Sunday, April 5
Ann Arbor, Mich.
12:00 PM
Rutgers University
at
Michigan
Photo by: Cos Lymperopoulos
No. 13 Men’s Lacrosse Heads to Michigan
Apr 01 | Men's Lacrosse
Sunday Noon Game on Big Ten Network
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – No. 13 Rutgers men's lacrosse is back in action this weekend, traveling to Ann Arbor to face Michigan on Sunday. The game will be at noon, and will be nationally televised on Big Ten Network, with Mark Dixon and Jack Kizer on the call.
Rutgers enters the matchup with an 8-3 overall record and a 1-1 league record. RU had its first ranked win of the season (fifth top-12 win over the past five seasons) and first multi-overtime win since 2007 as the team took down No. 11 Johns Hopkins last weekend, winning 9-8 in double overtime. The Scarlet Knights overcame three separate two-goal deficits and finished the game on a 3-0 run over the final 22 minutes of gameplay in front of 2,415 fans. Haydn Sommer scored the decisive goal, with his game-winner giving RU the victory at the 2:38 mark of double-overtime. The Scarlet Knights were in the extra session after a thrilling finish to regulation, with Kasey Mongillo scoring to tie the game with a mere tenth of a second left on the game clock.
Rutgers defense has excelled this season, as the win over Hopkins was the seventh time in 10 games that RU held an opponent to single digits and fourth straight game allowing eight or fewer goals. The Scarlet Knights forced the Blue Jays into multiple clearing issues with their 10-man ride, and have a top-10 scoring defense nationally. Over the last four games, RU has allowed just 6.5 goals per game. Outside of the game against Princeton, RU has allowed just 7.8 goals per game in the other 10 contests.
Goalkeeper Cardin Stoller made a tremendous save with 12 minutes left to preserve the scoreline and prevent Johns Hopkins from taking a commanding three-goal lead, allowing RU a comeback attempt. The Blue Jays never scored again as Stoller allowed zero goals in the last 22 minutes of the game.
Long-stick midfielder Ryan Splaine was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after he held Johns Hopkins All-American Midfielder Matt Collison to zero goals as RU allowed just eight goals in a double-overtime victory over No. 11 Johns Hopkins. Collison, a three-time All-American, was held without a goal for just the third time in the past two seasons as JHU had a season-low in goals.
Colin Kurdyla had a hat trick against the Blue Jays, his six three-plus goal game of the year. He leads RU with 50 points (27 goals, 23 assists), matching his previous high in goals and setting new highs already in assists and points. Greyson Vorgang is second with 20 goals and 27 points.
Rutgers' 10-man ride has been effective and a part of RU's identity this year. RU allows just 84% of opponents' clears to be successful, best in the Big Ten.
Rutgers has used seven different starting lineups across 11 games, with the most lineup being utilized three times (Hopkins, Princeton, St. John's). All of the changes have been at attack and midfield, with the defense and goalkeeper steady. Colin Kurdyla is the lone offensive player to start all 11 games. RU has used five different starting attackman (Kurdyla, Vorgang, Sommer, Murphy and B. Kelly) and eight different starting midfielders (Mongillo, Zeller, Sommer, Lawler, Large, Raphalian, Aiello, C. Kelly).
Rutgers assistant coach Scott Bieda is in his first season as RU's Offensive Coordinator, and previously played at Rutgers, winning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in 2016. Bieda came to the coaching staff of his alma matter this offseason after spending the previous three seasons leading the offense at Michigan.
Michigan enters the game with a 3-7 overall record, having lost seven straight after winning their first three non-conference games against Mercyhurst, Marquette and Detroit Mercy, falling to Lehigh, Army, Denver, Harvard, Notre Dame, Johns Hopkins and Maryland. UM is 47 in the RPI, with losses to RPI teams 5,6,7,11, 21,26 and 33. The game will be Senior Day for Michigan with the Wolverines playing their next two contests on the road.
