Rutgers men's lacrosse readies for Big Ten Tournament clash against No. 10 Penn State
It will be a familiar opponent for the Rutgers men's lacrosse team in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on Saturday. The Scarlet Knights (7-6, 1-4) will travel to University Park, Pennsylvania, to face off against Penn State for the second time this season and for the second time in just eight days.
Rutgers had a rough outing against the Nittany Lions (9-3, 3-2) last Friday, falling 15-9 on Senior Day. After a back-and-forth first quarter, No. 10 Penn State limited the Knights to just 2 goals in the second and third quarters to secure the win. Junior attacker Dante Kulas led Rutgers with a season-high 4 goals, and senior midfielder Shane Knobloch followed behind with 2 goals.
This time around, the Knights will need to remain competitive throughout the entire contest against the Nittany Lions. If Knobloch, graduate student attacker Ross Scott and freshman midfielder Colin Kurdyla are involved in the offense, Penn State will have a difficult time defending each player. Scott and Knobloch were both named First Team All-Big Ten after a combined total of 48 goals and 34 assists this season.
Rutgers will also need its backline to step up. Graduate student defender Harris Hubbard and junior defenders Ben McKelvy and Tommy Mendyke have played together for the past seven games. The trio will need to be as sharp as it was in the 9-7 win against Michigan, the team's strongest defensive performance of the season.
Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Cardin Stoller struggled against the Nittany Lions, only making six saves. Despite his poor performance, Stoller has been one of the best goalkeepers in the Big Ten this season. He has been named Big Ten Freshman of the Week four times and has a 53.8 save percentage, which is good for the third-highest in the conference. Stoller was most recently named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and will need to have one of his stronger games between the pipes on Saturday.
As for Penn State, it will look to TJ Malone and Matt Traynor to lead the attack. The tandem both scored 4 goals in the win against the Knights. Jack Fracyon, who had 14 saves in the victory, is one of the best goalkeepers in the country and will be a tough cookie to crack.
Rutgers ended its 2023 season with a 14-11 loss to Maryland in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. If the Knights defeat the Nittany Lions, they will take on the Terrapins (8-4, 3-2) in the semifinals on May 2. Rutgers needs to make a run in the Big Ten Tournament in order to keep its NCAA Tournament berth hopes alive.
Saturday's contest will begin at 3 p.m. and will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus.
For more updates on the Rutgers men's lacrosse team, follow @TargumSports on X.
To view more of Matthew Mangam's work, follow @matthewmangam on X.
