Game 6	vs Siena (1-2)
Date | Time	Saturday, February 29 | 12:00 pm
Location | Arena	Newark, N.J. | Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium
Live Video	NEC Front Row
Live Stats	In-Game Statistics
Tickets	Ticket Info
All-Time Series	Siena leads 1-0
Game Notes	NJIT | SIENA

NEWARK, N.J. --- The NJIT men's lacrosse team will play the second of four straight home games on Saturday when the Highlanders host the Siena Saints. 

LAST TIME OUT
NJIT fought hard early before falling against the No. 18 ranked Lehigh Mountain Hawks, 17-8, on February 22. 

Ryan Kaden led all Highlanders with three goals, recording his second career hat trick and second this month (Monmouth, Feb. 8). Eric Sherman matched Kaden's point total with a pair of goals - his first-ever multi-score game - and an assist while seven other Highlanders recorded at least one point: Colton Johnson (1 G, 1 A), Owen Corry (1 G, 1 A), Keegan Ford (2 A), Gavyn Willson (1 G), Vincent D'Agostino (1 A), Max Wilson (1 A), and Chris Giuliano (1 A).

RISING TO THE OCCASION 
For the second time in as many seasons - with both instances coming against Lehigh - NJIT posted its highest goal total ever against a ranked opponent. The Highlanders scored eight goals in the 2019 season opener at No. 13 Lehigh (February 2) and matched that total last Saturday at home against the Mountain Hawks.

STOPPING THEM ALL
Freshman Liam Brown matched former Highlander Alexzander Hunt (at No. 13 Lehigh, 2/2/19) for the fifth-highest single-game save total in school history (19). Brown's save total is also currently tied for fifth-most in a game nationally (as of February 27).

(GOOD AT) MAN DOWN
NJIT currently sits tied for 11th in the NCAA and first in the NEC in Man Down Defense. The Highlanders have only allowed opponents to score one extra-man goal in ten tries across four games (.833).

CAUSE AND EFFECT
Tachon is averaging 2.40 caused turnovers a game so far, which leads the NEC and ranks tied for tenth nationally. 

TOP OF THE HEAP
After five games, the Highlanders' season-opening performance versus Hampton still holds single-game spots in the top ten nationally in goals (24, T-4th; 2 shy of the NJIT school record), assists (15, T-4th), and points (39, 6th). Additionally, NJIT is tied for fifth nationally in single-game saves from the Lehigh game (21).

STARTING STRONG
NJIT's opening quarter of the season against Hampton was one to remember. The Highlanders scored 11 goals in the first 15 minutes of the season, more than any other quarter in program history.

THE FIRST OF MANY
Ryan Kaden scored the first goal on the new Lubetkin Field, putting home an unassisted shot at the 12:21 mark of the first quarter of the Hampton game.

THREE'S COMPANY *CORRECTION*
There have been four hat-trick performances this season, pushing the Highlanders' program total to 25: Noah Kepes vs Hampton, Ryan Kaden and Collin Fogerty at Monmouth, and Kaden vs Lehigh.

NEW FIELD, NEW LEAGUE, NEW ERA
After playing the vast majority of its home games away from campus and as an independent over the first five years of the program, sixth-year head coach Travis Johnson will lead the Highlanders into a new era this season as members of the Northeast Conference and the final tenants to play on NJIT's brand new turf field.

NJIT accepted the NEC's invitation in the fall of 2018 and will join fellow lacrosse-only members Saint Joseph's and Hobart College in the ten-team league along with NEC core members Bryant, LIU, Merrimack, Mount St. Mary's, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart and Wagner.

"We are very excited to join the Northeast Conference as an associate member in men's lacrosse. Since our program's inception, we have been searching for a competitive league within our geographic region and the NEC is a perfect fit," said Associate Vice President/Director of Athletics Lenny Kaplan at the time of the announcement. "This partnership is the final piece to help us grow into the competitive program that we envisioned since its launch. On behalf of NJIT athletics, specifically our lacrosse student-athletes and coaches, I want to thank Commissioner Morris for this exciting opportunity," Kaplan said.

