The Rutgers men’s lacrosse team will hit the road to face off against in-state rival Princeton in a ranked battle on Saturday. The Scarlet Knights (5-1, 0-0) have won four straight games and are facing a red-hot Tigers (3-1, 0-0) squad that is coming off a win over North Carolina, the No. 1 team in the country at the time.
No. 15 Rutgers dropped the only game it played against a ranked team this season, as it looks for a monstrous upset of No. 3 Princeton, which has defeated a top-six opponent in its last three games. Head coach Brian Brecht was able to notch a victory over No. 2 Maryland in 2025 and will have his eyes set on adding to the list of the program’s largest victories.
The Knights are led by junior attacker Colin Kurdyla, who boasts 14 goals and nine assists on the season, while the Tigers’ top scorer, Nate Kabiri, possesses 7 goals on the season. Princeton, a unit that averages more than 10 goals per game, features a balanced attack with scoring spread throughout the lineup, a potential mismatch in favor of the Tigers.
Princeton, identically to Rutgers, entered the season with four preseason All-Americans — midfielders Chad Palumbo, Tucker Wade, Cooper Mueller and goalkeeper Ryan Croddick. Both contain skilled players throughout their roster, as the two New Jersey teams look for a season-boosting victory.
But nobody is more ready than the Knights’ head coach, who knows what’s at stake in a season full of expectations.
“(Players are) hearing it, they’re seeing it, they’re physically doing it in practices and it’s about time that we take that next step as a program,” Brecht said.
Rutgers’ defensive production has been spearheaded by junior goalkeeper Cardin Stoller, who has allowed just 12 goals in his last two games and holds an 8.76 goals against average on the year. While Stoller has been on the Banks for four seasons, the majority of the squad is still searching for the cohesion it takes to play to their full ability.
“That’s one of the things we’re working on early in the season, is the chemistry, the gelling,” Brecht said. “You know, having the guys make the right play for Rutgers and not go off script as much.”
The Tigers’ only slip-up was in their season-opener against Penn State, but they remain one of the most dominant and battle-tested teams in the country. It will not be an easy ask for the Knights, but it is a possible one, and a game where Rutgers must play close to perfect to walk away victorious.
The Knights will make the short road trip to Sherrerd Field at Class of 1952 Stadium on Saturday. The game is set for noon and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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