NEWARK, N.J. — The NJIT men's lacrosse team will look to close out the 2023 campaign on a high note in its season finale Saturday afternoon against the UMass Lowell River Hawks.
LAST TIME OUT
The Highlanders hung tough in its last matchup but were unable to pick up the victory in a 12-10 America East defeat against the UMBC Retrievers on April 22.
Owen Corry tied for the lead among all scorers with three goals while Jack Bowie was the only other Highlander with multiple goals (2) and three total points with an added assist. Five other Highlanders added goals against UMBC - Logan Hone, Garrett Muscatella, Gavyn Willson, Isaac Vanzomeren, and Will Labartino - while Brandon Wasitowski was the only other NJIT player with multiple points after assisting on a pair of goals.
Vanzomeren (8-14, 7 GB) and Billy Kroeger (6-12, 3 GB) were each .500 or better from the faceoff X and accounted for ten of the Highlanders' 16 ground balls. Liam Brown made 14 saves against UMBC, moving his season total to 179.
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 eight of its 12 games so far (66.7%), 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 537.
- Has improved on his total save numbers every season and has a new career high of 179 with one game 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 11 save performances of the season in the America East (20 at Siena, 18 vs Mount St. Mary's, Lindenwood, and Bryant).
- Brown has now made 179 saves this season, second all time and 29 from first (208 by Alexzander Hunt in 2019).
OWEN CORRY
- Recorded his sixth career hat trick and third of the season against UMBC.
- Active point streak ended at 20 games against UAlbany (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.
- Muscatella's four-goal showing was the fifth game of his career with 3+ goals, fourth of the season and second in a row.
- 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.
- Bowie set career highs in ground balls in back-to-back games (4 last week against Merrimack and 6 against UAlbany).
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).
BRANDON WASITOWSKI
- The UMBC game was the second time this year that he recorded multiple assists (none in his previous two seasons).
MATTHEW BOWERMAN
- His three caused turnovers against Bryant were a career best.
AMERICA EAST RANKINGS
- Liam Brown: 1st in Saves/Game (14.92; 2nd in NCAA); 1st in Total Saves (179); 4th in Save % (.528)
- Josh Schreibeis: T-3rd in Caused Turnovers/Game (1.33) and Total CTOs (16)
- Owen Corry: 10th in Assists/Game (1.00) and Total Assists (12, tied); 5th in Shots/Game (7.67) and Total Shots (92)
- Isaac Vanzomeren: 6th in Faceoff % (.503); 4th in GBs/Game (5.08)
- Billy Kroeger: 10th in Faceoff % (.465)
- TEAM: 1st in Penalty-Killing % (.689); 2nd in Man-Up Goals/Game (1.42)
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
Saturday's matchup will be the seventh all time meeting between NJIT and UMass Lowell. The River Hawks hold a 5-1 edge in the series, including an 8-7 win in Newark last season. NJIT's first-ever America East victory in program history and lone win in the rivalry came in the meeting prior, a 14-10 triumph in Lowell on March 27, 2021.
UML is 0-12 (0-6 AE) on the year, losing its last game 21-3 at Vermont on April 22. The River Hawks are led by Nick Harvath (11 G, 12 A), RIley Lawhorn (20 G, 2 A), Devin German (54 GB, 83 FO wins, 2 Pts), and Luke Renaud (672:01 mins, 16.43 GAA, 176 saves)
WHAT'S AT STAKE
A victory against UMass Lowell would give the 2023 Highlanders the most wins in a single season in the program's young nine-year history. NJIT won two games in the 2019 campaign - at home against Monmouth on March 5 (8-5) and on the road at Hampton on April 6 (26-9).
