#13 Army Rolls to 3-0, Tops #19 Rutgers 15-4

Saturday, February 15

West Point, NY

12 PM

Army West Point

3-0

#19/20 Rutgers

2-1

Rutgers

Army

#13 Army Rolls to 3-0, Tops #19 Rutgers 15-4

February 15, 2020 | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score Highlights

WEST POINT, N.Y. – Backed by Wyatt Schupler's 16-save performance, the No. 13/14 Army West Point men's lacrosse team topped #19 Rutgers, 15-4, Saturday at Michie Stadium to improve to 3-0 on the year with two top-20 victories.

The Scarlet Knights entered the contest averaging 18.5 goals per game, but the Black Knights held them to four total today. It was Rutgers' lowest scoring output since a 13-4 loss on Apr. 10, 2012. This season, Army has allowed just 3.00 goals per game on average.

Schupler made 16 saves in 50:03 minute of action allowing just two scores.

Stevie Grabher was outstanding at the faceoff x for the Black Knights with a .750 winning percentage (12-16) including an 11 consecutive faceoff win streak.

Jacob Morin recorded a career-high five goals in today's game, while Sean O'Brien notched three. The pair have notched a hat trick in the last two consecutive contests.

The Cadets are now riding a three-game winning streak against Rutgers and improved to 59-23-1 all-time against the Scarlet Knights.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Black Knights charged ahead to a 4-0 lead before the Scarlet Knights got onto the board.
Gunner Philipp was first to score in the game off an assist from Matt Manown.
Jacob Morin netted two in the stretch with one coming from Brendan Nichtern, while Miles Silva picked up a loose ball after a shot and scored on top of the crease.
Rutgers scored with 3:59 on the clock to made in a three-goal game. It was the first, first half goal of the season by an opponent.
Manown gave Army momentum heading into the second quarter though off a feed from Danny Kielbasa with 10 seconds on the clock. This sparked an 8-0 run for the Cadets.
The only two scores in the second quarter came from the Black Knights.
Nicholas Garofano connected with Morin before Bobby Abshire put up Army's seventh tally of the game off an assist by Ryan Sposito to give the Cadets a 7-1 lead at half.
The Cadets opened the second half with five goals in a row to go up 12-1. /
O'Brien tallied back-to-back scores spaced seven seconds apart to open up the final 30 minutes of play.
Nichtern and Grabher were credited with the assists before Liam Davenport posted his first goal of the year as O'Brien set up the play.
Philipp recorded his second in the game before Abshire found Silva for a score in front.
With 1:39 on the clock in the third, the Scarlet Knights netted their second of the contest.
A minute later, Nichtern and Morin worked together for his fourth goal of the game.
O'Brien tallied another, this time from Kielbasa before Morin and Abshire connected again for the final Black Knights tally of the day.
Rutgers scored twice in the final five minutes to make the final 15-4 in favor of Army.

HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES

Army improved to 802-394-7 in program history and is closing in on Navy's 806-364-14 mark all-time.
The Black Knights continued their defensive dominance allowing just four goals against a top-20 team.
Army has outscored its opponents 51-9 to open the 2020 season with an average 14-point winning margin.
Morin recorded a career-high five goals in the contest, while O'Brien had four points on three goals and an assist and Nichtern produced a team-leading three assists.
The sophomore's goals against average to start the year is 2.71 with an 8.38 save percentage.
Nichtern sole possession of 16th all-time in career assists with 61.
He passed Frank Giordano '83 who had 59. The sophomore is two away from 100-career points.
Seven Cadets had multiple point performances today.
Abshire finished the game with a career-high three points off a goal and two assists.
Kielbasa notched a career-high two assists, while Philipp and Silva had two goals apiece and Manown posted a goal and an assist.
Grabher went 12-for-16 at the faceoff x with a 75% efficiency.
He posted a career-high nine ground balls to lead both teams.
Morin added three ground balls in the effort, also a career-high.
Defensively, Kyle Beyer, Bennett Taylor and Marcus Hudgins posted two caused turnovers each.
The Black Knights were full speed ahead in the game and held an advantage in ground balls (37-20), faceoffs won (15-7), caused turnovers (22-5) and shots 39-37.