Men's Lacrosse 4/23/2021 12:00:00 PM

Men's Lacrosse Closes Road Schedule Saturday At UAlbany

Game 10	at UAlbany (6-3, 4-2 AE)
Date \| Time	Saturday, April 24 \| 12:00 pm
Location \| Arena	Albany, NY \| John Fallon Field
All-Time Series	First Meeting
Live Stats	In-Game Statistics
Live Video	AmericaEast.TV
Game Notes	NJIT (PDF) \| UAlbany

NEWARK, N.J. --- NJIT Men's Lacrosse (1-8, 1-6 AE) will complete its 2021 road schedule on Saturday afternoon when the Highlanders take on the No. 17/20 UAlbany Great Danes.

LAST TIME OUT
Despite a hat trick from senior Collin Fogerty and a career best on faceoffs from freshman Isaac Vanzomeren, NJIT fell to 1-8 on the season with a 14-9 loss to the Hartford Hawks on April 17.

Fogerty added an assist to his season-high three goals - all in the second half - to post his third four-point outing of the season (1 G, 3 A vs Stony Brook on Apr. 10; 2 G, 2 A at UMass Lowell on Mar. 27). The hat trick is the first for Fogerty since Feb. 8, 2020 at Monmouth and the fifth of his career.

Vanzomeren was 17-for-26 on faceoffs against Hartford, besting his season-high of 16 from the UMass Lowell game and tying Tyler Stevenson (at Hampton, Apr. 15, 2017) for the second-most in Highlander history.

Sophomore Gavyn Willson and freshman Jack Bowie each added two points on a goal and an assist while freshman Logan Hone, redshirt sophomore Keegan Ford, freshman Garrett Muscatella, and senior Max Wilson each contributed a goal. Ford and Wilson's scores were their first goals of the season.

Vanzomeren led the NJIT defense with five ground balls while sophomore Liam Brown (38:21, 10 saves) and freshman Bryce Zell (21:39, five saves) both saw time in goal.

OFFENSIVE PICKING UP
NJIT's nine goals against Hartford gave the team its fourth straight game with at least eight goals scored. That streak is the team's longest since posting four straight games with eight or more from March 23 to April 13, 2019 (11 vs Wagner, 10 at Manhattan, 26 at Hampton, 18 at Siena).

AWARDS ROLL IN FOR CORRY
Corry's efforts in leading NJIT to its historic win over UMass Lowell on March 27 were recognized with a pair of honors. The America East tabbed him as the Offensive Player of the Week and the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) named him to the Division I Team of the Week. The AE weekly honor was the first-ever for the Highlanders and the USILA accolade was the program's first since Aaron Forster made the team on March 6, 2019.

TOP HONORS
Brown's 20-save performance in the season opener vs. Delaware on February 20 currently stands as the top saves effort in the America East this season and is tied for the eighth-most saves in the country this year. Brown currently owns four of the top seven save performances in the America East this season (19 at Stony Brook, Mar. 14; 18 vs Stony Brook, Apr. 10; 17 vs Vermont, Mar. 20). Brown also ranks sixth in the nation in saves per game (14.22; 1st in AE) and NJIT as a team is tied for third in the NCAA in saves per game (16.33). Brown is second in the AE in save percentage (.552).

Offensively, Corry ranks 13th in the America East in goals per game (1.67) and sixth in shots per game (6.78) Willson is ranked 10th in assists per game (1.00; Fogerty is tied with Willson).

SIGNS OF GROWTH
NJIT's ten goals against Lehigh on February 27 were the most the team has scored in the six-game series between the two teams and marked the most the Highlanders have scored against a ranked opponent. The previous mark for goals against a ranked foe was eight goals at No.13/13 Lehigh on Feb. 2, 2019.

A NEW ERA BEGINS
The Highlanders are playing the 2021 campaign - its first in the program's seven-year history - with a true conference home. NJIT played its first five years as a 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 as full members of the America East Conference, which NJIT officially joined as its tenth member on July 1, 2020.

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.

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.

2021 LEADERS
- Goals: Owen Corry (15)
- Assists: Gavyn Willson/Collin Fogerty (9)
- Points: Fogerty (21)
- Ground Balls: Isaac Vanzomeren (29)
- Man-Up Goals: Bowie (4)
- Faceoff %: Isaac Vanzomeren (.489 | 69-141)
- Shots: Owen Corry (61)
- SOG: Corry (28 | .459)
- Caused Turnovers: Lynch Raby (14)
- Saves: Liam Brown (128)
- GAA: Brown (13.55)

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 UAlbany will be meeting for the first time on Saturday.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
UAlbany has alternated wins and losses over their last five games, going 3-2 over the stretch. UAlbany fell to No. 9 Syracuse on April 8 but defeated No. 18 UMBC in their last game on April 11. The Great Danes are led by Graydon Hogg (20 G, 7 A), Jakob Patterson (6 G, 21 A), Ryan Endres (40 GB, 94-189 FO), and Liam Donnelly (10.04 GAA, 94 saves).

NEXT UP
NJIT will wrap up the regular season on Saturday, May 1 at home against UMBC. Game time is scheduled for Noon.

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