Dylan Groff and Cardin Stoller Highlight Big Week for Rutgers Men’s Lacrosse
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The 2026 collegiate lacrosse season is barely out of the gate. But the Rutgers men’s lacrosse defense is already making considerable national noise. Two games in, and the Scarlet Knights are not easing into anything. They are making statements.
Rutgers Men’s Lacrosse's Stars Are Making Names for Themselves
This week, Rutgers found itself squarely in the spotlight across both the Big Ten and the national scene. Junior defenseman Dylan Groff and redshirt junior goalkeeper Cardin Stoller earned major accolades.
Dylan Groff was named the @B1GLacrosse Defensive Player of the Week!
— Rutgers Men's LAX (@RUmlax) February 10, 2026
The #RUMLax junior excelled in his matchup against a ranked foe in his second collegiate start
📰: https://t.co/clIOvFPVJc pic.twitter.com/gVoRvI5pqu
On Tuesday, the Big Ten conference office officially named Dylan Groff the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. At the same time, the Tewaaraton Foundation announced that Cardin Stoller had been named to the prestigious 2026 Tewaaraton Award Watch List. That recognition marks the 12th consecutive season that at least one Scarlet Knight has been included in the hunt for what is widely known as the "Heisman of Lacrosse."
Cardin Stoller’s inclusion on the 2026 Tewaaraton Award Watch List confirms what Rutgers fans already know. He is one of the premier anchors in college lacrosse.
Big time recognition for #RUMLax goalkeeper Cardin Stoller as he is on the Watch List for the @Tewaaraton
— Rutgers Men's LAX (@RUmlax) February 10, 2026
Award!
📰: https://t.co/nxk9RSqaEo pic.twitter.com/MXjeyR0irb
The initial Watch List features the top 50 players in the nation, and Stoller stands out as one of only five goalkeepers to make the cut. This is the second consecutive year the Owings Mills, Maryland native has earned a spot on the Watch List. In 2025, he advanced to the Top 25 nominees, further cementing his national reputation.
Entering the 2026 season, Stoller was named a Third Team Preseason All-American. He was also selected as a Big Ten Preseason Player to Watch and ranked No. 49 on Inside Lacrosse’s Preseason Top 50 Players list.
Through the first two games of 2026, Stoller has made 25 saves. He is posting a 54.3 percent save percentage and a 10.63 goals-against average. Stoller’s early-season performance builds off a massive 2025 campaign that turned heads nationwide.
Last season, he earned All-American honors with Honorable Mention recognition from USA Lacrosse Magazine, Inside Lacrosse and USILA. He was also a First Team All-Big Ten selection, an All-ECAC honoree and the ECAC Defensive Player of the Year.
He started all 16 games in 2025 and played 942 of a possible 960 minutes in goal. His numbers were elite across the board. He recorded 182 total saves. His 8.85 goals-against average ranked seventh nationally. His 56.7 percent save percentage ranked 12th nationally. He finished third in the Big Ten in saves per game.
Stoller posted 12 games with double-digit saves, including five performances with 14 or more stops. One of his signature moments came in an 8-6 win over No. 2 Maryland. That's where he made 14 saves and even scored a goal.
That standout season followed a breakout 2024 campaign in which he was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. He started all 14 games that year, recorded 173 saves and posted a 54.1 percent save percentage. He also delivered two 19-save performances against UMass and at Michigan.
Dylan Groff Named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week
While Stoller commands attention in the crease, Dylan Groff is quickly carving out his own spotlight on close defense. Groff earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors after making his second career start against No. 12 Army.
Groff limited Plunkett’s opportunities for quality shots. Plunkett shot just 18 percent and committed three turnovers in the contest. Groff finished with one ground ball, and one caused a turnover. Notably, he has recorded one ground ball and one caused turnover in each of Rutgers’ first two games this season. A native of Evanston, Illinois, Groff appeared in four career games across his first two seasons before stepping into a starting role in 2026 following the graduation of two starters.
Before arriving at Rutgers, Groff was a two-time team captain, a three-time all-conference selection and a First Team All-State honoree. He also earned the Leo J. Samuelson Award as the best all-around male athlete at his high school in 2023. Groff was a 2025 Academic All-Big Ten selection.
The Tewaaraton Award Watch List will expand on March 5 and March 26. It will narrow to 25 men’s and 25 women’s nominees on April 16. Five finalists for both awards will be announced in early May, and the winners will be revealed live on May 28 at the Tewaaraton Ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Rutgers returns to action this weekend with a road trip to Stony Brook for a noon matchup. After that, the Scarlet Knights will host a three-game homestand at SHI Stadium against Villanova, LIU and Hofstra.
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Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.