Thursday, May 1
Ann Arbor, Mich.
12:00 PM
Rutgers University
vs
Ohio State University (Big Ten Semifinals)
Photo by: Jaime Crawford/JC Photography
No. 17 Men’s Lacrosse Faces No. 5 Ohio State in Big Ten Semifinals
Apr 28 | Men's Lacrosse
Tournament CentralLive StatsWatch Live on BTNListen Live (WRSU 88.7 FM)Rutgers Game NotesPractice Photo GalleryOhio State Preview
Game is 5 p.m. on Thursday on Big Ten Network
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – No. 17 Rutgers men's lacrosse has extended the season to play in May. The Scarlet Knights will face No. 5 Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals. The game will be at a neutral site, with the University of Michigan hosting a 12 p.m. contest this Thursday. The game will be nationally televised on Big Ten Network, with Joe Beninati and Mark Dixon on the call. Rutgers Student Radio, WRSU 88.7 FM, will also broadcast the game with Matt Mangam and Nick Hart on the call.
The game was moved to 12 p.m. due to incliment forecasted weather, with thunderstorms expected in the Ann Arbor area in the afternoon.
The Scarlet Knights earned their spot with a road victory over No. 13 Michigan in the Quarterfinals last Saturday, clinching the team's return to Ann Arbor. Rutgers earned an 11-8 win behind six points (four goals, two assists) from Colin Kurdyla. RU forced Michigan into 17 turnovers and used a 5-2 closing run to secure the victory.
The Scarlet Knights held Michigan to three goals over the final 42 minutes. Kurdyla, Haydn Sommer (3 assists, 4 points) and Joe Juengerkes (7 ground balls) all notched career-high stats in the contest. Rutgers held its opponent to single-digit goals for the ninth time this season and reached double-digit goals for the first time since March 29.
The Scarlet Knights enter the matchup at 7-8 overall and are 3-3 in their last six games against Big Ten teams. Rutgers is ranked number 17 in both the Media and Coaches Polls this week, 14 in the USA Lacrosse Magazine Poll, and 19 in the RPI.
Rutgers will be looking for its fifth ranked win of the season. Previously, RU defeated No. 20 Lehigh, No. 11 Johns Hopkins, No. 2 Maryland and No. 13 Michigan.
As a team, Rutgers leads the Big Ten and is top-12 nationally in both faceoff winning percentage (57.3%) and opponent clear percentage (81.4%). RU is also second in the conference in scoring defense (8.73, eighth nationally).
Offensively, Colin Kurdyla has 13 goals in his six games against Big Ten teams this season and 19 goals in the past eight games. The Second Team All-Big Ten selection had three goals in last year's Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals and now has seven goals and nine points in two career Big Ten Tournament games. After Kurdyla's 25 goals on the season, RU has four other players, all starters, between 11 and 16 goals - Colin Kelly, Shane Murphy, Colin Zeller and JJ Aiello).
Kurdyla also leads the team with 37 points. The other five starters on offense (the above four plus Haydn Sommer) have been 14 and 22 points.
In between the pipes, First Team All-Big Ten goalkeeper Cardin Stoller leads the Big Ten with 11.53 saves per game. The Tewaaraton Award Top 25 Watch List member also boasts a goals-against-average of 8.71 and save percentage of 57.5%, both of which are in the top 10 nationally.
Matthew Paolatto is currently 15th in the nation and second in the Big Ten with a faceoff winning percentage of 59.8%. He's also third in the league with 6.27 ground balls per game.
Short stick defensive midfielder Joe Juengerkes, a Second Team All-Big Ten selection has 50 ground balls on the season, second in the conference among non-faceoff specialists and most of any short-stick defensive midfielder. Long-stick midfielder Ryan Splaine was named Second Team All-Big Ten and has 45 ground balls on the season, most among long-stick midfielders in the league.
All-Time Leaderboard: Saves in a Single Season in Rutgers History
Stoller enters the game just 13 saves away from reaching the top-10 in a single season in program history. He can take sole possession of eighth place on that list with 17 more saves.
Top-10 List:
7. Kris Alleyne (2013): 196
t-8. Rich Scipione (1975): 191
t-8. Max Edelmann (2019): 191
10. Greg Havalchak (2003): 188
Cardin Stoller (2025); 175
Ohio State enters the game with a 12-2 overall record and were 4-1 in league play. After dropping the opener to Utah by a 19-13 score, OSU is 12-1 since, with the lone loss to current No. 3 team Maryland, and have allowed just eight goals per game since. The Buckeyes earned the regular season league title, which came with the No. 1 seed any bye in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
Ohio State ranks in the top-16 nationally in scoring defense (ninth, 8.79), shot percentage (10th, 32.0), scoring margin (10th, 3.93), caused turnovers (9.71, 12th) and scoring offense (16th, 12.71).
