NEWARK, N.J. --- NJIT Men's Lacrosse returns to action Saturday morning as the Highlanders travel to Long Island to face the Stony Brook Seawolves.

LAST TIME OUT
Despite its best efforts to replicate the victorious result of the two teams' first conference meeting last year, NJIT fell just short as the UMass Lowell Riverhawks (1-7, 1-1 AE) left Newark with an 8-7 win on March 26.

Owen Corry - NJIT's leading goal scorer in 2021 - had his best game of the season against UMass Lowell, posting his first multi-point and multi-goal game of the year with two goals and an assist. Gage Adams continued his outstanding freshman campaign with his fifth multi-point game (1 G, 1 A) in his first eight collegiate contests. NJIT's other goals came from Collin Fogerty, Arthur Miller, Jack Bowie, and Eric Sherman while Logan Hone, Garrett Muscatella, and Brendan Geissel added the rest of the Highlanders' assists.

Corry also led the Highlanders with five ground balls while Teddy Grimley and Beck Gozdenovich each added four apiece. NJIT caused eight individual turnovers - one each by Corry, Grimley, Liam Brown, Lynch Raby, Josh Failla, Giuseppe Chiovera, Xavier Ritter and Jake Baumgardt. 

Brown played his fourth complete game in eight contests and stopped a game-high nine saves.

EVERYDAY IMPACT
Gavyn Willson has been the most consistent Highlander on the offensive side this season. Willson has recorded multiple points in all five matchups he has played in - the only NJIT player to do so. The only other Highlanders approaching that level of consistency are Gage Adams (points in 6-of-8 games, multi points in 5-of-8) and Owen Corry (at least one point in 7-of-8 games).

ROOKIE STANDOUT
Adams' early season efforts earned him the first America East Rookie of the Week honor of 2022 on February 14. The Kirkland, WA native totaled seven points (4 G, 3 A) in the Highlanders' matchups at No. 16/19 Delaware (2 G, 2 A) and vs. No. 15 Lehigh (2 G, 1 A).

Adams' seven points were tied for the league lead with UMass Lowell's Colin Foley and his four goals shared the conference benchmark with Foley and Highlander teammate Arthur Miller.

The honor is the second weekly award NJIT has received since joining the America East. Teammate Owen Corry earned the first - Offensive Player of the Week - last season after leading the Highlanders to their first-ever league win at UMass Lowell.

THE BALL STOPS HERE
Liam Brown continues to rank near the top of the America East stats sheets for goalkeepers. Brown currently ranks second in save percentage (.528), third in saves per game (11.88) and fifth in goals against average (13.77). He also owns the top saves performance in the league (20 vs Lehigh, Feb. 12) and two of the top three (18 at Wagner, Mar. 5)

FACEOFF TAKEOFF
Billy Kroeger's 20 faceoff wins against Delaware tied former Highlander Tyler Stevenson's school record for faceoff wins in a single game. Stevenson set the mark by going 20-26 at Lafayette on February 9, 2019. NJIT's 21 total faceoff wins (21-29) marked the first time the Highlanders corralled at least 20 faceoffs since the 2020 season opener against Hampton (2/1/2020; 20-33).

PUSHING THROUGH
In the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, NJIT will look to complete a 13-game slate in its eighth year as a program and its second season as a member of the America East conference. The Highlanders will play five home games in its third season at Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium and travel for eight games.

DURING THE 2021-22 OFFSEASON

• Max Wilson was drafted 12th overall in the 2021 National Lacrosse League (NLL) Draft by the Halifax Thunderbirds.
• Eric Sherman was named an America East Winter Presidential Scholar Athlete as a student-athlete with a GPA of 3.75 or better.
• Associate Vice President/Director of Athletics Lenny Kaplan was added to the Board of Directors of the United State Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA).
• Head Coach Travis Johnson made changes to his coaching staff, elevating Blase Mantineo to lead assistant coach and hiring Cade Siddron to round out the staff.

2022 STATS LEADERS
Goals: Gage Adams (8)
Assists: Adams (7)
Points: Adams (15)
Ground Balls: Billy Kroeger (23)
Man-Up Goals: Willson/Arthur Miller (2)
Faceoff %: Kroeger (.550 | 55-100)
Shots: Owen Corry (65)
SOG: Corry (30 | .462)
Caused Turnovers: Lynch Raby (9)

TOP RETURNERS (2021 TOTALS)
Goals: Owen Corry (19)
Assists: Collin Fogerty (11)
Points: Fogerty (26)
Ground Balls: Isaac Vanzomeren (43)
Man-Up Goals: Jack Bowie (4)
Faceoff %: Vanzomeren (.466 | 90-193)
Shots: Corry (79)
SOG: Fogerty (38 | .481)
Caused Turnovers: Lynch Raby (17)

THROUGH THE GAUNTLET
The Highlanders will once again take on a highly competitive schedule with the goal of preparing for the rigors of the America East season. Like 2021, NJIT's schedule includes five teams that at least received votes in the Preseason Inside Lacrosse or USILA/Dynamic poll:

• Delaware: No. 16 IL / No. 19 USILA
• Lehigh: No. 14/10
• Army West Point: No. 10/13
• Vermont: No. 17/15
• UAlbany: RV/RV

WORKING OUR WAY UP
NJIT was voted to finish sixth in the seven-team America East Men's Lacrosse Preseason Coaches Poll. With the conference's decision regarding Stony Brook's championship eligibility due to its pending departure for the CAA, the Highlanders will look to find their way into the top four of the remaining six teams eligible for the America East tournament and make a league tournament for the first time in program history.

2022 SCHEDULE NOTES

• 13 games scheduled - seven non-conference, six America East
• First home game: February 12 vs Lehigh
• First road game: February 5 at Delaware
• First AE game (road): March 19 at Vermont
• First AE home game: March 26 vs UMass Lowell
• First time opponent: February 19 at Harvard
• Senior Day: April 22 vs UAlbany
• America East Playoffs: March 5-7
• Longest Road Trip: February 19 - March 5 (Harvard, Army West Point, Wagner
• Longest Home Stand: March 26 - April 2 (UMass Lowell, Binghamton)

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Stony Brook closed out its non-conference schedule on April 5 with a 14-13 win at Dartmouth. The Seawolves are led by Dylan Pallonetti (25 G, 13 A), Renz Conlon (67 GB, 129 FO) and Anthony Palma (597:12 mins, 11.75 GAA, .515 save percentage).

NEXT UP
NJIT will have a quick turnaround this week, closing their non-conference slate with a road contest at Marist on Tuesday, April 12 at 7 p.m.