Rutgers Men's Lacrosse releases 2019 schedule

[Richie O]

2019 Matchups

Saturday, February 2, home vs Lafayette, 1 p.m.
The season begins against Lafayette, who the Scarlet Knights are unbeaten against in 14 lifetime matchups. Lafayette went 3-12 last season.

Saturday, February 9, at St. John’s, 1 p.m.
The two former BIG EAST rivals meet with RU holding a five-game winning streak, including a 12-8 win last season and a 21-5 advantage in the all-time series.


Saturday, February 16, home vs Army, 12 p.m.
Rutgers looks to avenge a 9-7 loss last season at Army. This is the second-longest played series in program history, with 81 matchups dating back to 1923.

Saturday, February 23, home vs Loyola (Md.), 1 p.m.
The Scarlet Knights take on Loyola for the first time since 2009, with the Greyhounds holding the series advantage, 9-1. Loyola made the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament last season.

Saturday, March 2, at Fairfield, 1 p.m.
The series between the two teams is tied at four, but Rutgers has won the last three matchups in the series including a 12-7 win in 2018.

Saturday, March 9, home vs Princeton, 1 p.m.
The longest-played series in Rutgers history, this game has been contested 96 times dating back to 1922. The battle for the Tots Meistrell Cup will be played at Rutgers on a weekend for the first time since 2005.


Tuesday, March 12, home vs Lehigh, 7 p.m.
The Scarlet Knights host Lehigh in the lone midweek matchup of the season. Rutgers defeated No. 17 Lehigh 8-7 on the road last season with a late game-winning goal from Jules Heningburg.

Saturday, March 16, at Syracuse, 1 p.m.
RU makes its first trip to the Carrier Dome since 2013. The Scarlet Knights defeated No. 12 Syracuse 14-10 last season, behind six goals by Jules Heningburg. The Orange have qualified for the NCAA tournament in 19 of the last 20 seasons, and led the nation in home attendance last season.

Saturday, March 23, home vs Hofstra, 1 p.m.
Rutgers plays Hofstra for the first time since 1999. In 30 lifetime matchups, each team has won 15 times.

Saturday, March 30, at Ohio State, time TBD
Rutgers starts conference play against Ohio State, who RU holds an 8-3 lifetime series over. The teams have split the four matchups as members of the Big Ten, with the home team winning each time, including wins by RU over No. 3 Ohio State in 2017 and No. 10 OSU in 2015.


Saturday, April 6, at John’s Hopkins, 2 p.m.
Rutgers and Johns Hopkins have faced off 38 times dating back to 1920. The Scarlet Knights claimed two wins over the Blue Jays in the 2016 season for six total wins lifetime.

Sunday, April 14, home vs Maryland, 7 p.m.
The Scarlet Knights will host Maryland looking for their second lifetime win over the Terrapins. The last two regular season matchups between these two programs has been decided by one goal.

Saturday, April 20, home vs Michigan, 3 p.m.
Rutgers hold a 4-1 series advantage over the Wolverines. The Scarlet Knights have outscored Michigan 43-21 in the last three matchups.


Saturday, April 27, at Penn State, time TBD
Rutgers defeated No. 11 Penn State 11-8 last season to claim the Friendship Cup. The Scarlet Knights hold the series advantage over the Nittany Lions 43-22.

All regular season contests will be played at HighPoint.com Stadium. Rutgers will also host two scrimmages on the F3 Field located inside the Marco Battaglia Practice Complex: Saturday, January 19 at 1 pm versus Villanova and Saturday, January 26 at 2 p.m. versus Albany.

 

[Golfer2019]

And there we go....glad this is public now :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Can't wait for the season...exciting!

 

[Caliknight]

Lotsa huge games and opportunities.

 

[Golfer2019]

So generally speaking, how does the lacrosse team draw in terms of home fans? Good crowds??

