Penn State men’s lacrosse will play its final regular season game against No. 19 Rutgers at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey, on April 16. The match, which will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network, is an opportunity for Penn State to secure a third conference win.
This game carries significance as it may determine Penn State’s seeding in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament. A win would move Penn State to a 7-5 record and could ensure a top-three finish in the conference standings.
Rutgers enters the contest ranked No. 19 nationally and has faced five other top-20 opponents this season. Junior attacker Colin Kurdyla leads Rutgers with 52 points and ranks among the top players in several Big Ten statistical categories. Junior goalie Cardin Stoller leads the conference with an average of over ten saves per game.
In their previous meeting, Penn State defeated Rutgers 12-4, led by Jack Fracyon’s performance as netminder and contributions from multiple goal scorers including Kyle Lehman and Luke Walstrum. “Fracyon posted one of his best performances of the season, making 13 saves while only allowing four goals for the second consecutive game,” according to team officials.
Several Penn State players have received recognition this season. Senior Alex Ross was named to midseason All-American honors by Inside Lacrosse and was recently selected eighth overall in the Premier Lacrosse League Draft. Freshman Jack Iannantuono was highlighted as one of Inside Lacrosse’s most impactful freshmen so far this year.
Head coach Jeff Tambroni is noted as one of collegiate lacrosse’s most successful active coaches with a total of 245 victories and a winning percentage that ranks among Division I leaders.
Looking ahead, if Penn State wins against Rutgers and Ohio State defeats Michigan later that evening, Penn State could secure a two-seed position with a first-round bye for the Big Ten Tournament.
