| Game 11 |
at UAlbany (3-6, 2-2 AE) |
| Date | Time |
Saturday, April, 15 | 3:00 pm |
| Location | Arena |
Albany, NY | Bob Ford Field at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium |
| Live Video |
ESPN+ ($) |
| Live Stats |
In-Game Statistics |
| All-Time Series |
UA leads 2-0 |
| NJIT Info |
2023 Stats | 2022 Stats |
| Opponent Info |
Game Notes |
NEWARK, N.J. — The NJIT men's lacrosse team concludes a two-game road slate on Saturday afternoon against the UAlbany Great Danes
LAST TIME OUT
Even with three Highlanders producing hat tricks, the NJIT men's lacrosse team was unable to secure its first America East win of the year as the visitors fell 15-12 to the Merrimack Warriors Saturday afternoon at Duane Stadium.
Garrett Muscatella posted career highs in points (6) and assists (3) while logging his third hat trick of the season. Logan Hone led all Highlanders in scoring with four goals while Jack Bowie added three and Owen Corry and Will Labartino chipped in 1 apiece. Corry, Brandon Wasitowski, Beck Gozdenovich, and Keegan Ford each recorded assists.
Isaac Vanzomeren corralled a career-high and game-leading ten ground balls, along with a season-best 14 faceoff wins. Liam Brown played another complete contest and made 12 saves on the day.
HIGHLANDER QUICK HITS
TEAM EFFORTS
- NJIT's one-goal victory over Lindenwood on March 11 was its closest margin of victory in program history. Paired with the two-goal triumph over Wagner on March 4 (which gave the Highlanders their first-ever winning streak), NJIT won its two closest games in its nine-year history in back-to-back weeks.
- Mar. 11, 2023: 14-13 vs Lindenwood (+1)
- Mar. 4, 2023: 10-8 vs Wagner (+2)
- Mar. 22, 2016: 10-7 at Dartmouth (+3)
- Mar. 5, 2019: 8-5 vs Monmouth (+3)
- Mar. 27, 2021: 14-10 at UMass Lowell (+4)
- Apr. 14, 2018: 15-8 vs Hampton (+7)
- Apr. 15, 2017: 17-3 at Hampton (+14)
- Feb. 1. 2020: 24-7 vs Hampton (+17)
- Apr. 6, 2019: 26-9 at Hampton (+17)
- In terms of controlling opportunities, NJIT has either won the faceoff battle or broke even in seven of its ten games so far (70%), compared to 4-of-13 in 2022 (30%).
- The Lindenwood win was the third ever for NJIT at Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium. The first was NJIT's season-opening win against Hampton on Feb. 1, 2020 and the second was Mar. 4 against Wagner.
- The Wagner win was the program's first-ever victory when trailing after three quarters of play. The Lindenwood win was the program's second.
- NJIT had at least one player score three or more goals in the first eight games of the year: Bowie (Mar. 4, 11, 18), Muscatella (Feb. 25, Mar. 11), Corry (Feb. 21, Mar. 25), Arthur Miller (Feb. 18), Logan Hone (Mar. 11) and Willson (Feb. 11). The Lindenwood game was the first game of the year where multiple players had at least three goals (Muscatella, 4; Hone, 3; Bowie, 3). That run was snapped against Bryant (Bowie with 2 G).
- The Wagner win snapped the program's 22-game losing streak, giving the Highlanders their first win since March 27, 2021 (14-10 at UMass Lowell).
- As of this week, NJIT is one of only three teams in the America East to have registered a man-down goal (Arthur Miller's second goal against Mount St. Mary's on Feb. 18).
LIAM BROWN
- Became the second Highlander ever to eclipse 500 career saves (Nick Marzullo, 579) in the game against Merrimack, entering the matchup against UAlbany with 507.
- Has improved on his total save numbers every season and has a new career high of 149 with three games to go.
- The 38 saves across two games (at Siena, vs Mount St. Mary's) to open the season are the second-most in back-to-back games in his career (40; 19 at Delaware on 2/15/20; 21 vs Lehigh on 2/22/20).
- Has made at least 10 saves in every game this season.
- His 20-save effort in the season opener at Siena locked in his fourth straight season with at least one performance of 20 saves or more. It was also Brown's fifth career 20-save game and one shy of his career high of 21 (done once in 2020 and once last season at Marist on Apr. 12).
- Posted four of the top ten save performances of the season in the America East (20 at Siena, 18 vs Mount St. Mary's, Lindenwood, and Bryant).
