EAST HARTFORD, Conn. – An incredible season for Rutgers men's lacrosse came to an end at the Final Four. The No. 6 seed Scarlet Knights ended their season at 15-4 following a loss to No. 7 seed Cornell in the program's first ever appearance in the national semifinals, as the Big Red claimed a 17-10 win.
The Scarlet Knights' 2022 was historic and filled with broken records. RU smashed the previous program record for wins, grabbing 15 victories. The team won back-to-back NCAA Tournament games for the first time, downing No. 14 Harvard and No. 3 Penn to advance to the Final Four for the first time.
RU set a record with six ranked wins this season, included matching the highest ranked win in program history with the win over No. 3 Penn and three top-10 wins for the second consecutive season. RU is 12-7 over the past two seasons against ranked teams as the became the first RU men's program to make the Final Four since 1994.
Rutgers finished the season with a 15-4 record. All of the team's losses came to the other three Final Four Teams (Maryland twice, Princeton, Cornell), with conference rival Maryland claiming the national championship.
The talented squad boasted a record seven All-Americans:
Colin Kirst,
Ethan Rall,
Brennan Kamish (Second Team),
Ross Scott (Third Team),
Jaryd Jean-Felix,
Ronan Jacoby and
Shane Knobloch.
RU was led by two goals from
Mitch Bartolo and
Brian Cameron.
Jaryd Jean-Felix had three caused turnovers, three ground balls and his first career point off an assist.
Ross Scott had a goal, his 50th of his career, tying RU's single-season record. Scott was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team following the Final Four, with his eight goals in the First Round being the most in any game in the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
Game Summary
Rutgers scored the first goal of the game, then Cornell went ahead 3-1. RU got one goal back, but Cornell responded again with five of the next six goals. The Big Red took an 8-3 lead into halftime, where the teams then went into a three-and-a-half-hour delay.
In the second half, Rutgers scored first, but Cornell answered with a 6-0 run for a 14-4 lead.
Eric Civetti snapped that run with a highlight-reel finish, and RU made a late push, but it was not enough to overcome the Cornell advantage.
How It Happened
First Quarter
Mitch Bartolo got the Scarlet Knights on the board first, sneaking home a low bouncer. RU held Cornell scoreless for the first seven minutes of the contest, before they tied the game at 1-1 at the 7:37 mark. Another goal 55 seconds later gave them a 2-1 lead. After one quarter, Cornell held a 3-1 lead, while shots were even at 10-10.
Second Quarter
To start the second quarter, RU got a goal from
Brian Cameron, who put home a feed from
Shane Knobloch from right in front of the net to get back within one goal. Cornell answered back with two quick goals for a 5-2 lead.
Mitch Bartolo would launch in a long-range laser for his second goal of the half, but Cornell would close out the half on a 3-0 run for an 8-3 halftime lead.
Then, severe weather struck. With lightning in range of the stadium, the teams went into a delay at 1:08 p.m. The game did not resume until 4:45 pm, a three hour and thirty-seven minute delay.
Third Quarter
When the game resumed, Rutgers scored first. On the team's first offensive possession,
Ryan Gallagher finished off a feed from
Ross Scott.
However, Cornell came back with another answer. The Big Ten answered back with the next six goals for a 14-4 lead.
Eric Civetti halted that run with a sweet finish, wrapping around the cage from X and finishing off a no-look shot. After three quarters, RU was trailing 14-5.
Fourth Quarter
Brennan Kamish scored for RU, finishing off a transition play on an assist from
Jaryd Jean-Felix, the first assist of Jean-Felix's career. Freshman
Dante Kulas also scored, finishing off a
Jonathan Dugenio assist following a faceoff win for a goal for the second straight game. However, Cornell closed out the game to seal the win.
Quotable
"I'm very thankful for our senior leadership, our captains. That's been great all year and allowed us to have a program record 15 wins and make the first Final Four in program history. A lot of credit to them for what they've done on and off the field. I'm very proud of what they've accomplished this year and over the course of their careers."
"I'm going to remember this year as the best year of my life. We've accomplished a lot. In moments like this, you can forget what you've accomplished over the whole season. I think we've set a new bar for the program that our team can get back to this weekend again. I'm thankful to be a part of it."
"The locker room, this culture is so strong. The support in this program is unmatched. It's such a passionate and caring program, from the guys in the program to the alumni. That love for Rutgers lacrosse doesn't change. That's something each and every one of us try and bottle up and take each day."
Gallery: (5-28-2022) Men's Lacrosse at the Final Four