The Big Ten Specialist of the Year, OSU Goalkeeper Caleb Fyock is second nationally with a 61.1% save percentage and third with a 7.58 goals-against-average. He boasts a 12-1 record as the starting goalkeeper.
Fyock was joined on the First Team by attackman Alex Marinier, who leads the team in scoring with 41 goals, leading the league with 2.93 goals-per-game. Defenseman Bobby van Buren was also named to the First Team, his third time on the all-conference team. Defenseman Cullen Brown was a second team pick, and stands fifth nationally with 2.21 caused turnovers per game. On faceoffs, Jack Oldman is 144-of-279 at the 'X' this year (51.6%) with 104 ground balls.
Rutgers leads the all-time series against Ohio State, 13-6. The Scarlet Knights have won five of the past eight games, with a current three-game winning streak for OSU snapping a 5-game Scarlet Knights winning streak. Since the two became conference foes, RU is 7-5 against Ohio State.
Earlier this season, Rutgers battled with Ohio State in Columbus, ultimately coming up just short in a 13-11 loss. The Buckeyes' 13 goals made them the only team this season to score more than 12 goals against RU. In the game, Matthew Paolatto was 16-of-28 facing off with a season-high 11 ground balls. Colin Kurdyla, Shane Murphy and Ryan Splaine each had two goals, with Splaine becoming the first Rutgers long-stick midfielder in the Big Ten era to score two goals.
Rutgers previously faced Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament just once, in the 2022 Semifinals. In that game, the Scarlet Knights came back from a 7-4 halftime deficit to outscore OSU 8-3 in the second half for the 12-10 win. RU was led by four goals from Mitch Bartolo, with Ross Scott and Ronan Jacoby each adding a hat trick. No current Scarlet Knights saw game action in that 2022 contest.
Rutgers is 3-7 all-time in the Big Ten Tournament, dating back to 2016 in eight all-time appearances at the Big Ten Tournament. RU is 1-2 all-time in the Quarterfinal Round, 2-3 in the Semifinals and 0-2 in the Championship Game.
Against No. 1 seeds, RU is 0-4 in Big Ten Tournament games. Against Ohio State, RU is 1-0, previously defeating them in the semifinals in 2022 in College Park, Md.
2016: Rutgers was No. 2 Seed, Baltimore, Md. (JHU Hosts)
5/5 vs. No. 10 Johns Hopkins (3-Seed) W 14-12 (Semifinals)
5/7 vs. No. 3 Maryland (1-Seed) L 14-8 (Championship Game)
2018: Rutgers was No. 4 Seed, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan Hosts)
5/3 vs. No. 2 Maryland (1-Seed) L 9-12 (Semifinals)
2019: Rutgers was No. 1 Seed, Piscataway, N.J. (Rutgers Hosts)
5/2 vs. No. 1 Penn St. (1-Seed) L 18-6 (Semifinals)
2021: Rutgers was No. 2 Seed, State College, Pa. (Penn State Hosts)
5/6 vs. Johns Hopkins (6-Seed) L 12-10 (Semifinals)
2022: Rutgers was No. 2 Seed, College Park, Md. (Maryland Hosts)
5/5 No. 12 Ohio State (3-Seed) W 12-10 (Semifinals)
5/7 No. 1 Maryland (1-Seed) L 17-7 (Championship Game)
2023: Rutgers was No. 6 Seed, Quarterfinals at Higher Seed Maryland
4/29 at No. 7/8 Maryland (3-Seed) L, 14-11 (Quarterfinals)
2024: Rutgers was No. 6 Seed, Quarterfinals at Higher Seed Penn State
4/27 at No. 10/10 Penn State (3-Seed) L, 14-8 (Quarterfinals)
2025: Rutgers is No. 5 Seed
4/26 at No. 13/13 Michigan (4-Seed) W, 11-8 (Quarterfinals)
Gallery: (4-30-2025) Mens Lacrosse B1G Tourney Practice Day
The game was moved to 12 p.m. due to incliment forecasted weather, with thunderstorms expected in the Ann Arbor area in the afternoon.
| Last Time Out |
The Scarlet Knights earned their spot with a road victory over No. 13 Michigan in the Quarterfinals last Saturday, clinching the team's return to Ann Arbor. Rutgers earned an 11-8 win behind six points (four goals, two assists) from Colin Kurdyla. RU forced Michigan into 17 turnovers and used a 5-2 closing run to secure the victory.
