No. 18 Rutgers Lacrosse Tops Stony Brook for First Road Victory of Season
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In the early stages of a high-stakes 2026 season, No. 18 Rutgers men’s lacrosse proved it could handle life away from home. On Saturday, February 14, the Scarlet Knights walked into a hostile Long Island environment. And they walked out with a gritty 14-11 victory over Stony Brook.
Rutgers Lacrosse's Offensive Triple Threat Takes Over
The win marks Rutgers’ first true road victory of the season. With that, a crucial bounce-back moment after a narrow loss to Army the previous week. Through three contests, it was Rutgers’ second game away from home. This time, the result was about resilience and a young offensive core stepping into the spotlight.
VICTORY!#RUMLax grabs a 14-11 road win at Stony Brook
— Rutgers Men's LAX (@RUmlax) February 14, 2026
The offense was led by a trio with 3+ goals: Colin Kurdyla (4), Greyson Vorgang (3) and Justin Lawler (3)
📰: https://t.co/GQ5AIRhy8O pic.twitter.com/HQpYlVqNFf
Rutgers entered the season with high expectations for its veterans. However, against Stony Brook, it was a trio of emerging goal scorers that carried the day. Together, they accounted for 10 of Rutgers’ 14 goals.
Sophomore Colin Kurdyla led the charge with four goals, matching his career-high in both goals and points with six. His performance extended an impressive 12-game goal-scoring streak. Even more consistent, Kurdyla has now recorded at least two goals in five straight games dating back to last season.
He was joined by Greyson Vorgang, who made his first career start and delivered a career-high three goals. After posting his first career two-goal game against Army, Vorgang now has five goals over his last two outings. Justin Lawler completed the trio with the first multi-goal game of his career and his first career hat trick. His late scoring proved critical in securing the victory.
The Scarlet Knights won 16 of 28 faceoffs. It gave them a critical advantage that allowed them to dictate possession during key stretches. They outshot Stony Brook 40-38 and cleared 17 of 19 attempts. Perhaps most notably, Rutgers reached nine goals in the first half. The program achieved that mark in any half only twice during the 2025 season.
Rutgers Controls the Key Metrics
Stony Brook struck first two minutes into the contest. They capitalized when a Rutgers defender broke his stick and scored through traffic in front of the net. Rutgers answered immediately. Vorgang electrified the sideline with a behind-the-back finish to tie the game at 1-1. Moments later, Kurdyla found the net to give Rutgers its first lead at 2-1.
After Stony Brook evened the score at 2-2 late in the first quarter, Colin Zeller scored on the run with a low left-handed shot through the goalkeeper’s legs. Lawler followed with a blast into the top of the cage, pushing the lead to 4-2.
Vorgang capped the quarter with his second goal, fed in transition by Deacon Adams. Rutgers carried a 5-3 advantage into the second. Colin Kelly and Kasey Mongillo scored just 30 seconds apart, stretching the lead to 7-3. Shane Murphy and Lawler added goals in the final two minutes before halftime.
Rutgers closed the half on a 7-2 run and entered the locker room with a commanding 9-4 lead. One of Stony Brook’s goals during that stretch came when Rutgers’ aggressive 10-man ride led to an empty-net score.
After a quiet end to the first half, Stony Brook erupted in the third quarter, outscoring Rutgers 6-3. They opened the half with two quick goals, tightening the margin for the home crowd. Kurdyla responded with a dunk finish off a feed from Murphy. Vorgang completed his hat trick to give Rutgers an 11-6 edge.
But Stony Brook answered again, scoring three straight to trim the deficit to 11-9. The pace was relentless. In 40 minutes, the teams had combined for 20 goals. With just seven seconds left in the third quarter, Kurdyla completed his own hat trick, pushing Rutgers ahead 12-10 heading into the final frame.
The fourth quarter demanded composure. Lawler delivered it. His third goal of the afternoon gave Rutgers a 13-11 lead with six minutes remaining. It was a critical cushion as the Seawolves pressed forward. Kurdyla added the final insurance goal, his fourth of the day, sealing the 14-11 victory and silencing the late surge.
Greyson Vorgang, who scored four total goals last season, now has five over his last two games and earned his first career start. Kurdyla continues his steady climb, scoring at least two goals in every game this season and extending his 12-game scoring streak. Lawler’s breakthrough hat trick gives Rutgers another reliable scoring option moving forward.
Rutgers now returns home for a three-game homestand in Piscataway. Villanova visits on February 21 after entering the national polls this week, peaking at No. 14 following an overtime road win over Penn State. LIU comes to town on February 24, followed by Hofstra on February 28.
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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.