PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers men's lacrosse made a statement on opening weekend that this team with veteran leadership and an influx of talent was ready for the rigors of a Big Ten only schedule. The Scarlet Knights claimed a top-10 win over No. 6 Penn State, downing the Nittany Lions 11-9 to claim the Frienship Cup. 

The week, the Scarlet Knights rose in the polls to be a consensus top-10 team itself. Now, No. 9 Rutgers heads to its first road game of the season as it travels to Columbus to face this week's sixth ranked team, the Ohio State Buckeyes. The game (Saturday at noon) will be streamed on BTN Plus, with live statistics available here. Fans can also follow updates on Rutgers' twitter account.  

In the opening game, Rutgers claimed its 10^th win over a top-10 team in program history, ninth win against a ranked Big Ten foe since joining the league and their third highest ranked win against a Big Ten foe. The Scarlet Knights will look to add another to that total on Saturday.

The 11-9 victory was a complete team effort. The Scarlet Knights' defense was stout, with newcomer Colin Kirst making 15 saves and earning Big Ten Specialist of the Week honors. Bobby Russo held Penn State's returning two-time All-American attackman Mac O'Keefe, who averaged four goals per game last season, to just one goal as PSU was held eight goals below their season scoring average from last season. Jonathan Dugenio won 11 faceoffs in his first game as RU's faceoff specialist. 

On the offensive end, Colin Kirst starred in his debut, with a team-high three goals and four assists for seven points to earn Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors. Freshman Shane Knobloch scored two goals in his collegiate debut, and the starting midfielder was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week. Adam Charalambides also posted three goals, while Kieran Mullins scored his 100th career goal, moving into 10th place all-time in Rutgers' history. 

Ohio State opened its season with a 14-8 win over No. 20 Johns Hopkins at Homewood Field. It was the Buckeyes' first game following posting a 5-2 record in the shortened 2020 campaign. Tre Leclaire had four goals, while goalkeeper Skylar Wahlund made 11 saves in his first OSU start. 

The last time these two teams met was March 31, 2019, in the conference opener for the 2019 season. The Scarlet Knights claimed a landmark win in that game, earning a 14-6 victory at No. 4 Ohio State in that contest. Rutgers was led offensively by Kieran Mullins with eight-points (four goals and four assists). Adam Charalambides added three goals, while Ryan Gallagher had two goals and three assists. 

Rutgers leads the all-time series with Ohio State 9-3. The Scarlet Knights have defeated Ohio State three times as members of the Big Ten. Each time, OSU has been ranked in the top-ten (third, fourth and 10th). This will be the 13th meeting dating back to 1953. After the inaugural meeting in 1953, the series was played six times in the 1990s, then resumed when the teams became conference opponents. . The Scarlet Knights won 15-14 in overtime on a Kieran Mullins game-winner to beat No. 3 Ohio State in 2017, which tied for the highest ranked win in program history. RU also earned a win over No. 10 Ohio State in 2015 by a 17-10 score. 

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.