"Our program couldn't be more excited to join the NEC. There are so many great programs, coaches and players right around the corner from us," Johnson said at the announcement. "Our student-athletes can now compete for a conference playoff bid, a conference championship and an NCAA bid. These are great times for our program, which is truly thankful for the dedicated efforts of Dr. Joel Bloom and Lenny Kaplan."

Lacrosse will be the third and final team to play on Lubetkin Field, which officially opened on August 22 when Women's Soccer hosted UMBC. It will also mark the first time since the program's inaugural season that Lacrosse will play on-campus (last on-campus game: April 14, 2014 vs Dartmouth). 

Features of Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium include: a digital videoboard capable of displaying live video, animation, player headshots, graphics and statistics; a scoreboard, Musco LED Lighting; and field level seating for spectators. The facility also meets broadcast standards for potential NCAA Regional hosting opportunities. An enclosed spacious press box with high-speed internet access and seating for media and radio broadcasters, as well as athletic training and locker rooms are located next to the field inside NJIT's Wellness and Events Center, which opened in November 2017.

2020 CAPTAINS
Helping to lead the 2020 Highlanders will be a trio of captains - seniors Luke Binder (defender), Ryan Kaden (attack), and John Tachon (defender). Kaden and Tachon served the team as captains last season while Binder will take on the role after the graduations of seniors Ryan Darrow and Aaron Forster.

IN 2019...
- NJIT won multiple games for the first time in its history (8-5 vs Monmouth on March 5 and 26-9 at Hampton on April 6)
- The Highlanders set new team marks for goals in a game (26 at Hampton) and goals in a season (153)
- Aaron Forster was drafted 15th overall by the Toronto Rock in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) Draft after leaving NJIT with virtually every Highlander offensive record to his name.

TOP RETURNERS (2019 TOTALS)
- Goals: Collin Fogerty (15)
- Assists: Fogerty (17)
- Points: Fogerty (32)
- Ground Balls: John Tachon (57)
- Man-Up Goals: Noah Kepes (2)
- Faceoff Pct.: Sean Duncan (.247 | 22-89)
- Shots: Fogerty (67)
- SOG: Fogerty (36 | .537)
- Caused Turnovers: Tachon (15)

STIFF COMPETITION
The Highlanders are in the midst of playing arguably their toughest schedule to date based on ranked opponents. NJIT has already faced ranked Army West Point (No. 13) and Lehigh (No. 18) teams and a Delaware squad that received votes in both the USILA and Inside Lacrosse polls - all in succession. 

2020 SCHEDULE NOTES
- NJIT will play a 14-game schedule, with its contests evenly split between home, road, non-conference, and NEC contests - seven of each.
- First home game on new Lubetkin Field: February 1 vs Hampton
- First road game: February 8 at Monmouth
- First-ever NEC game: March 14 vs LIU
- First NEC road game: March 21 at Robert Morris
- NJIT will open 2020 with the two opponents it earned wins over in 2019, Hampton and Monmouth. The Highlanders edged Monmouth at home (8-5 on March 5) and handled Hampton on the road (26-9 on April 6).
- NJIT will be playing five of their seven NEC opponents - LIU, Robert Morris, Merrimack, Mount St. Mary's, and Bryant - for the first time ever.
- The Highlanders will face three of the five programs the team has played in all five years of its existence: at Monmouth (Feb. 8), vs Manhattan (Mar. 7), and at Wagner (Mar. 28). The program-opening game streaks will end against Quinnipiac and Lafayette.

ALL-TIME SERIES
NJIT and Siena have faced each other one time in their history, facing off on April 13 of last season. The Highlanders lost to the Saints on the road, 20-18, with the 18 goals setting an NJIT program mark for most goals scored in a defeat.

SCOUTING SIENA
Siena enters Saturday's game on a two-game losing streak. The Saints won their season opener against LIU (14-12) before dropping matches at Hobart (26-9) and UMass Lowell (16-15). Siena is led by Jack Kiernan (7 G, 7 A, 14 pts, 9 GB), Dylan Pantalone (6 G, 4 A, 10 pts), Tommy Pulzello (6 CTOs), Jason Zou (24 FO wins), and Anthony Tebbano (17.20 GAA, 37 saves, .463 save pct.)

NEXT UP
NJIT will close out its non-conference schedule with its third straight home match on Saturday, March 7 at Noon against Manhattan.