Saturday, April 25
College Park, MD
6:00 PM
Rutgers University
at
Maryland (Big Ten Quarterfinals)
No. 20 Men’s Lacrosse Heads to No. 11/13 Maryland for Big Ten Quarterfinals
Apr 23 | Men's Lacrosse
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers men's lacrosse, ranked 20th nationally in this week's Media Poll, will begin postseason play this week. The Scarlet Knights open the Big Ten Tournament on the road, travelling to face the No. 3 seed Maryland, who is ranked No. 11/13 nationally. The game is Saturday at 6 p.m., with a live stream on B1G+ and a radio broadcast provided by Rutgers' Student Radio. Will Carmenaty and Sean Newcomb will have the radio call on 88.7 FM for WRSU.
The following week will be the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals (two games on Thursday, April 30 at 3 and 6 pm) and the Championship Game (Saturday, May 2 at noon). Rutgers will be the host for all three games at SHI Stadium, with tickets available now.
With a victory, Rutgers will advance to the second semifinal, and face No. 2 seed Penn State at 6 pm on Thursday. No. 1 Johns Hopkins has also earned a bye to the semifinals, and will play the winner of No. 4 Ohio State and No. 5 Michigan on Thursday at 3 p.m. All Semifinals and the Championship game will be nationally televised by the Big Ten Network.
The Scarlet Knights wrapped up the regular season with an 8-6 record overall. RU had one league win, coming against the co-champion and No. 1 seed Johns Hopkins. Rutgers is looking to snap a three-game losing streak since then. The Scarlet Knights have been hampered by injuries in that span, with the team's top faceoff man John Scarelli and attackman Haydn Sommer missing those three games, with close defenseman Dylan Groff missing the Penn State game last Friday.
Colin Kurdyla leads the team on the season with 28 goals, 27 assists and 55 points. Greyson Vorgang is second with 25 goals and Colin Kelly gives RU a third 20-goal scorer.
In conference play alone, Kurdyla paces the team with 10 points (5 goals, 5 assists), while it is Kelly who leads the team with eight goals, followed by Kasey Mongillo and Vorgang with six.
Defensively, Conor Udovich leads the team with 22 caused turnovers. Goalkeeper Cardin Stoller has a 52.4 save percentage and 10.17 goals-against-average on the year.
Rutgers has found success with a 10-man ride and pressuring the opponents this season. RU has an opponent clearing percentage of just 85.4%, which represents the best in the Big Ten.
Three different faceoff specialists have taken between 24 and 39 faceoffs in conference play. Recently, it has been Brock Desmaris and Jake Rainero splitting action at the X.
Cardin Stoller enters the weekend with exactly 500 career saves. He now stands ninth all-time in program history. He is seven saves from tying and eight saves from passing Max Edelmann (2016-19) for eighth place and can tie Bob Bryan for seventh with 24 more saves.
Rutgers had five different players recognized with accolades from the Big Ten on Wednesday. Joe Juengerkes was named First Team All-Big Ten. Cardin Stoller and Colin Kurdyla were named Second Team All-Big Ten. Dylan Finder was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. Ben McKelvy was the team's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.
Maryland was the national runner-up last season, with nine NCAA Championship game appearances over the past 14 seasons. Head coach John Tillman is 221-80 in 19 seasons at the helm, a 15-1 record against RU in that span. This season, Maryland is 6-5, with all five losses coming to teams ranked in the top-15 of this week's Coaches Poll, as well as wins over currently ranked teams Virginia and Ohio State.
Maryland leads the country in man-down defense, stopping 95% on man-up opportunities. UM also is top-ten in turnovers, faceoff winning percentage and clearing percentage.
Eric Spanos, a recent Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week and Tewaaraton Award Finalist, had eight goals against Michigan and has 20 tallies on the year. Yale transfer Leo Johns leads the team with 25 goals and 19 assists. Braden Erksa has 12 goals this year after the 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year entered with three seasons of at least 24 goals and he has 15 assists. Another Yale transfer, Chris Lyons adds 16 goals.
Henry Dodge, a transfer from Vermont who was First Team America East, has a career faceoff winning percentage among the top three nationally. This season, he is at 68.1%, having won 98-of-144, fourth nationally and best in the Big Ten. Brian Ruppel is in the cage for the Terps this year. He holds a 52.9 save percentage and 8.90 goals-against-average.
Rutgers and Maryland have played 40 times dating back to 1928, with RU holding two victories, the win last season and in 1980. Last season represented a landmark win for RU in the series. Rutgers defeated No. 2 Maryland for the top ranked victory in program history, toppling the Terps for the first time since 1980. The Scarlet Knights raced out to a 5-1 lead after the opening quarter and held onto the lead for the duration of the game in scoring the upset victory, snapping a 19-game winning streak for the Terps. Cardin Stoller excelled for RU, with 14 saves, a save percentage of 70% and a full-field goal himself, earning national Player of the Week honors. Colin Zeller had three goals for RU in the win.
Rutgers and Maryland will play for the second time in 14 days. RU just travelled to SECU Stadium back on April 11, where the Terps won 12-2. RU scored first and was within one, down 2-1 at the end of the opening quarter, but the hosts went on a run and put the game away.
Rutgers is 3-8 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, 2-4 in the Semifinals and 0-2 in the Championship Game.
Last season, RU went 1-1 in the Big Ten Tournament, defeating Michigan 11-8 in the Quarterfinals, then falling to Ohio State, 11-7.