 

[bigmatt718]

I still think its asinine to start in early February. MDW should be the last day of the regular season, not the Final Four. Season should start in March, go to MDW like football does for Thanksgiving, then conference tourneys in early June and NCAA Tourney wraps up by late June. Our attendance from March on probably is 4 to 5k a game and around 2k in February.

 

[bigmatt718]

Are the scrimmages open to the public?

 

[Caliknight]

So generally speaking, how does the lacrosse team draw in terms of home fans? Good crowds??

I don't recall where I saw it but we were in the top 5 of attendance I believe. Crowds in the early season are sparse. It's cold. As the season heats up, so do the crowds. I believe Syracuse last year had 5k and that was earlier in the season, but that isn't typical.

We obviously play in HPSS, so it doesn't seem like much given the stadium. But it is very much a home court advantage, and the kids absolutely love playing there. We've lost a total of two games there in 3 years, by a total of 3 goals. One was to eventual national champion Maryland in OT.

One day we will have a lax only stadium again, but I hope it doesn't happen too soon. The team just has that magic at HPSS.

 

[Local Shill]

We’re playing at OSU for the second straight season and hosting Michigan for the second straight year for some reason. The sites had always alternated previously.

 

[rufeelinit]

I hope this is the year we get over the hump. Need #9 healthy. Also need at least a split of the first two conference games on the road. Especially with Maryland at home the following week. Can’t lose to Army and need to beat either Loyola or Syracuse.

 

[jmc11201]

I hope this is the year we get over the hump. Need #9 healthy. Also need at least a split of the first two conference games on the road. Especially with Maryland at home the following week. Can’t lose to Army and need to beat either Loyola or Syracuse.

Feel free to beat Syracuse. Loyola should be pretty solid this year.

 

[Golfer2019]

We’re playing at OSU for the second straight season and hosting Michigan for the second straight year for some reason. The sites had always alternated previously.

The big ten schedules were reset this year...I'm not sure of the reason, but I was told by my source that the conference reset everything ...hence you have repeat trips etc...in back to back years

 

[Local Shill]

The big ten schedules were reset this year...I'm not sure of the reason, but I was told by my source that the conference reset everything ...hence you have repeat trips etc...in back to back years

Thanks for the explanation.

 

[Caliknight]

Yea, going to Ohio St. again is a kick to the nads. That's a very, very tough place to win.

Our schedule is now back to what it was under Coach Hayes. Even our scrimmages are going to be great watches. We always played very tough schedules during Hayes' tenure. The last guy really dumbed it down.

Syracuse in the Dome is going to be a challenge. Loyola has arguably the best player in the country in Pat Spencer. That kid does it all. He's very fun to watch. One of those guys who is going to get his, you just hope to contain him a little bit. Problem is he makes the other players better. His IQ is off the charts and he is super athletic. Shows you how inexact recruiting in the lacrosse world is. He was considered the 3rd best attackman on his high school team as a senior. That's a tough match up for our D. I can imagine that one being a high scoring affair, run and gun affair. Faceoffs will be key.

 

[Golfer2019]

I was at one of the Loyola scrimmages. Spencer is very very impressive. They will be tough.

Can’t wait to visit Cuse and see a game in the dome.

Lots of really great games for us fans to watch

Can’t argue schedule strength but need to win our share. But you can get credit for a “good” loss

The conference games will be key. Need to find a way to go 3-2 get a 2-3 seed in conf tourney at RU and then make history

I think this team is ready to compete. As an athlete you want to compete at the top and play the best. Our guys will have that opportunity.

Can’t wait

 

[Caliknight]

Absolutely agree. It's great having our schedule back to where it always was. The team needs to win. No question about that. They are well positioned to do so. It's going to be a fun season.

 

[rufamily]

Schedule is crazy hard with Hopkins OSU, PSU AND Cuse all on the road and UMD, Princeton and Loyola at home. That is crazy hard schedule and reminds me of some of the schedules that we had when I was their. That Albany scrimmage should be great lots of fun and a lot of up and down

 

[rufeelinit]

So does the schedule make sense for a team trying to make the tournament? Will we get credit for SOS even if our W-L is not as strong as prior years?

