PISCATAWAY, N.J. – For the second straight year, a pair of Rutgers' lacrosse alumns earned a trophy in the Premier Lacrosse League's Champ Series. Colin Kirst and Ethan Rall and the Cannons won the championship in the indoor 'Sixes' style event for the second February in a row. RU alumn Ronan Jacoby also competed in the event, with his Atlas squad finishing third after falling to the Cannons in the semifinals.

Kirst set a new tournament record with 72 saves. Kirst excelled in the playoffs to lead the Cannons to the title. In the semifinals, as the Cannons made a late comeback, Kirst was crucial in overtime, making four saves in the extra frame to backstop his team to the victory.

In the championship game, he got the team off to a huge start with a standout first half, making 10 saves in the opening half with a 62.5% save percentage to help the squad to a 13-7 lead at the break that they would never relinquish. He also added nine ground balls and three caused turnovers in the event.

"Colin Kirst was the best player on the field across the two playoff games," ESPN's Ryan Boyle declared on the broadcast. "He just got better and better."

"Unbelievable effort by our team," Kirst said on ESPN2 after the victory. "A great time just being together and this is what it's all about. We just focused on every play, whether you win it or lose it, onto the next play. Treat it as if it was a game to one."

Rall played a key defensive role for the Cannons, while also taking faceoffs. He had one goal, four caused turnovers and nine ground balls across the even.

Jacoby played in four Champ Series games, recording nine points. He had four one-point goals, two two-point goals, and had an assist. He also added eight ground balls.

Rall was a three-time All-American (twice being named to the First Team) and three-time all-Big Ten selection at Rutgers. Kirst was a two-time All-American and two-time First Team All-Big Ten selection at RU. Jacoby had 37 goals and 11 assists in 19 games for the 2022 RU Final Four squad in his lone year 'On the Banks'. All three were teammates on that 2022 historic Scarlet Knights squad. Jacoby was third on that team in scoring, Rall led the squad in caused turnovers, and Kirst was the starting goalkeeper.

Rutgers men's lacrosse has established a strong pipeline to the professional ranks. Rutgers boasts a total of 45 alumni all-time between Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) and the National Lacrosse League (NLL). This success placing players in the pros has been accelerated recently, with 33 alumni coached at RU by current head coach Brian Brecht to go on to the professional level.