Rutgers men's lacrosse looks for get-right game against No. 15 Michigan
The Rutgers men's lacrosse team will hit the road for the toughest stretch of its season. On Sunday night, the Scarlet Knights (6-4, 0-2) will take on Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Rutgers dropped out of the national rankings after falling to Ohio State 14-8. The Knights continued their season struggles in the first and fourth quarters and are currently on a two-game losing streak.
The Wolverines (6-4, 1-1) are 1-1 in Big Ten play but average 13.90 goals per game, the second-most in the conference. Much of this can be attributed to Justin Tiernan, who has scored 40 goals this season. His tally is the most in the Big Ten and is tied for the top spot in NCAA Division I men's lacrosse. Ryan Cohen and Michael Boehm are just as dominant, as they each have more than 20 goals and 20 assists on the season.
No. 15 Michigan is the best faceoff team in the Big Ten. Justin Wietfeldt leads the charge, winning 62.8 percent of his face-offs and scooping up 95 ground balls for the Wolverines, which are both the highest in the conference.
Michigan's defense is not as strong as its offense, but Cathal Roberts is a vital part of the backline. He has caused a conference-high 18 turnovers in 10 games. Between the pipes, Hunter Taylor has not had a great season. Taylor's 48.3 save percentage and 11.91 goals against average are the worst in the Big Ten. Rutgers will need its attack to take advantage of Taylor's struggles and score a surplus of goals in what will be a high-scoring game.
Last season, the Knights defeated the Wolverines 13-12 in an overtime thriller at SHI Stadium on Busch campus. In the win, senior midfielder Shane Knobloch had a hat trick and scored the game-winner. Rutgers is 9-1 against Michigan all-time, with the last loss dating back to 2015.
Although the Knights have history on their side, it will not be an easy contest at all. Rutgers has struggled on both sides of the ball this season due to its younger roster. The Knights will lean on the experience of graduate student attacker Ross Scott, Knobloch, junior attacker Dante Kulas and senior midfielder Jack Aimone.
After the game against the Wolverines, Rutgers will head down to College Park, Maryland, to battle with Maryland before closing out its regular season at home against Penn State.
Sunday's contest will begin at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.
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