 

[biazza38]

So does the schedule make sense for a team trying to make the tournament? Will we get credit for SOS even if our W-L is not as strong as prior years?

I hope so. The problem is it feels like the ACC is always a lock for four in because everyone wants to schedule them. Cuse laid an egg OOC but it doesn’t matter when margin of defeat doesn’t impact your RPI. Simply showing up against Hopkins and Albany helps them. It’s really screwed up and must be a headache for coach.

 

[Caliknight]

We need to win. We already know the committee will do us no favors.

 

[rufamily]

Our schedule may allow us 4 losses but we can not have any WTF losses (Like Princeton and Army last year). If you consider the games that are Princeton, Loyola, Syracuse, Army, with the big ten games. That would be 8 games where they probably have to win 5. I think two of them would be held against them if they lose ( Princeton and Army) so they are pseudo must wins. They play Loyola and Maryland at home, arguably the two hardest games on the schedule. That means that Cuse, OSU PSU and Hopkins become critical games they probably have to split these six and reasonably have to win 3 in the Big Ten and make the tourney for them to have a shot to play in May. Remember last year an early season victory by Nova over Yale carried them all the way to the tourney even though they did not beat another team with a winning record in the last 6 weeks of the season.

 

[Mr_Twister]

Wacky question. Are any of the Big Ten lacrosse commissioners or officials (refs) NJ guys or Rutgers grads? Almost all of the Big Ten football staff and officials are midwesterners. Is the East Coast at least represented in Big Ten lacrosse decision-making, schedule making, and officiating?

 

[rufamily]

I do not know about the commissioner but I do know that the ref’s are regional and we have a lot of Divison 1 ref’s in the area and two years ago we had two guys working on Memorial Day weekend 1 in the semis and 1 in the finals. But, I know that we get guys from as far away as Upsate NY. I do not think that there are Officals that only work the Big Ten schedule. I could be wrong though.

 

[Mr_Twister]

Interesting that the Big Ten site’s Staff Directory does not list anyone as “Lacrosse”. Not even in the list of “Coordinator of Officials”. Who is in charge of Big Ten lacrosse?

https://bigten.org/staff.aspx

 

[Golfer2019]

Our schedule may allow us 4 losses but we can not have any WTF losses (Like Princeton and Army last year). If you consider the games that are Princeton, Loyola, Syracuse, Army, with the big ten games. That would be 8 games where they probably have to win 5. I think two of them would be held against them if they lose ( Princeton and Army) so they are pseudo must wins. They play Loyola and Maryland at home, arguably the two hardest games on the schedule. That means that Cuse, OSU PSU and Hopkins become critical games they probably have to split these six and reasonably have to win 3 in the Big Ten and make the tourney for them to have a shot to play in May. Remember last year an early season victory by Nova over Yale carried them all the way to the tourney even though they did not beat another team with a winning record in the last 6 weeks of the season.

That analysis make sense RU...looking at it in groupings, I see it like this:

Grouping #1 (need to go 6-1 here)

Lafayette, St Johns, Army, Fairfield, Hofstra, Princeton, Lehigh


Grouping #2 (need to go 1-1 here...high value win and SOS loss)

Loyola, Syracuse

Grouping #3 (need to go 3-2 Big Ten...gets you into the B1G Tourney)

OSU, Hopkins, Maryland, PSU, UM

That puts you at 10-4 and into the conference tourney...

If you win one game in the conference tourney, with that record, we are in

If we go 9-5 and get a win in the conference tourney...to get to 10 wins...I think that would be enough as well...the key being, can we get some key wins like a couple vs the following (Cuse, Loyola, Hopkins, MD, PSU, OSU)....if we can get high quality wins, get to 10 wins and make the conference final...man would it be tough to keep us out....

