The 2024 Division I men's college lacrosse season starts Feb. 2. As is our annual tradition, we’re featuring every team ranked in the USA Lacrosse Preseason Top 20 in the lead up to opening night. Check back to USALaxMagazine.com each weekday this month for new previews, scouting reports and rival analysis.
NO. 15 RUTGERS
2023 record: 8-6 (1-4 Big Ten)
Final ranking (2023): No. 17
Head coach: Brian Brecht (92-79 in 12 seasons at Rutgers, 157-128 in 19 seasons overall)
Assistants: Eric Seremet (offensive coordinator), Jimmy Ryan (defensive coordinator), Peter Dolan
It is a lot easier to ask Rutgers coach Brian Brecht what isn’t new about the Scarlet Knights this season.
Especially on defense.
While the offense will have three new starters, it has a pair of program anchors in midfielder Shane Knobloch and attackman Ross Scott. That’s not the case at the other end of the field, where Rutgers lost its best player (long pole Ethan Rall), a plug-and-play goalie (Kyle Mullin) and a whole lot more.
“Everyone’s going to be new,” Brecht said. “Close guys, goalie, LSM, rope guys.”
That effectively runs the gamut, and it means the Scarlet Knights are bound to evolve a bit as the season unfolds. They’ll play five of their first seven at home, and while that schedule isn’t easy (2023 postseason teams Army and Princeton pay visits), it should permit Rutgers to develop a routine.
Redshirt freshman Cardin Stoller is the likely starting goalie. Tommy Mendyke, who spelled Rall some last season, will be a full-time starter for the first time on the close unit. Former Dartmouth defenseman Peter Rizzotti is one of several grad transfers sprinkled across the roster and should be a mainstay.
There is some positional fluidity among some close defense and long stick midfielder types, which mirrors a few of the attack/midfield options the Scarlet Knights have on offense. Most teams learn plenty about themselves in February; Rutgers might learn more than most.
“A lot of new faces,” Brecht said. “I don’t want to say a new team, but new names than maybe Rutgers fans are used to following over the last couple years.”
TOP RETURNERS
Jack Aimone, M, Sr. (25 G, 7 A)
Shane Knobloch, M, Sr. (21 G, 17 A)
Ross Scott, A, Gr. (25 G, 17 A)
This group (along with midfielder Nick Teresky) constitute the full list of players who appeared in at least 10 games for Rutgers in 2022 and will play for the Scarlet Knights this spring. And with Knobloch and Scott — two serious All-America contenders — it’s a solid foundation for an offense if other options can develop.
Aimone did exactly that a year ago, jumping from nine goals to 25 and will likely provide a fine complement to Knobloch on the first midfield line.
KEY ADDITIONS
Cole Brams, FO, Gr. (.577 FO%, 145 GB at Utah)
Peter Rizzotti, D, Gr. (27 GB, 23 CT at Dartmouth)
John Sidorski, M, Gr. (10 G, 25 A at Lehigh)
There are plenty of newcomers to choose from, but Brams is an especially vital pickup considering the Scarlet Knights don’t have anyone back who attempted a faceoff in 2023. Brams was the MVP of the Atlantic Sun tournament while leading Utah to its first NCAA berth, and he’ll likely split time with grad transfer Matt Soutar (.567 at Monmouth).
“Those guys have been a great one-two punch and battled all fall,” Brecht said. “Not only are Matt and Cole going to help us on the field, but the mentoring and collaborating with the freshman, Brock [Desmarais], I think is going to help us for the future and it gives Brock some great leadership experience and mentoring in practice every day to learn from as he develops his game as well.”
NOTABLE DEPARTURES
Graduations: Brad Apgar, D; Brian Cameron, A; Eric Civetti, A/M; Noah Daniels, SSDM; Ryan Decker, SSDM; Jonathan Dugenio, FO; Justin Kim, M; Kyle Mullin, G; Ethan Rall, LSM; Bobby Russo, D; David Sprock, M; Jack Stahanczyk, D
Transfers: Remington Reynolds, SSDM (Loyola)
X-FACTOR
Ryan Splaine, LSM, So. (20 GB, 4 CT)
If there’s a single through line in Rutgers achieving relevance, it’s having a disruptive long stick midfielder. Since 2016, the Scarlet Knights have had either Kyle Pless or Ethan Rall on the field for all but one game (an early-season defeat of Stony Brook last year that Rall because of injury).
Splaine could be the next skilled pole to thrive on the Rutgers rope unit.
“He kind of reminds me of Pless and Ethan when we recruited them and plays with that motor in the middle of the field with a good stick and continues to help us push transition,” Brecht said.
THE NARRATIVE
A byproduct of Rutgers’ now-annual influx of grad transfers is an air of mystery as to just what it has. The Scarlet Knights’ last two seasons are proof enough of the wide range of available outcomes. In 2022, they played on the final weekend. Last year, they didn’t make it to May.
The roster has largely turned over, but Brecht doesn’t believe the identity he has built in Piscataway has.
“Rutgers lacrosse is still Rutgers lacrosse as everyone knows it,” Brecht said. “We’re going to fly up and down the field. We have some playmakers on the offensive end. We’re going to play great defense.”
To what degree remains to be seen. Rutgers didn’t run nearly as much as it had in the past last year, but in fairness it wasn’t as if it opportunistically sought out every unsettled opportunity it could find during its final four season. That bunch was built to pick opponents apart and stop them in 6-on-6 settings.
Last year, Rutgers slipped from 30.7 percent shooting to 27.0 percent. Opponents jumped from 28.9 percent to 30.6 percent. No mystery there. The Scarlet Knights simply need to be better, and with both a new-look roster and some player development among younger guys, Brecht is encouraged that will be the case.
“From top to bottom, I do think this group has shown in the fall to be more competitive in our practices and workouts,” Brecht said. “Hopefully that transfers into the spring.”
ENEMY LINES
WHAT RIVALS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
“Who knows? This is what I do know: I know Ross Scott, I know Knobloch, and that’s a hell of a place to start. I’d expect them to be really talented. Give Brian a lot of credit and his staff a lot of credit. When you are dealing with key guys that aren’t in your system for a number of years, how they seemingly so quickly are able to bring them together, it says a lot for him and his coaching staff because it’s not an easy thing to do.”
“Brian’s done such a good job with the portal. My assumption is there’s some guys we’d know about and some guys we wouldn’t. Brian’s done a good job of just developing good teams with different players and utilizing the portal in a really successful way. I wouldn’t assume it wouldn't be too different. They have some key parts, two of the better offensive players in the Big Ten come back for them. You always have to account for those two guys.”
If Rutgers is going to put 2023 behind it and get back to the form showed in its Final Four run, the offense is going to be the unit to watch. In the Scarlet Knights’ Final Four year, they finished as the 8th-best opponent-adjusted offense. Last year, they were 30th. The biggest factor was their shooting efficiency (like shooting percentage, but it differentiates between misses off-cage and saved shots). It was 41.2% in 2022, but just 36.8% last year, which was 48th in the country.
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