The Scarlet Knights held Michigan to three goals over the final 42 minutes. Kurdyla, Haydn Sommer (3 assists, 4 points) and Joe Juengerkes (7 ground balls) all notched career-high stats in the contest. Rutgers held its opponent to single-digit goals for the ninth time this season and reached double-digit goals for the first time since March 29.
| About Rutgers |
The Scarlet Knights enter the matchup at 7-8 overall and are 3-3 in their last six games against Big Ten teams. Rutgers is ranked number 17 in both the Media and Coaches Polls this week, 14 in the USA Lacrosse Magazine Poll, and 19 in the RPI.
Rutgers will be looking for its fifth ranked win of the season. Previously, RU defeated No. 20 Lehigh, No. 11 Johns Hopkins, No. 2 Maryland and No. 13 Michigan.
As a team, Rutgers leads the Big Ten and is top-12 nationally in both faceoff winning percentage (57.3%) and opponent clear percentage (81.4%). RU is also second in the conference in scoring defense (8.73, eighth nationally).
Offensively, Colin Kurdyla has 13 goals in his six games against Big Ten teams this season and 19 goals in the past eight games. The Second Team All-Big Ten selection had three goals in last year's Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals and now has seven goals and nine points in two career Big Ten Tournament games. After Kurdyla's 25 goals on the season, RU has four other players, all starters, between 11 and 16 goals - Colin Kelly, Shane Murphy, Colin Zeller and JJ Aiello).
Kurdyla also leads the team with 37 points. The other five starters on offense (the above four plus Haydn Sommer) have been 14 and 22 points.
In between the pipes, First Team All-Big Ten goalkeeper Cardin Stoller leads the Big Ten with 11.53 saves per game. The Tewaaraton Award Top 25 Watch List member also boasts a goals-against-average of 8.71 and save percentage of 57.5%, both of which are in the top 10 nationally.
Matthew Paolatto is currently 15th in the nation and second in the Big Ten with a faceoff winning percentage of 59.8%. He's also third in the league with 6.27 ground balls per game.
Short stick defensive midfielder Joe Juengerkes, a Second Team All-Big Ten selection has 50 ground balls on the season, second in the conference among non-faceoff specialists and most of any short-stick defensive midfielder. Long-stick midfielder Ryan Splaine was named Second Team All-Big Ten and has 45 ground balls on the season, most among long-stick midfielders in the league.
All-Time Leaderboard: Saves in a Single Season in Rutgers History
Stoller enters the game just 13 saves away from reaching the top-10 in a single season in program history. He can take sole possession of eighth place on that list with 17 more saves.
Top-10 List:
7. Kris Alleyne (2013): 196
t-8. Rich Scipione (1975): 191
t-8. Max Edelmann (2019): 191
10. Greg Havalchak (2003): 188
Cardin Stoller (2025); 175
| About Ohio State |
Ohio State enters the game with a 12-2 overall record and were 4-1 in league play. After dropping the opener to Utah by a 19-13 score, OSU is 12-1 since, with the lone loss to current No. 3 team Maryland, and have allowed just eight goals per game since. The Buckeyes earned the regular season league title, which came with the No. 1 seed any bye in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
Ohio State ranks in the top-16 nationally in scoring defense (ninth, 8.79), shot percentage (10th, 32.0), scoring margin (10th, 3.93), caused turnovers (9.71, 12th) and scoring offense (16th, 12.71).
The Big Ten Specialist of the Year, OSU Goalkeeper Caleb Fyock is second nationally with a 61.1% save percentage and third with a 7.58 goals-against-average. He boasts a 12-1 record as the starting goalkeeper.
Fyock was joined on the First Team by attackman Alex Marinier, who leads the team in scoring with 41 goals, leading the league with 2.93 goals-per-game. Defenseman Bobby van Buren was also named to the First Team, his third time on the all-conference team. Defenseman Cullen Brown was a second team pick, and stands fifth nationally with 2.21 caused turnovers per game. On faceoffs, Jack Oldman is 144-of-279 at the 'X' this year (51.6%) with 104 ground balls.
| About the Series |
Rutgers leads the all-time series against Ohio State, 13-6. The Scarlet Knights have won five of the past eight games, with a current three-game winning streak for OSU snapping a 5-game Scarlet Knights winning streak. Since the two became conference foes, RU is 7-5 against Ohio State.