But no doubt, little margin for error...I'd say you have room for one minor slip up...that's about it

 

[rufeelinit]

Our schedule may allow us 4 losses but we can not have any WTF losses (Like Princeton and Army last year). If you consider the games that are Princeton, Loyola, Syracuse, Army, with the big ten games. That would be 8 games where they probably have to win 5. I think two of them would be held against them if they lose ( Princeton and Army) so they are pseudo must wins. They play Loyola and Maryland at home, arguably the two hardest games on the schedule. That means that Cuse, OSU PSU and Hopkins become critical games they probably have to split these six and reasonably have to win 3 in the Big Ten and make the tourney for them to have a shot to play in May. Remember last year an early season victory by Nova over Yale carried them all the way to the tourney even though they did not beat another team with a winning record in the last 6 weeks of the season.

This makes a lot of sense however it seems to me that we have had that one WTF loss pretty much every year recently. Our margin for error seems to remain very small.

 

[Caliknight]

You can say the way we lost to Princeton was a wtf loss, but that team was good. They have some fantastic players. They went 8-5 and smacked a good Cornell team. Princeton was not a wft loss. But a heartbreaking one considering we had that game in the bag.

Army might have been a wtf loss, but there some things that attributed to that game that I won't post for fear of it being labeled an excuse.

There are two teams that would be considered wtf losses on this current schedule. Lafayette and St. Johns, and the latter is improving.

 

[Golfer2019]

You can say the way we lost to Princeton was a wtf loss, but that team was good. They have some fantastic players. They went 8-5 and smacked a good Cornell team. Princeton was not a wft loss. But a heartbreaking one considering we had that game in the bag.

Army might have been a wtf loss, but there some things that attributed to that game that I won't post for fear of it being labeled an excuse.

There are two teams that would be considered wtf losses on this current schedule. Lafayette and St. Johns, and the latter is improving.

To your point Cali....I'll take this a step further from a little different view....I've just lived through a season watching a son play "mid major" D1 lacrosse...and while the big boys...let's call it the top 20/25 programs have more resources, more money, more exposure, and better conference affiliation, and top to bottom better talent...I would argue that there are really no "easy" wins. Kids playing at the bottom let's say third of the some 70 D1 teams still work very hard and compete...winning is NOT easy, so while I posted above a catagory which was games RU should win...I should actually walk that back a bit and say on paper...but make no mistake...those teams will be good, talented and will battle and win...if RU doesn't bring it every time...

Two examples....#1: I watched a Detroit Mercy team go to Norte Dame last year and start the 4th quarter tied with ND 6-6. ND eventually won 10-7, but it wasn't an easy win for ND. #2: Detroit Mercy had the ball two times vs Ohio State under 90 seconds to go with a chance to tie the game. Got good looks, but just missed shots and eventually a save was made and OSU won 8-7.

No games are gimmies...too much talent spreading out across the country...if you don't play well, you will lose...no matter who you are playing...and I get it...some team have more talent and hence, better margin for error...but you need to bring it...

 

[Caliknight]

To your point Cali....I'll take this a step further from a little different view....I've just lived through a season watching a son play "mid major" D1 lacrosse...and while the big boys...let's call it the top 20/25 programs have more resources, more money, more exposure, and better conference affiliation, and top to bottom better talent...I would argue that there are really no "easy" wins. Kids playing at the bottom let's say third of the some 70 D1 teams still work very hard and compete...winning is NOT easy, so while I posted above a catagory which was games RU should win...I should actually walk that back a bit and say on paper...but make no mistake...those teams will be good, talented and will battle and win...if RU doesn't bring it every time...

Two examples....#1: I watched a Detroit Mercy team go to Norte Dame last year and start the 4th quarter tied with ND 6-6. ND eventually won 10-7, but it wasn't an easy win for ND. #2: Detroit Mercy had the ball two times vs Ohio State under 90 seconds to go with a chance to tie the game. Got good looks, but just missed shots and eventually a save was made and OSU won 8-7.

No games are gimmies...too much talent spreading out across the country...if you don't play well, you will lose...no matter who you are playing...and I get it...some team have more talent and hence, better margin for error...but you need to bring it...

