2009 Season Preview
Jan 22 | Men's Lacrosse
The Rutgers men’s lacrosse team returns 98 percent of its offense from the 2008 season and every single goal scorer from a year ago. Expectations are higher than ever entering the 2009 season as the Scarlet Knights have a great mix of veteran experience and young talent.
After a 2008 season in which Rutgers finished third in the ECAC and picked up a win over a nationally ranked team, the Scarlet Knights are ready to make a push for the NCAA Tournament. Bolstered by the return of 25 letterwinners and eight starters, Rutgers is quickly turning into a team with a wealth of big game experience. In addition to the returners, RU welcomes a recruiting class that was nationally recognized by Inside Lacrosse.
Head coach Jim Stagnitta has led the Scarlet Knights to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances in his seven years at the helm and is closer than ever to leading the Scarlet Knights toward their ultimate goal of being a perennial top-10 program.
Rutgers will rely heavily on its two preseason All-American selections. Junior midfielder Justin Pennington and senior defenseman Chris O’Dougherty garnered third team honors in the annual Face-Off Yearbook Preseason All-America list.
Pennington, who was named the 2009 ECAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, led Rutgers in both points and assists in 2008. The midfielder tallied 32 points on 22 goals and 10 assists a year ago. Additionally, he ranked 11th in the country, averaging 5.15 groundballs per game. An honorable mention All-American in 2008, Pennington was recently ranked No. 7 by Inside Lacrosse in the magazine’s list of the Top-10 midfielders in the country.
O’Dougherty, who joined Pennington on last season’s All-ECAC First Team, anchored an RU defense that ranked Top-30 nationally in both scoring defense and man-down defense last spring.
The Scarlet Knights also return leading goal scorer Kory Kelly. The Princeton, N.J. native was named the ECAC Co-Rookie of the Year in 2008 after leading Rutgers with 24 goals in his first season 'On the Banks'. The 6-foot-5 attackman had a season-high four goals in RU's season-ending 7-6 victory over Massachusetts and three other three-goal games during the season, including in the Scarlet Knights' 13-4 win over nationally ranked UMBC.
Head coach Jim Stagnitta is extremely excited about the mix of youth and experience that this year’s team possesses. He feels that his squad has focused on 2009 since last year was completed and he believes that focus and work ethic will pay off on the field for the Scarlet Knights.
ATTACK
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KELLY
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Team captain Jeff Rommel will get the chance to move into an attack role after playing midfield in 2008. Rommel tallied 14 goals, third best on the team, last season. RU is also expecting big contributions from 2008 ECAC co-Rookie of the Year Kory Kelly at this spot. The team’s leader in goals from a year ago, Kelly is hoping to make an even bigger jump from his freshman to sophomore season. Looking to make that same leap into his sophomore campaign is Colin Donahue, who led all freshmen in assists in 2008. Last year, Stagnitta knew there was going to be a learning curve at the attack, but with the mix of veterans and underclassmen, he believes that the attack could be one of the Scarlet Knights’ best units.
“Having Jeff Rommel, who could be our best pure attackman, really solidifies us there,” said Stagnitta. “Also, with Tad Stanwick back two years after his knee injury, he could really help us. He’s worked really hard and has looked good so far in the preseason. A freshman that we’ve been really impressed with thus far is Kevin Hover. He brings a lot to the table, has a good feel for the game and really gets to the cage and shoots the ball well.”
MIDFIELD
”I think the midfield is the strength of our team because of our tremendous depth,” explained Stagnitta. “There’s a lot of talent on both the offensive and defensive side to go along with a great deal of speed. Our athleticism as a team really shows when you look at our midfielders.”
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PENNINGTON
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Justin Pennington, rated the No. 7 midfielder in the nation by Inside Lacrosse, looks to flourish during his junior campaign. The 2009 ECAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year will look to build on his 22 goals and team-high 10 assists from a year ago. Stagnitta expects a breakout year from junior Gerhard Buehning who started 12 games and was third on the team in points in 2008. Other juniors expected to make big impacts at the midfield spot are Taylor Bottar and Hunter Burnard. Mike Diehl and Tim Rommel, both 2008 High School All-Americans, will bring a great deal of size and athleticism to a veteran group.
On the defensive side, Brendan Porter returns for his junior season hoping to make a major impact. Sophomore Brian Shemesh will move to the defensive side after playing the position for the United States U-19 team that won the gold medal at the International Lacrosse Federation World Championships. Steve Watson should also see significant playing time at this spot.
DEFENSE
Chris O’Dougherty, who is considered one of the top defenseman in the country, will return as a senior captain. The First Team All-ECAC pick will anchor a defense that finished in the Top 30 in both scoring and man-down defense. Will Stone, also a senior captain, will return after finishing 2008 second on the team with 3.46 groundballs per game. Stone will move from long pole to close defense. Other Scarlet Knights that could contribute greatly and provide depth include Mike DeMeo, Sean Hover and Jacob Fradkin.
“Having two seniors anchoring this group should prove to be beneficial for us,” said Stagnitta. “This will be the first time in a number of years that we’ve had that kind of veteran experience in the defense.”
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O'DOUGHERTY
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GOALIE
At goal, the Scarlet Knights return two-year starter Billy Olin. The Horseheads, N.Y. native won six games for Rutgers last year and ranked 20th nationally with a 56.9 save percentage. Pete Pantages could also see some action between the pipes as the senior keeper returns after dealing with injuries in 2008.
“It’s great to have Billy Olin back because he’s preformed well since his freshman year,” said Stagnitta. “Pete Pantages came back and had a great fall and it’s close. It’s nice to have two guys who can play at such a high caliber.”
