No. 18 Rutgers Men’s Lacrosse Battles Army in Tight Home Opener
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In a clash of top 20 programs that delivered on every ounce of its hype, the No. 18 Rutgers men’s lacrosse team came up just short in its home opener. Even after putting a lot in the field, the team fell 11-9 to No. 12 Army on Saturday. Played inside the Busch Bubble due to the weather conditions that were stated earlier. The game unfolded as a physical, defensive tug of war that remained undecided until a late three-goal burst by the Black Knights in the final quarter swung the outcome.
Rutgers Lacrosse's Star Colin Kurdyla Sets the Offensive Pace
The matchup marked the 89th meeting between two storied programs with deep roots in college lacrosse. With the victory, Army claimed its fourth straight win in the series, continuing a recent pattern of narrow, hard-fought battles against the Scarlet Knights. While the loss stung, Rutgers showed it has the offensive and defensive toughness and elite goalkeeping.
The Scarlet Knights battled against No. 12 Army, but fall short, as Army grabs an 11-9 win over RU inside the Bubble on Saturday
— Rutgers Men's LAX (@RUmlax) February 7, 2026
Final Stats: https://t.co/rObcatRVwY pic.twitter.com/qHA3PpRJ5u
Rutgers’ attack was led by junior Colin Kurdyla, who continued his strong early-season form. The Bridgewater, New Jersey, native recorded a hat trick, the eighth of his career. He now leads the Scarlet Knights with seven goals through the opening stretch of the schedule.
Kurdyla was far from alone in the offensive effort. Greyson Vorgang turned in his first career multi-goal performance with two tallies. Right on the other side, Colin Zeller also found the back of the net twice. Shane Murphy and Kasey Mongillo rounded out the scoring. In all, the Rutgers attack consistently tested the Army defense and kept the game tight well into the fourth quarter.
One of the afternoon’s defining storylines was the high-level duel between two returning All-American goalkeepers. Rutgers’ Cardin Stoller stood tall with 10 saves, repeatedly denying Army scoring chances. Both teams finished with 21 shots on goal.
Army held a 42-37 edge in total shots and controlled the ground ball battle by a 31-22 margin. At the faceoff X, John Scarelli went 9-of-21 for Rutgers. Turnovers also played a role, as the Scarlet Knights committed 17, while Army finished with 12.
A Ranked Clash Comes Down to the Final Quarter
Rutgers struck first in the indoor setting, jumping out to a 2-0 lead. The opening quarter featured fast-paced offense and quick answers, ending in a 3-3 tie after a late Army goal.
After the Army took its first lead five minutes into the period, Rutgers responded with a decisive 3-0 run. They reclaimed momentum and headed into halftime with a 7-5 advantage.
The second half told a different story. Army’s defense tightened, limiting Rutgers to just two goals after the break. Still, the Scarlet Knights showed resilience, putting together a 2-0 run early in the fourth quarter to retake a 9-8 lead with 13:57 remaining. That would be Rutgers’ final goal of the afternoon, as Army closed the game on a three-goal run and controlled possession down the stretch to seal the 11-9 decision.
Despite the result, Rutgers proved it can go toe-to-toe with a top 15 opponent. The Scarlet Knights will look to build on the performance and bounce back next Saturday when they travel to face Stony Brook.
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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.