The Wolverines are last in the Big Ten in both scoring offense (10.9) and scoring defense (11.2) as they have been outscored 112-109 on the year… in comparison RU averages 11.73 goals per game and allows just 8.91, with 98 goals allowed having played one more game than Michigan. Offensively, Michigan is led by Nick Roode (25 goals, 30 points) and Luke Shannehan (19 goals, 27 points).
In goal, Hunter Taylor has a 49.1% save percentage and 11.48 goals-against-average. Tay Rodriguez is 61-of-122 on faceoffs (50%).
The two squads have played 13 times since 2012 and Rutgers has the advantage with an 11-2 lifetime mark. Rutgers faced Michigan twice last season and split the season series, falling at home, then traveling to Michigan for the Big Ten Quarterfinals and earning a victory there. The 8-6 home loss last season snapped a nine-game winning streak for RU in the series that dated back to the second season of Big Ten play. RU then avenged the loss in Ann Arbor with a victory over then-No. 13 Michigan in the Quarterfinals, eliminating Michigan prior to their pre-assigned hosting of the Semifinals and Championship. The Scarlet Knights prevailed 11-8 in the postseason meeting, with Colin Kurdyla leading the way with four goals and two assists. Kurdyla had three goals in the home game as well, posting seven goals combined in the two games against the Wolverines last season. The last six games have been decided by three or fewer goals, including three straight games with a 13-12 scoreline from 2021-2023. Prior to that, RU had five wins over Michigan by four or more goals, including four wins by seven goals or more.
Rutgers has had a number of elite offensive performances in their history against Michigan. Kieran Mullins had eight goals, one assist in 2017 and eight goals, two assists in 2018. Adam Charalambides also had a nine point day with four goals, five assists against the Wolverines in 2021, and had a six-goal game against Michigan in 2019.
Rutgers is on the road again next weekend. The Scarlet Knights play at Maryland at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 11, another Big Ten Network broadcast.
| About Rutgers |
Rutgers enters the matchup with an 8-3 overall record and a 1-1 league record. RU had its first ranked win of the season (fifth top-12 win over the past five seasons) and first multi-overtime win since 2007 as the team took down No. 11 Johns Hopkins last weekend, winning 9-8 in double overtime. The Scarlet Knights overcame three separate two-goal deficits and finished the game on a 3-0 run over the final 22 minutes of gameplay in front of 2,415 fans. Haydn Sommer scored the decisive goal, with his game-winner giving RU the victory at the 2:38 mark of double-overtime. The Scarlet Knights were in the extra session after a thrilling finish to regulation, with Kasey Mongillo scoring to tie the game with a mere tenth of a second left on the game clock.
Rutgers defense has excelled this season, as the win over Hopkins was the seventh time in 10 games that RU held an opponent to single digits and fourth straight game allowing eight or fewer goals. The Scarlet Knights forced the Blue Jays into multiple clearing issues with their 10-man ride, and have a top-10 scoring defense nationally. Over the last four games, RU has allowed just 6.5 goals per game. Outside of the game against Princeton, RU has allowed just 7.8 goals per game in the other 10 contests.
Goalkeeper Cardin Stoller made a tremendous save with 12 minutes left to preserve the scoreline and prevent Johns Hopkins from taking a commanding three-goal lead, allowing RU a comeback attempt. The Blue Jays never scored again as Stoller allowed zero goals in the last 22 minutes of the game.
Long-stick midfielder Ryan Splaine was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after he held Johns Hopkins All-American Midfielder Matt Collison to zero goals as RU allowed just eight goals in a double-overtime victory over No. 11 Johns Hopkins. Collison, a three-time All-American, was held without a goal for just the third time in the past two seasons as JHU had a season-low in goals.
Colin Kurdyla had a hat trick against the Blue Jays, his six three-plus goal game of the year. He leads RU with 50 points (27 goals, 23 assists), matching his previous high in goals and setting new highs already in assists and points. Greyson Vorgang is second with 20 goals and 27 points.
