NEWARK, N.J. --- The NJIT men's lacrosse team will conclude its non-conference schedule on Saturday, February 7 when the Highlanders host the Manhattan Jaspers in Newark.
LAST TIME OUT
Despite a second straight multi-goal game from senior
Ryan Kaden, the NJIT men's lacrosse team was unable to snap its current losing streak, falling 12-5 to the Siena Saints on February 29. Kaden led the Highlanders with a pair of goals to record his fourth game of the season with at least two scores and the sixth of his career. Kaden was joined into the scoring column by teammates
Collin Fogerty,
Colton Johnson, and
Eric Sherman, who tallied one goal apiece.
Liam Brown recorded his third straight game with double-digit saves, stopping 14 attempts on Saturday. The freshman has made 54 saves in his last three starts. Kaden also led the Highlanders with three caused turnovers and was one of three NJIT players with at least two forced turnovers (
Lynch Raby,
Luke Binder). Raby corralled four ground balls in the game to pace the Highlanders.
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 on Feb. 22 against the Mountain Hawks.
STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE
With all-time leading scorer
Aaron Forster gone to graduation,
Ryan Kaden has emerged this season as the main offensive option for the Highlanders. Kaden leads the team with ten goals, already surpassing each of his previous three single-season totals (9 as a freshman in 2017; 8 as a sophomore in 2018; 4 as a junior in 2019).
STOPPING THEM ALL
Freshman
Liam Brown matched former Highlanders
Alexzander Hunt (vs UMass, 2/9/19) and
Nick Marzullo (vs UMass Lowell, 4/29/17) for the second-highest single-game save total in school history (21). Brown's save total is also currently tied for fifth-most in a game nationally (as of March 3).
(GOOD AT) MAN DOWN
NJIT currently sits tied for 20th in the NCAA and second in the NEC in Man Down Defense. The Highlanders have only allowed opponents to score four extra-man goals in 15 tries across six games (.733).
CAUSE AND EFFECT
Tachon is averaging 2.17 caused turnovers a game so far, which leads the NEC and ranks 15th nationally.
TOP OF THE HEAP
After six 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 Manhattan have played each other five times in their history, with Manhattan holding a 5-0 advantage. The teams played their closest match ever last season (March 30), with NJIT narrowly falling on the road, 11-10.
SCOUTING MANHATTAN
Manhattan enters Saturday's contest having lost its last two games, at home against NEC member Bryant (16-5 on February 29) and on the road at Hartford (11-8 on March 3). The Jaspers are led by Kyle Gucwa (8 G, 14 pts), Luke Hanson (10 A), Rob Johnson (15 GB), Tadhg O'Riordan (5 CTO), and Brendan Krebs (9.80 GAA, 69 saves, .585 save percentage).
NEXT UP
NJIT will open its first-ever Northeast Conference schedule and close its four-game homestand by hosting LIU on Saturday, March 14 at Noon.
