Game 2	at No. 16/17 Lehigh (0-0)
Date | Time	Saturday, February 27 | 12:00 pm
Location | Arena	Bethlehem, Pa. | Ulrich Sports Complex
All-Time Series	Lehigh leads 5-0
Live Stats	In-Game Statistics
Live Video	ESPN+
Game Notes	NJIT (PDF) | Lehigh

NEWARK, N.J. --- The NJIT men's lacrosse team (0-1) will hit the road for the first time this season on Saturday afternoon as the Highlanders travel to Bethlehem, Pa. to face the No. 16/17 Lehigh Mountain Hawks. The matchup will be broadcast on ESPN+ (https://es.pn/3dJIAFu).

LAST TIME OUT
NJIT opened its 2021 season last Saturday at home, falling to the visiting Delaware Blue Hens, 15-4. The Highlanders saw four different players tally goals during the game - senior Collin Fogerty, sophomore Owen Corry, and freshmen Jack Bowie and Logan Hone. Defensively, sophomore Liam Brown recorded his second career game of 20 or more saves, sending away 20 shots on the day. Brown was one stop shy of the 21 saves he made at home against Lehigh on February 22, 2020. Freshman Isaac Vanzomeren led all players with six ground balls and collectively the Highlanders recorded seven caused turnovers.

A SEASON LIKE NO OTHER
Like many schools across the country, NJIT men's lacrosse will be managing the 2021 campaign while working to maintain the safety of the NJIT community during the current COVID-19 public health crisis. Please bookmark NJITHighlanders.com to keep up-to-date on any schedule changes that may arise because of the pandemic or weather-related issues.

As for fans this season, due to COVID protocol policy, the NJIT Department of Athletics is prohibiting spectators at our Indoor & Outdoor Athletic Events. The policy will be re-evaluated in March.

A NEW ERA BEGINS
The Highlanders enter the 2021 campaign - its first in the program's seven-year history - with a true conference home. NJIT played its first five years as an Division I independent and competed in 2020 as an affiliate member of the Northeast Conference. Due to the COVID-19 public health crisis, NJIT's season was shortened before it was slated to play its first-ever conference game against Long Island University on March 14. That history-making contest is now scheduled for Saturday, March 6 at home against Binghamton as full members of the America East Conference, which NJIT officially joined as its tenth member on July 1, 2020.

2021 CAPTAINS
Seventh-year head coach Travis Johnson named seniors Luke Binder (defender), Colton Johnson (midfielder), and Max Wilson (midfielder) team captains for the 2021 season. Binder was named team captain after serving last season and returning for a fifth campaign while Johnson and Wilson step into captaincy roles after Ryan Kaden and John Tachon graduated.

 "We are proud to announce that Luke, CJ & Max will be our captains for the 2021 season. These young men have helped make an extremely difficult year a little easier with their leadership on and off the field.   I'm so happy for these three young men that they have been picked by their teammates to represent them," Johnson said after naming the trio of leaders.

IN 2020 AND THE OFFSEASON
- NJIT nearly reset its single-game record for goals in a game with 24 against Hampton in its season-opening 24-7 victory
- The Highlanders set new team marks for single-game assists (15 vs Hampton) and points (39 vs Hampton)
- Max Wilson was drafted in the first round (seventh overall) by the Victoria Shamrocks in the Western Lacrosse Association (WLA) Graduating Junior Draft in February.

TOP RETURNERS (2020 TOTALS)
- Goals: Gavyn Willson (7)
- Assists: Collin Fogerty (6)
- Points: Fogerty (11)
- Ground Balls: Lynch Raby (19)
- Man-Up Goals: Willson (2)
- Faceoff %: Adam Gonzalez (.667 |10-15)
- Shots: Johnson (23)
- SOG: Fogerty (15 | .652)
- Caused Turnovers: Raby (9)

STIFF COMPETITION
The Highlanders will face a nationally notable schedule this season, as five of NJIT's 11 scheduled opponents made an appearance on at least one of the two Week 1 polls (USILA and Inside Lacrosse):
- Delaware | RV IL
- Lehigh | No. 14 IL, No. 15 USILA
- Stony Brook | No. 20 IL, RV USILA
- UAlbany | RV - USILA and IL
- UMBC | RV USILA

2021 SCHEDULE NOTES
- 11 games scheduled - two non-conference, nine America East
- First home game: February 20 vs Delaware
- First road game: February 27 at Lehigh
- First-ever AE game: March 6 vs Binghamton
- First AE road game: March 13 at Stony Brook
- Repeat matchups: April 3 at Binghamton; April 10 vs Stony Brook
- Senior Day: May 1 vs UMBC
- America East Playoffs: March 6-8
- More than half of NJIT's opponents (six of 11) will be facing the Highlanders for the first time.
- NJIT is not scheduled to play back-to-back home games this season but will have a pair two-game road trips: March 27 at UMass Lowell and April 3 at Binghamton; April 17 at Hartford and April 24 at UAlbany.

ALL-TIME SERIES
NJIT and Lehigh will be meeting for the sixth time in their history. Lehigh holds a 5-0 edge in the series and won last year's contest, 17-8, in Bethlehem on February 22, 2020.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Saturday's matchup will be Lehigh's season opener after its original opener against fellow America East member UAlbany was postponed. The Mountain Hawks finished the COVID-shortened season with a 5-1 record and played its last game with a No.17 national ranking. Lehigh is led by Tommy Schelling (22 G, 11 A in 2020), Conor Gaffney (42 GB, 67-102 FO), and James Spence (9.20 GAA, 60 saves).

NEXT UP
NJIT will host Binghamton on Saturday, March 6 in its first-ever America East contest. Time is currently TBD.