a season at 8-0, the only other time coming in 1955.
With that 8-0 start, the Scarlet Knights found themselves ranked No. 1 in the nation when the media poll came out the following Monday. That number one ranking, the first in program history, made men's lacrosse the first Rutgers team to earn a top ranking since the men's soccer program was ranked No. 1 in 1995 in the Soccer America preseason rankings.
After a loss at Delaware, the Scarlet Knights opened Big Ten conference play with a loss at Homewood Field to No. 13 Johns Hopkins. The team earned its first Big Ten win of the season at Michigan behind a spectacular individual performance. Freshman Kieran Mullins scored eight times and added an assist for a nine-point day, outscoring the Wolverines singlehandedly in a 14-7 victory.
The next game was an epic duel with eventual national champion Maryland. The Scarlet Knights got a goal from Jeff George with 39 seconds left in regulation to extend the game, but the Terrapins won a heartbreaker in triple overtime.
After a road loss to a top-10 Penn State team, Rutgers returned home for the season finale. The team put a stamp on the season by concluding the year with a landmark victory over No. 3 Ohio State in dramatic fashion. A back-and-forth battle needed extra time to settle things. After RU won the opening faceoff of OT, Mullins wrapped around the net and put home the game-winning-goal, sparking a dogpile in celebration. The victory over the No. 3 Buckeyes (who went on to play in the national championship game) tied for the highest ranked win in program history.
On the year, the team was anchored by a strong defense. RU finished third in the nation in caused turnovers per game (9.71 per game) and was also top-10 in ground balls (32.14 per game), leading the Big Ten in both categories.
Accolades
Off the field, Rutgers was rewarded for its strong season with a number of individual accolades. The Scarlet Knights had a pair of All-Americans in Michael Rexrode and Jules Heningburg, giving the program 210 All-Americans in its history.
Michael Rexrode, who was named a Third Team All-American by both the USILA and Inside Lacrosse, excelled as the Scarlet Knights' top defenseman. He led the Big Ten with a career-high 23 caused turnovers and collected 28 ground balls. The Leesburg, Va., native, who has started all 40 of his career games played at RU, was named First Team All-Big Ten and Second Team All-ECAC.
Jules Heningburg was named Honorable Mention All-America by the USILA. The Maplewood, N.J., native started all 14 games on attack, scoring 20 goals and adding a career-high 26 assists for 46 points, also collecting 20 ground balls. He had had 10 multi-point games, five multi-goal games and seven multi-assist games.
Max Edelmann was a Second Team All-Big Ten selection. The Scarlet Knights goalkeeper started all 14 games between the pipes, backstopping the team to a 10-4 record, making 143 saves for a .532 save percentage. In 848 minutes played, the Middletown, Md., native notched an 8.91 goals-against average that was second in the Big Ten. He also collected 23 ground balls and caused six turnovers.
Kieran Mullins also earned Second Team All-Big Ten accolades. The freshman led the team with 35 goals and 51 points. His breakout performance came at Michigan, where he outscored the Wolverines in a 14-7 win with an eight-goal, nine-point performance at Michigan that earned him National Player of the Week honors. The Islip, N.Y., native also scored the game-winning goal in overtime versus No. 3 Ohio State to lift Rutgers to its highest ranked victory since 2003.
Connor Murphy capped a strong senior season with multiple recognitions. He was named a Scholar All-American and was a Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree. The Clifton, Va., native set career-highs with 26 goals, 14 assists and 40 points on the season. In Big Ten games alone, Murphy was third in the league in goals (13) and fourth in points (18).
Jeff George represented RU at the North-South All-Star game. He set career-highs this past season with 19 goals, 28 points and 15 ground balls. The Warren, N.J., native started 37 games in three season "On the Banks", compiling 40 goals and 20 assists for 60 points.
Pat McCabe was awarded a postgraduate scholarship from the Big Ten Conference. The senior captain, who was featured in this video from the Big Ten Network, graduated with a 3.9 GPA, major in criminal justice.
The team also excelled in the classroom. The program had a total of 16 All-Big Ten Academic Team selections, as well as 15 players make the Dean's List.
Future
The Scarlet Knights will need to replace an eight-member senior class, which included starters at attack (Connor Murphy), midfield (Jeff George) and defense (Chris Groel). However, Rutgers is well positioned for the future with a very talented core of players returning. Of the 19 players to record a point this year, RU brings back 14, while also returning 10 of the 12 players who scored multiple goals this season. Additionally, Rutgers welcomes back Adam Charalambides (2016 Big Ten Freshman of the Year) and Christian Trasolini (69 career goals in 46 starts) after both took medical redshirt seasons after injuries in the preseason.
"I'm excited for this coming years seniors, with all they've accomplished in the past three years, for what they can accomplish in 2018," Brecht said. "This group of seniors have been a big part of turning the program around. Their impact on game day is significant and it will be exciting to see what they can do in their last season 'On the Banks.' For the younger guys returning, the competition they've shown in practice and the mentoring they've gotten from the seniors, gives me a lot of excitement as we start up practices in the fall."
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.
Players Mentioned
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Goalie
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Midfield
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Defense
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Attack
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Attack
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Attack
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Defense
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Midfield
/ Men's Lacrosse
Midfield
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