Against No. 3 seeds, RU is 2-3. In addition to last year's win over No. 4 seed Michigan, RU defeated No. 3 seed Johns Hopkins in 2016 and No. 3 seed Ohio State in 2022, both in the Semifinals. Against better seeded teams, RU is 1-5.
The following week will be the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals (two games on Thursday, April 30 at 3 and 6 pm) and the Championship Game (Saturday, May 2 at noon). Rutgers will be the host for all three games at SHI Stadium, with tickets available now.
With a victory, Rutgers will advance to the second semifinal, and face No. 2 seed Penn State at 6 pm on Thursday. No. 1 Johns Hopkins has also earned a bye to the semifinals, and will play the winner of No. 4 Ohio State and No. 5 Michigan on Thursday at 3 p.m. All Semifinals and the Championship game will be nationally televised by the Big Ten Network.
| About Rutgers |
The Scarlet Knights wrapped up the regular season with an 8-6 record overall. RU had one league win, coming against the co-champion and No. 1 seed Johns Hopkins. Rutgers is looking to snap a three-game losing streak since then. The Scarlet Knights have been hampered by injuries in that span, with the team's top faceoff man John Scarelli and attackman Haydn Sommer missing those three games, with close defenseman Dylan Groff missing the Penn State game last Friday.
Colin Kurdyla leads the team on the season with 28 goals, 27 assists and 55 points. Greyson Vorgang is second with 25 goals and Colin Kelly gives RU a third 20-goal scorer.
In conference play alone, Kurdyla paces the team with 10 points (5 goals, 5 assists), while it is Kelly who leads the team with eight goals, followed by Kasey Mongillo and Vorgang with six.
Defensively, Conor Udovich leads the team with 22 caused turnovers. Goalkeeper Cardin Stoller has a 52.4 save percentage and 10.17 goals-against-average on the year.
Rutgers has found success with a 10-man ride and pressuring the opponents this season. RU has an opponent clearing percentage of just 85.4%, which represents the best in the Big Ten.
Three different faceoff specialists have taken between 24 and 39 faceoffs in conference play. Recently, it has been Brock Desmaris and Jake Rainero splitting action at the X.
Cardin Stoller enters the weekend with exactly 500 career saves. He now stands ninth all-time in program history. He is seven saves from tying and eight saves from passing Max Edelmann (2016-19) for eighth place and can tie Bob Bryan for seventh with 24 more saves.
Rutgers had five different players recognized with accolades from the Big Ten on Wednesday. Joe Juengerkes was named First Team All-Big Ten. Cardin Stoller and Colin Kurdyla were named Second Team All-Big Ten. Dylan Finder was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. Ben McKelvy was the team's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.
| About Maryland |
Maryland was the national runner-up last season, with nine NCAA Championship game appearances over the past 14 seasons. Head coach John Tillman is 221-80 in 19 seasons at the helm, a 15-1 record against RU in that span. This season, Maryland is 6-5, with all five losses coming to teams ranked in the top-15 of this week's Coaches Poll, as well as wins over currently ranked teams Virginia and Ohio State.
Maryland leads the country in man-down defense, stopping 95% on man-up opportunities. UM also is top-ten in turnovers, faceoff winning percentage and clearing percentage.
Eric Spanos, a recent Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week and Tewaaraton Award Finalist, had eight goals against Michigan and has 20 tallies on the year. Yale transfer Leo Johns leads the team with 25 goals and 19 assists. Braden Erksa has 12 goals this year after the 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year entered with three seasons of at least 24 goals and he has 15 assists. Another Yale transfer, Chris Lyons adds 16 goals.
Henry Dodge, a transfer from Vermont who was First Team America East, has a career faceoff winning percentage among the top three nationally. This season, he is at 68.1%, having won 98-of-144, fourth nationally and best in the Big Ten. Brian Ruppel is in the cage for the Terps this year. He holds a 52.9 save percentage and 8.90 goals-against-average.
| About the Series |
Rutgers and Maryland have played 40 times dating back to 1928, with RU holding two victories, the win last season and in 1980. Last season represented a landmark win for RU in the series. Rutgers defeated No. 2 Maryland for the top ranked victory in program history, toppling the Terps for the first time since 1980. The Scarlet Knights raced out to a 5-1 lead after the opening quarter and held onto the lead for the duration of the game in scoring the upset victory, snapping a 19-game winning streak for the Terps. Cardin Stoller excelled for RU, with 14 saves, a save percentage of 70% and a full-field goal himself, earning national Player of the Week honors. Colin Zeller had three goals for RU in the win.
Rutgers and Maryland will play for the second time in 14 days. RU just travelled to SECU Stadium back on April 11, where the Terps won 12-2. RU scored first and was within one, down 2-1 at the end of the opening quarter, but the hosts went on a run and put the game away.
| Big Ten Tournament History |
Rutgers is 3-8 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, 2-4 in the Semifinals and 0-2 in the Championship Game.
Last season, RU went 1-1 in the Big Ten Tournament, defeating Michigan 11-8 in the Quarterfinals, then falling to Ohio State, 11-7.
Against No. 3 seeds, RU is 2-3. In addition to last year's win over No. 4 seed Michigan, RU defeated No. 3 seed Johns Hopkins in 2016 and No. 3 seed Ohio State in 2022, both in the Semifinals. Against better seeded teams, RU is 1-5.
| With a Win |
- Rutgers would advance to the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals.
- Rutgers would win a Big Ten Tournament game for the second straight season.
- 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.
- Rutgers second ranked win of the season and second over a team ranked No. 11.
- Rutgers second straight year with a win over Maryland.
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/ Men's LacrosseKnow Your Knights: Joe Juengerkes
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