Rutgers' 10-man ride has been effective and a part of RU's identity this year. RU allows just 84% of opponents' clears to be successful, best in the Big Ten.
Rutgers has used seven different starting lineups across 11 games, with the most lineup being utilized three times (Hopkins, Princeton, St. John's). All of the changes have been at attack and midfield, with the defense and goalkeeper steady. Colin Kurdyla is the lone offensive player to start all 11 games. RU has used five different starting attackman (Kurdyla, Vorgang, Sommer, Murphy and B. Kelly) and eight different starting midfielders (Mongillo, Zeller, Sommer, Lawler, Large, Raphalian, Aiello, C. Kelly).
Rutgers assistant coach Scott Bieda is in his first season as RU's Offensive Coordinator, and previously played at Rutgers, winning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in 2016. Bieda came to the coaching staff of his alma matter this offseason after spending the previous three seasons leading the offense at Michigan.
| About Michigan |
Michigan enters the game with a 3-7 overall record, having lost seven straight after winning their first three non-conference games against Mercyhurst, Marquette and Detroit Mercy, falling to Lehigh, Army, Denver, Harvard, Notre Dame, Johns Hopkins and Maryland. UM is 47 in the RPI, with losses to RPI teams 5,6,7,11, 21,26 and 33. The game will be Senior Day for Michigan with the Wolverines playing their next two contests on the road.
The Wolverines are last in the Big Ten in both scoring offense (10.9) and scoring defense (11.2) as they have been outscored 112-109 on the year… in comparison RU averages 11.73 goals per game and allows just 8.91, with 98 goals allowed having played one more game than Michigan. Offensively, Michigan is led by Nick Roode (25 goals, 30 points) and Luke Shannehan (19 goals, 27 points).
In goal, Hunter Taylor has a 49.1% save percentage and 11.48 goals-against-average. Tay Rodriguez is 61-of-122 on faceoffs (50%).
| About the Series |
The two squads have played 13 times since 2012 and Rutgers has the advantage with an 11-2 lifetime mark. Rutgers faced Michigan twice last season and split the season series, falling at home, then traveling to Michigan for the Big Ten Quarterfinals and earning a victory there. The 8-6 home loss last season snapped a nine-game winning streak for RU in the series that dated back to the second season of Big Ten play. RU then avenged the loss in Ann Arbor with a victory over then-No. 13 Michigan in the Quarterfinals, eliminating Michigan prior to their pre-assigned hosting of the Semifinals and Championship. The Scarlet Knights prevailed 11-8 in the postseason meeting, with Colin Kurdyla leading the way with four goals and two assists. Kurdyla had three goals in the home game as well, posting seven goals combined in the two games against the Wolverines last season. The last six games have been decided by three or fewer goals, including three straight games with a 13-12 scoreline from 2021-2023. Prior to that, RU had five wins over Michigan by four or more goals, including four wins by seven goals or more.
Rutgers has had a number of elite offensive performances in their history against Michigan. Kieran Mullins had eight goals, one assist in 2017 and eight goals, two assists in 2018. Adam Charalambides also had a nine point day with four goals, five assists against the Wolverines in 2021, and had a six-goal game against Michigan in 2019.
| With a Win |
- Rutgers would improve to 12-2 all-time against Michigan.
- It would be Rutgers' ninth win of the season, the most wins for RU in a season since going 15-4 en route to the Final Four in 2022.
- It would represent the first back-to-back Big Ten wins for RU since 2022.
| Up Next |
Rutgers is on the road again next weekend. The Scarlet Knights play at Maryland at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 11, another Big Ten Network broadcast.
Players Mentioned
Attack
/ Men's Lacrosse
Midfield
/ Men's Lacrosse
Midfield
/ Men's Lacrosse
Long-Stick Midfield
/ Men's Lacrosse
Goalkeeper
/ Men's Lacrosse
Attack
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