Men’s Lacrosse Heads to No. 4/5 Maryland for Saturday on BTN - Rutgers University Athletics (2024)

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers men's lacrosse is set to head back on the road this weekend for another Big Ten Conference game in primetime on Big Ten Network. The Scarlet Knights (7-4, 1-2 Big Ten), ranked No. 20 in the USA Lacrosse Magazine Poll, will play at No. 4/5 Maryland (7-3, 2-1 Big Ten). The 7 p.m. game will feature Mark Dixon and Mitchell Pehlke on the call from SECU Stadium.

Rutgers enters the game at 7-4 overall and 1-2 in Big Ten play. The Scarlet Knights are coming off a 9-7 win on the road at No. 15 Michigan, the team's first ranked win of the season.

Cardin Stoller was exceptional with 19 saves with a 73.1% save percentage against the Wolverines. With the performance, he:

• Tied his season-high in saves (also had 19 vs. UMass).
• Matched RU's Big Ten record for saves in a Big Ten game (previously Colin Kirst, 19, twice against Michigan in 2021).
• Most saves by any Big Ten goalkeeper this season.
• Most saves by any Big Ten goalkeeper in a league game since 2022.
• Held Michigan (entered at 13.9 goals per game) to a season-low seven goals, their fewest goals in 34 games (since 2022, and fewest goals at home in 23 home games (since 2021).
• Prior to this season, only twice since 2015 had a RU goalkeeper played the full game and had a save percentage of 70% or better. Stoller has now done it twice this season.
• Named Big Ten Freshman AND Specialist of the Week for the second time this season. Prior to this season, only twice since the formation of the league in 2015 had one player won two Big Ten awards in the same week.

Rutgers enters the game fourth nationally at 13.64 turnovers per game. RU leads the Big Ten in turnovers in addition to saves per game (13.09) and are second in the league in man-up offense (.708) and defense (.417). Shane Knobloch's four man-up goals lead the league.

Ross Scott had his second hat trick of the season at UM, and a team-high 38 points on a team-best 21 assists plus 17 goals. Shane Knobloch leads RU with 26 goals, while Jack Aimone has 20 and Colin Kurdyla has scored 15 with nine assists.

Cole Brams is 105-of-194 on faceoffs (54.1%) with 54 ground balls. Stoller has a 55.6% save percentage with a 10.62 goals-against-average and 135 saves.

Ross Scott enters the game with 175 career points. He is within striking distance of John Danowski (12^th, 177) and Greg Rinaldi (11^th, 178) on RU's all-time list. He also has 106 career goals, trailing Ed Trabulsy (11^th, 112) and Jack Daut (10^th, 113) on RU's all-time list.

Shane Knobloch enters the game with 95 career goals. He is five goals away from becoming the 13^th Rutgers player to have 100 career goals.

Brian Brecht has 99 wins at the helm of the Scarlet Knights. His next win will make him the third coach in program history to reach 100 wins, joining Tom Hayes (194) and Fred Fitch (105). Brecht has 99 wins in 13 seasons at RU. In the previous 13 seasons, RU won 70 games.

Rutgers has three key players from the Old Line State. Defenseman Ben McKelvy (Kent Island, Md.), long-stick midfielder Ryan Splaine (Rockville, Md.) and goalkeeper Cardin Stoller (Owings Mills, Md.) will all play in their home state.

The Terps are 7-3 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten, standing in second place in the league. They enter the game off of back-to-back wins over No. 4 Penn State and Ohio State, which followed a 1-3 stretch against No. 6 Notre Dame, Brown (OT win), No. 4 Virginia and No. 20 Michigan.

The Terps are led offensively by Braden Erksa (21 goals, 32 points). Daniel Maltz has added 20 goals, reigning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week Eric Spanos has 17 goals and 10 assists, and Eric Malever has a team-high 15 assists.

Maryland is 10^th nationally on faceoffs (58.4%). Luke Weirman is second in the league at 59.6% on faceoffs, and is Maryland's all-time faceoff wins leader. He is sixth in the country with 8.56 ground balls per game. On defense, Ajax Zappitello is second in the Big Ten with 1.8 caused turnovers per game. Logan McNaney, who recently surpassed 500 career saves, has a 50.2% save percentage and 10.41 goals-against-average this year.

Rutgers is looking for its first win against Maryland since 1980. Last season, the two teams met twice with the Terps taking both wins, one on RU's senior day and the other in the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals. Since 1928, the two teams have faced each other 37 times, with RU's lone win coming in 1980 in College Park.

Since joining the Big Ten, the Terps are the only Big Ten opponent that the Scarlet Knights have not beaten. Last season's Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinal loss saw Jack Aimone tie his career-high with four goals, leading RU with five points. Shane Knobloch had a hat trick and Ross Scott had four assists.

• First win over Maryland since 1980
• Highest ranked win of the year
• First top-5 win since defeating No. 5 Loyola on Feb. 25, 2023
• First top-5 win on the road since a win over No. 4 Ohio State on March 31, 2019
• First time winning back-to-back games against ranked Big Ten teams since February of 2021

Rutgers enters the weekend at 1-2 in the Big Ten, which puts them in a four-way tie for third place with Penn State, Michigan and Ohio State. With the top two seeds getting byes in the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Tournament round, and then the 3^rd and 4^th seed hosting games, Rutgers is still alive for all six positions. All six teams in the Big Ten make the Big Ten Tournament, which takes place over two weekends from April 27-May 5. The first weekend is hosted by the No. 3 and No. 4 seed, then the semifinals and championship are in Columbus, Ohio, hosted by Ohio State.

With wins in its final two games, and two losses by Johns Hopkins, Rutgers could still tie for the conference title. That scenario would see Rutgers, Maryland and Hopkins with a 3-2 record, as well as potentially the Michigan-Ohio State winner.

Rutgers can also get a Quarterfinals bye in the No. 2 spot with two wins if Johns Hopkins earns another win. If RU wins out, a head-to-head tie for the No. 2 position with Michigan, Maryland or Penn State would go in the Scarlet Knights' favor in that scenario.

With a 1-1 record, a 2-3 Rutgers team would need the win to come against Maryland to have a chance at the No. 2 spot. In that scenario, if Hopkins beat Maryland and Ohio State, Penn State beat Michigan and Michigan beat Ohio State, there would be a four-way tie for the No. 2 spot between Rutgers, Maryland, Penn State and Michigan, which would come down to to-be-determined tiebreakers.

With a 1-1 record, and the hypothetical Rutgers win coming against Penn State, RU could still finish in the top-4 spots and host a quarterfinal game. The easiest path for this would involve Michigan falling to Penn State, then beating Ohio State, and Ohio State losing to Johns Hopkins. That would put Rutgers and Michigan tied for the No. 4 spot, with Ohio State below them, and RU would have the head-to-head advantage with Michigan.

If Rutgers beats Penn State next week, Rutgers will be well positioned for a home game in the Quarterfinals. A Rutgers win over PSU would mean at least 2 wins for RU, no more than 2 wins for Penn State, and no more than 2 wins for the Michigan-Ohio State loser. If Michigan beats OSU and OSU loses to Hopkins, RU is looking at a three-way-tie for a home game spot with two teams it would hold head-to-head wins over.

Rutgers is back at home for the regular season finale at SHI Stadium. The Scarlet Knights welcome in Penn State for a 6 p.m. game on Senior Day and Alumni Appreciation Day. That game is also on Big Ten Network, with Joe Beninati and Mark Dixon on the call.