OWEN CORRY
- Active point streak reached 20 games against Merrimack (27 G, 16 A during streak). The production run began last season at Army West Point on February 26, 2022.
- Scored his 50th career goal against Merrimack, making him one of three Highlanders to reach that mark (Aaron Forster, 115; Ryan Darrow, 57).
GARRETT MUSCATELLA
- Was named America East Men's Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week by the conference on March 13. The Long Valley native put up career highs in goals (4) and points (5) to help lead NJIT to a thrilling 14-13 victory over Lindenwood on March 18. The win gave the Highlanders, in only their ninth year of existence as a program, its first-ever winning streak after its triumph over Wagner on March 4. The America East weekly honor - the first career award for Muscatella - is: the third all-time for the Highlanders since joining the league before the 2021 campaign; the second Offensive weekly award all-time (teammate Owen Corry won the first on Mar. 29, 2021); and the first award since former Highlander Gage Adams was named Rookie of the Week on Feb. 14, 2022.
- Set a new career high with six points (3 G, 3 A) against Merrimack. The six points were the most by a Highlander since Corry recorded seven (5 G, 2 A) in NJIT's first-ever America East win at UMass Lowell on March 27, 2021.
- His career-high four goals against Lindenwood matched Gavyn Willson for the team season-best in a game.
ISAAC VANZOMEREN
- Set a new career high with ten ground balls and also won a season-best 14 faceoffs against Merrimack. The ten ground balls were the most by a Highlander since April 28, 2018, when former Highlander John Tachon scooped up 11 against UMass Lowell.
- Seven ground balls against Wagner were only two off his career high of nine from his game at UAlbany on April 24, 2021 and his 11 faceoff wins marked the seventh time he has won 10+ faceoffs in a game (the other six instances came during his freshman year in 2021).
JOSH SCHREIBEIS
- In his 40th career game across four seasons at Robert Morris and this year at NJIT (at Manhattan on Feb. 25), Josh Schreibeis scored his first collegiate goal. He added his first-ever assist in his 41st career game against Wagner and has added another goal (vs Bryant on Apr. 1) and another assist (at Binghamton on Mar. 25).
JACK BOWIE
- Now has seven career games with at least three goals - including four this year and a run of three straight from March 4-
GAVYN WILLSON
- His personal consecutive goals streak came to an end at 11 games (his final nine of 2022 and the first two of 2023) against Monmouth.
- His four-goal performance against Siena was the second game of his career with at least four goals. Ironically, both were in season openers (the first was his career-best five-goal effort in his collegiate debut against Hampton on Feb. 1, 2020).
LOGAN HONE
- Posted four goals against Merrimack, one of five Highlanders to score that many in a game this year (Corry, Bowie, Muscatella, Willson).
MATTHEW BOWERMAN
- His three caused turnovers against Bryant were a career best.
AMERICA EAST RANKINGS
- Liam Brown: 1st in Saves/Game (14.90; 3rd in NCAA); 1st in Total Saves (149); 5th in Save % (.525)
- Josh Schreibeis: 3rd in Caused Turnovers/Game (1.50) and Total CTOs (15)
- Owen Corry: 8th in Assists/Game (1.20) and Total Assists (12); 5th in Shots/Game (7.40) and Total Shots (74)
- Isaac Vanzomeren: 6th in Faceoff % (.500); 5th in GBs/Game (4.80)
- Billy Kroeger: 9th in Faceoff % (.474)
- TEAM: 1st in Penalty-Killing % (.690); 1st in Man-Up Goals/Game (1.70)
NEW REGIME IN PLACE
Eric Wolf, an America East alumnus and coach with nearly 15 years of combined experience, was named the second-ever head coach of the NJIT Men's Lacrosse program by Associate Vice President/Director of Athletics Lenny Kaplan this summer. Wolf joined Highlander Nation after spending the last five seasons as head coach at Long Island University/LIU Post and making prior stops at Harvard, UAlbany and Siena.
In his head coaching debut, Wolf oversaw one of the more unique situations in the country as he went from leading the Division II LIU Post Pioneers for two seasons (2018-19) to overseeing the program's first three years in Division I (2020-22) after the merger of LIU's Brooklyn and Post campuses into one institution. The Sharks adjusted to Division I and the Northeast Conference well in their first two full seasons (LIU's 2020 debut campaign was cut short due to COVID-19), qualifying for the four-team NEC Tournament both years on the strength of two back-to-back NEC major award winners in Offensive Player of the Year Richie LaCalandra and Defensive Player of the Year Will Mark. During his first two years at LIU Post, Wolf posted a pair of 10-plus win campaigns and reached two East Coast Conference Championship games behind the efforts of All-Americans Connor Farrell and William Snelders.
