Men’s Lacrosse Set to Bring Back Talented Veterans for Additional Season
Aug 26 | Men's Lacrosse
Following a stellar 2021 season that saw Rutgers’ men’s lacrosse advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals, the team has re-loaded for the upcoming season in looking to build on that success. Eight student-athletes that participated in last season’s Senior Day ceremony will return to RU for one more season ‘On the Banks’. Utilizing additional eligibility will be Zackary Franckowiak, Ryan Gallagher, Jaryd Jean-Felix, Brennan Kamish, Colin Kirst, Stephen Russo, Michael Sanguinetti and Brian Ward, while Tommy Coyne also returns for a fifth season.
Zackary Franckowiak originally joined the Scarlet Knights for the 2016 season, posting career-highs in goals (five), assists (four) and ground balls (34) while being named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team. The short-stick defensive midfielder from Draper, Utah has played in 45 career games with eight goals, nine assists, 83 ground balls and nine caused turnovers. An Exercise Science major, Franckowiak is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
Ryan Gallagher is a four-year starter for the Scarlet Knights, having remained in the starting lineup since the sixth game of his freshman season (49 games, 43 starts) between midfield and attack. The Atlanta, Ga. native has scored 48 goals and added 41 assist for 89 career points while scooping 39 ground balls. A Supply Chain and Marketing Science major, Gallagher was a Scholar All-American, USILA Senior All-Star game selection and Big Ten Sportsmanship Award winner last season. A two-time SAAC VP for Career and Employer Relations, he is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten Selection and was named to the 2019 Big Ten All-Tournament Team.
Jaryd Jean-Felix returns to the Scarlet Knights following an All-American season anchoring the Scarlet Knights defense. In 2021, the Cumming, Ga. native was named Honorable Mention All-American by the USILA, while also earning Scholar All-American and Second Team All-Big Ten honors. The Supply Chain Management major is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and has recorded 27 ground balls and 18 caused turnovers in 20 career games (19 starts).
Brennan Kamish excelled last season as a short-stick defensive midfielder, recording a career-high 17 ground balls along with six goals and three assists while being named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team. The Wixom, Mich. native has totaled 13 goals and 24 ground balls over his three seasons as a Scarlet Knight. Kamish is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and was a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar in 2021.
Colin Kirst received a Medical Hardship Waiver from the Big Ten in order to play one more season ‘On the Banks’. One of the top goalkeepers in the nation last season, Kirst was named an All-American by both the USILA (Third Team) and Inside Lacrosse (Honorable Mention). The Big Ten Specialist of the Year and First Team All-Big Ten selection posed a 10.77 goals-against-average and .566 save percentage with 137 saves in his first season ‘On the Banks’. The Bernardsville, N.J. native was also selected for the 2021 USILA Senior All-Star Game.
Stephen Russo will also bring depth to the RU goalkeeper position, as he returns for another season playing alongside his younger brother Brian (a rising sophomore). Following 26 games (15 starts) with Cleveland State to begin his career, the Livingston, N.J. native has played in 10 games over the past two seasons at Rutgers.
Michael Sanguinetti is another New Jersey native who will return for another season playing for his home state school. The Robbinsville, N.J. native has played in 34 games as a Scarlet Knight, making five starts, and scoring 11 goals with four assists. The Economics major is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection.
Brian Ward joined the Scarlet Knights for the 2021 season but was never able to suit up on game day due to an injury suffered in preseason practice. Prior to coming to Rutgers, the Pittsburgh, Pa. native played in 28 games at Yale, recording 15 ground balls, four caused turnovers and two goals. The 2020 NEILA Pre-Season All-New England First Team selection was a member of the 2018 NCAA National Championship squad.
Tommy Coyne has played four seasons ‘On the Banks’, originally joining the program as an early enrollee after graduating high school a semester early in the winter of 2017. He made 34 starts in his first three season with the program on midfield or at attack before becoming a valued short-stick defensive midfielder last season for RU. In his career, he has posted 38 goals and 22 assists for 60 points along with 43 ground balls. The Communication major is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten Selection and was named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar in 2021.
Last season was a landmark campaign, as RU qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004, and defeated No. 8 seed Lehigh in the opening round to ensure the program’s first NCAA Tournament victory since 1990. With the return of these veterans, Rutgers is set to bring back five of its program-record seven All-Americans from last season (Kirst, Jean-Felix, Shane Knobloch, Ethan Rall, David Sprock). With this veteran presence plus a talented group of newcomers set to join the squad, the Scarlet Knights are poised for another exciting season On the Banks.
