PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers men's lacrosse is heading back to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season.  The Scarlet Knights will host Harvard this Sunday at 5 p.m. in Piscataway at Yurcak Field. 

"This is what the guys strive for throughout their career, to be able to participate in the NCAA Tournament," head coach Brian Brecht said. "This year what we accomplished, with a program record for wins, allowed us to be seeded and have a home game. Another step forward for our program, for our guys to be able to play in the NCAA Tournament for two straight seasons and now host a home game, I'm very proud of them and excited for this opportunity."

Rutgers was seeded No. 6 in the bracket, the highest seed ever for RU. The Scarlet Knights will host an NCAA First Round Game for the third time in program history. They were previously the No. 7 seed in 1984, 1986 and 2003, and hosted games in 1984 and 2003. 

With Rutgers hosting graduation the same day inside SHI Stadium, the game will be contested on the grass field surface at Yurcak Field. The NCAA Tournament game will be the first game for the Rutgers men's lacrosse program held at Yurcak Field since the 2013 season. The Scarlet Knights last hosted an NCAA Tournament game in men's lacrosse in 2003, when they faced Georgetown at Yurcak Field. Tickets are available to purchase here.

Yurcak Field is named in honor of Ronald N. Yurcak, a 1965 All-American Rutgers lacrosse player who made a generous donation to the university. The facility, primarily used currently by Rutgers' men's and women's soccer programs, features a 120' x 75'' playing surface with Kentucky Bluegrass, and has capacity for 5,000 fans.

The Scarlet Knights excelled in the 2022 campaign, setting a program record for wins. Rutgers compiled a 13-3 record, setting a new program record for wins. RU compiled a 4-1 in conference play during the regular season and earned a No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. Rutgers' defeated Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals to make the program's second ever appearance in the Big Ten Tournament championship game.

"It's unbelievable," said team captain Colin Kirst. "It's a special place to play here, especially being at home. We're excited and extremely grateful for the opportunity for this coming weekend to face Harvard. Looking back from the beginning of my time here and now how far our team has come, it's been really cool to reflect on that journey. It's been such a joy and a true blessing to be able to be with this team day in and day out and play the game we love."

Rutgers earned four ranked wins during the season: No. 8/9 Ohio State, No. 10/12 Army, No. 12 Ohio State and No. 19/20 Loyola. Rutgers' three loses all came against teams that entered the final week of the regular season ranked No. 1 (Maryland) or No. 2 (Princeton) in the NCAA's RPI. The Scarlet Knights had two wins over NCAA Tournament teams, downing Ohio State twice.

Rutgers will make its 11^th appearance all-time in the NCAA Tournament and do so for the second straight season. The Scarlet Knights previously reached the NCAA Tournament in 1972, 1974, 1975, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1991, 2003, 2004 and 2021. The NCAA playoff system for men's lacrosse was implemented in 1971. Last season, Rutgers earned a 12-5 first round victory over Lehigh for the program's first NCAA Tournament win since 1990. The team advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals, where they pushed No. 1 UNC to overtime.

Harvard finished the season 8-4 and 3-3 in the Ivy League. Rutgers is 14-4 in the all-time series against the Crimson. The teams have not met since 1983.