Overall, Wolf went 35-29 (19-8 in conference play) in five seasons at LIU, including 16-21 (9-6 NEC) in three Division I seasons, 13-13 (9-6 NEC) over the last two, and 21-10 (10-2 ECC) at LIU Post.
Among his stops as an assistant were two stints at his alma mater and NJIT's current America East conference mate, UAlbany. Wolf served as UAlbany's Director of Operations in 2008 after graduating in 2007 and returned for four seasons (2012-15) as Assistant Coach, Offensive Coordinator and Recruiting Coordinator. The Great Danes won three AE titles, won two NCAA games, and led the NCAA in scoring three times during Wolf's second run.
Wolf's staff is made up of assistants Sean Eccles and Jack Kearney, who will manage the Highlanders' respective offensive and defensive units. Both assistants has ties to current America East schools - Eccles played four seasons at UAlbany (two-year captain, two-time All-America East Second Team selection, helped UAlbany reach its first-ever Final Four in 2018) and Kearney came to NJIT from the AE's newest member Bryant (two years as a volunteer assistant and goalie coach).
2023 LEADERS
TOP RETURNERS (2022 TOTALS)
THE 2023 SCHEDULE
NJIT will play a 13-game schedule featuring six non-conference contests, seven America East games, six home matches and seven road trips.
2023 will kick off with four games in February, beginning with the season opener at Siena on Saturday, February 11. The Highlanders' home opener will be held a week later (Saturday, February 18) against Mount St. Mary's. NJIT will have a pair of two-game road trips this year, starting with back-to-back games at Monmouth (Tuesday, February 21) and Manhattan (Saturday, February 25).
March begins with the Highlanders' longest homestand of the campaign, a three-game stretch against Wagner (Saturday, March 4), Lindenwood (Saturday, March 11), and two-time defending America East champion Vermont (Saturday, March 18) in NJIT's league opener. NJIT will close out March on the road against Binghamton on Saturday, March 25.
The final month of the regular season will feature five conference matchups. The Highlanders will face America East newcomers Bryant (Saturday, April 1 at home) and Merrimack (Saturday, April 8 on the road) in back-to-back games before closing the year out at UAlbany (Saturday, April 15), against UMBC (Senior Day on Saturday, April 22) and at UMass Lowell (Saturday, April 29).
The four-team America East Men's Lacrosse Championship will be held on May 4 & 6 at the highest seed in the tournament.
OTHER SCHEDULE NOTES
- NJIT will face four first-time opponents in 2023: Bryant (newest full member of America East), Lindenwood (who is transitioning to Division I), Merrimack (AE Associate member for 2023 and 2024), and Mount St. Mary's (newest member of the MAAC).
- The Highlanders will open the season on the road for the second consecutive season.
- Two NJIT opponents - Vermont and Manhattan - made it to the 2022 NCAA Tournament and coincidentally faced each other in the opening round.
- NJIT's schedule will be much more manageable than in years past: Of the 13 opponents, only two (Vermont and UAlbany) received votes in the preseason USILA poll and only UVM received votes in the Inside Lacrosse preseason poll.
ROSTER CONSTRUCTION
Coach Wolf will go into Year 1 at NJIT with 26 veterans to call upon, ten freshmen to incorporate into his program, and one new transfer (Josh Schreibeis from Robert Morris) to work into the mix.
NOWHERE BUT UP
NJIT was voted to finish last in the eight-team America East preseason poll (Vermont was the unanimous selection to win the league).
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
NJIT and will be meeting for the third time in their histories on Saturday afternoon, with UAlbany holding a 2-0 edge in the series (both games within the last two years). The Great Danes have alternated wins and losses in their last four matches, all America East contests.
UAlbany is led by Jack Pucci (16 G, 9 A), Silas Richmond (19 G, 3 A), Jake Piseno (40 GB, 30 CT, 3 A) and Jack Vanvalkenburgh (11.97 GAA, 68 SV, 426:08 mins).
NEXT UP
NJIT will play its final home game of the season on Saturday, April 22 at 1 p.m. against UMBC.