Earlier this season, Rutgers battled with Ohio State in Columbus, ultimately coming up just short in a 13-11 loss. The Buckeyes' 13 goals made them the only team this season to score more than 12 goals against RU. In the game, Matthew Paolatto was 16-of-28 facing off with a season-high 11 ground balls. Colin Kurdyla, Shane Murphy and Ryan Splaine each had two goals, with Splaine becoming the first Rutgers long-stick midfielder in the Big Ten era to score two goals.
Rutgers previously faced Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament just once, in the 2022 Semifinals. In that game, the Scarlet Knights came back from a 7-4 halftime deficit to outscore OSU 8-3 in the second half for the 12-10 win. RU was led by four goals from Mitch Bartolo, with Ross Scott and Ronan Jacoby each adding a hat trick. No current Scarlet Knights saw game action in that 2022 contest.
| Big Ten Tournament History |
Rutgers is 3-7 all-time in the Big Ten Tournament, dating back to 2016 in eight all-time appearances at the Big Ten Tournament. RU is 1-2 all-time in the Quarterfinal Round, 2-3 in the Semifinals and 0-2 in the Championship Game.
Against No. 1 seeds, RU is 0-4 in Big Ten Tournament games. Against Ohio State, RU is 1-0, previously defeating them in the semifinals in 2022 in College Park, Md.
2016: Rutgers was No. 2 Seed, Baltimore, Md. (JHU Hosts)
5/5 vs. No. 10 Johns Hopkins (3-Seed) W 14-12 (Semifinals)
5/7 vs. No. 3 Maryland (1-Seed) L 14-8 (Championship Game)
2018: Rutgers was No. 4 Seed, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan Hosts)
5/3 vs. No. 2 Maryland (1-Seed) L 9-12 (Semifinals)
2019: Rutgers was No. 1 Seed, Piscataway, N.J. (Rutgers Hosts)
5/2 vs. No. 1 Penn St. (1-Seed) L 18-6 (Semifinals)
2021: Rutgers was No. 2 Seed, State College, Pa. (Penn State Hosts)
5/6 vs. Johns Hopkins (6-Seed) L 12-10 (Semifinals)
2022: Rutgers was No. 2 Seed, College Park, Md. (Maryland Hosts)
5/5 No. 12 Ohio State (3-Seed) W 12-10 (Semifinals)
5/7 No. 1 Maryland (1-Seed) L 17-7 (Championship Game)
2023: Rutgers was No. 6 Seed, Quarterfinals at Higher Seed Maryland
4/29 at No. 7/8 Maryland (3-Seed) L, 14-11 (Quarterfinals)
2024: Rutgers was No. 6 Seed, Quarterfinals at Higher Seed Penn State
4/27 at No. 10/10 Penn State (3-Seed) L, 14-8 (Quarterfinals)
2025: Rutgers is No. 5 Seed
4/26 at No. 13/13 Michigan (4-Seed) W, 11-8 (Quarterfinals)
| With a Win |
- Two top-5 wins in the same season since 2003
- Ranked wins over four Big Ten teams in the same season for the first time since 2021
- Ranked wins over four different Big Ten teams in the same season for the first time since joining the league in 2015
- Five ranked wins in a season for the first time since 2022
- First time defeating ranked Big Ten teams in back-to-back wins since February of 2021
- Second consecutive ranked win
- Victories in 8 of the past 13 games and six of the past nine games against Ohio State
- First two-game winning streak since starting the season 2-0
- First time winning two games in the same Big Ten Tournament
Players Mentioned
Midfield
/ Men's Lacrosse
Attack
/ Men's Lacrosse
Midfield
/ Men's Lacrosse
Attack
/ Men's Lacrosse
Faceoff
/ Men's Lacrosse
Attack
/ Men's Lacrosse
Midfield
/ Men's Lacrosse
Long-Stick Midfield
/ Men's Lacrosse
Goalkeeper
/ Men's Lacrosse
Midfield
/ Men's LacrosseRutgers Athletics Launches the Athletic Excellence Fund
Monday, October 06
Men's Lacrosse 2025 Season Recap
Wednesday, July 09
Men's Lacrosse Upsets No. 2 Maryland 8-6
Wednesday, April 09
R Fund, Knights of the Raritan are YouKnighted | Million Dollar Match
Friday, February 28