I would agree with that. From an outsider's perspective, a Rutgers team now is simply expected to handle schools like Lafayette. It's sort of just how it is.

But I agree with you. I watched that Robert Morris hang with us for 3 quarters last year. That team had talent and kids who played hard.

20 years ago the Robert Morris' would have been blown off the field by a top 12 Rutgers team. Things are different now.

With the amount of kids playing lacrosse, and the game being taught across the country by people who played at a high level, there are just so many kids that can play now Non traditional areas are producing serious, serious talent. Schools like Detroit Mercy are bound to have kids fall through the cracks who can play at any level. We see it all the time at other schools, and frankly, even at our own.

If you go by recruiting rankings, we should get blown out by our conference members. Then you see us play, and we are as fast, as physical, and as skilled.

There are just so many kids now that the top 20 of lacrosse is a legit top 20. Anyone can beat anyone, and outside of a few can't miss kids, recruiting rankings aren't keeping pace.

 

[rufamily]

Boy, this is a fun conversation. While I agree with Cali that Princeton is not normally a WTF loss it was the way in which we lost and losing to Army when we did was not actually bad but after our game their team fell off, mostly due to injuries. My point is that we need to win on the road plain and simple. Being around this team and the players I get the feeling that they understand that no one is going to give them anything and that if they want in the tourney the are going to have to break down the door. Everyone that so have spoken to are very excited about the additions to the team and the coaching staff they just need to put it all together.

 

[Golfer2019]

Boy, this is a fun conversation. While I agree with Cali that Princeton is not normally a WTF loss it was the way in which we lost and losing to Army when we did was not actually bad but after our game their team fell off, mostly due to injuries. My point is that we need to win on the road plain and simple. Being around this team and the players I get the feeling that they understand that no one is going to give them anything and that if they want in the tourney the are going to have to break down the door. Everyone that so have spoken to are very excited about the additions to the team and the coaching staff they just need to put it all together.

The feeling from inside the lockeroom is good...and I think this year is built to "manage through" some injuries...maybe not some key ones, but most.

I think when a team is close for so long, they start to realize that they're the only ones that can make it happen...can't trust the selection committee...like you said, go break down the door.

Won't be easy, but should be a fun ride to watch play out...

 

[rufamily]

Here is the video Link I was just sent. watch the end of the video the guy in the green Jersey is AC. Looks pretty healthy to me!!!

 

[Caliknight]

God, he has such smooth hands. One of my favorite finishers ever. Didn't even get touched.

 

[gef21]

Looks like Stevenson really lost a lot of the baby fat....

I am excited for this season. Glad I can get my boys up to not only see a game but play a game at RU this year.

 

[rufamily]

Looks like Stevenson really lost a lot of the baby fat....

I am excited for this season. Glad I can get my boys up to not only see a game but play a game at RU this year.

Who are you guys playing there

 

[rufamily]

Looks like Stevenson really lost a lot of the baby fat....

I am excited for this season. Glad I can get my boys up to not only see a game but play a game at RU this year.

He looks pretty good and looks better at attack right now

 

[Golfer2019]

Some good looking athletes in that video...you'd think I'd see that from my kid but I have to count on RUfamily to see it...story of my life as a dad :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

 

[gef21]

Who are you guys playing there

Robbinsville if it all works out. We both have alumni on the team. Figured it would be fun.

 

[gef21]

He looks pretty good and looks better at attack right now

I was excited about the moven to attack for him.

 

[rufamily]

Some good looking athletes in that video...you'd think I'd see that from my kid but I have to count on RUfamily to see it...story of my life as a dad :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Golfer, it was actually sent to our alumni base so i am not sure he saw it. No worries though as the name implies you are now family

 

[Caliknight]

It’s great you guys can see games and practices so easily. One of the recent alums I spoke with brought it to my attention. With so many kids who are from the area or stay in the area after graduating, seeing games is so easy. Kids from many other schools don’t have that accessibility.