Michigan
Rutgers
Michigan Travels to Garden State for Matchup with Rutgers
4/16/2019 3:57:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
» Michigan is scoring 1.14 goals per faceoff won and is the only Big Ten team that has more goals (126) than faceoff wins (110) on the season.
» Kevin Mack ranks second on the team with 34 points, and has scored a point in 24 straight games.
» Nick DeCaprio, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week, enters the contest three caused turnovers shy of equaling the U-M record for caused turnovers in a career, while Brent Noseworthy is four goals away from becoming the first Wolverine to eclipse the 100-goal plateau in a career.
THIS WEEK
Saturday, April 20 -- at Rutgers (Piscataway, N.J.), 3 p.m.
TV: BTN | Live Stats | Live Video | Coach Conry Interview (WTKA)
• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
The University of Michigan men's lacrosse team (3-8, 0-3 Big Ten) continues Big Ten play, traveling to the Garden State to take on Rutgers (6-6, 1-2 Big Ten) on Saturday (April 20) at 3 p.m. The matchup will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
Wolverine Bites
• Senior Decker Curran marked a pair of goals against Penn State to become the fourth player in U-M history to eclipse the 100-point plateau in a career, joining teammate Brent Noseworthy, Ian King (2013-16) and Kyle Jackson (2012-2015). Curran is tied for third on the team in points with 17, third in assists with 10, and fourth in points with 27.
• Sophomore Alex Buckanavage leads U-M in points (40) and points-per-game (3.64). His 40 points rank sixth in program history, eight shy of U-M's program record of 48, held by teammate Brent Noseworthy.
• With a rash of injuries at the faceoff position, Michigan has gone 58-of-197 (29 percent) at the dot over the last six games. U-M has utilized six different players at the dot over that span. U-M is 2-1 in contests this season when winning the faceoff battle.
• The U-M offense has accounted for 73 goals over the past six games despite the struggles at the 'X'. Michigan is scoring 1.14 goals per faceoff won and is the only Big Ten team that has more goals (126) than faceoff wins (110) on the season. U-M is No. 30 nationally in offensive efficiency.
• To this point of the campaign, U-M has played 18th-toughest schedule in the nation, according to LaxBytes.com. Overall, the combined record of Michigan's Big Ten conference opponents is 40-16.
• Senior Brent Noseworthy has scored at least a point in 42 of the 44 games he has played in his U-M career after his streak of 35-game point streak was snapped against Penn State on Saturday (April 13). He boasts 96 goals and 16 assists for 112 points. He also is four goals away from becoming the first Wolverine in program history to hit the 100-goal mark in a career.
• Sophomore Kevin Mack ranks second on the team with 34 points (17 goals, 17 assists). He has scored a point in 24 straight games, and has a point in all but one of his contests as a Wolverine.
• Senior Nick DeCaprio, the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, tied the NCAA record and broke the U-M school record for caused turnovers in a game (eight) against Penn State (April 13). The  eight caused turnovers were also a Big Ten record, and gave him 63 in his career, which ranks second in the U-M record books trailing Chase Brown's (2013-16) 66.
• The U-M defense ranks No. 20 in the country in caused turnovers with 9.36/game.
Opponent Preview
Rutgers
The Scarlet Knights boast a 6-6 overall mark, and are 1-2 in Big Ten play. Rutgers and Michigan have a pair of common opponents on St. John's and Johns Hopkins, with similar results. The Wolverines defeated the Red Storm, 16-11, on March 2, while the Scarlet Knights won, 19-15 on Feb. 9. Michigan fell to Johns Hopkins, 14-8, on March 30, while Rutgers suffered a 15-13 setback against the Blue Jays on April 6.
The Scarlet Knights' lone Big Ten win came against Ohio State, 14-6, on March 31 in Columbus. Most recently, Rutgers was defeated by No. 3 Maryland, 16-13, on Sunday (April 14) in Piscataway, New Jersey.
Offensively, RU averages 11.67 goals per game, ranking 28th nationally. The Scarlet Knights are led by Kieran Mullins, who ranks sixth nationally in points per game with 5.40 and leads the team in assists with 32. He is joined on the attack unit by Adam Charalambides, who leads the team and is No. 12 in the NCAA with 37 goals (3.08/game). The unit takes care of the ball at an elite level, ranking No. 4 in the country in turnovers per game, just a shade under 14 per contest.
Defensively, Rutgers boasts the No. 1 man-down unit in the country, killing off 87 percent of opponent EMO chances. Goalkeeper Max Edelman leads the Big Ten and ranks in the top-three nationally in saves per game (15.50), and save percentage (59 percent). Longstick defender Kyle Pless ranks second in the league in caused turnovers with 1.67 per contest.
Ticket Information
Tickets are on sale for the season finale for the U-M men's lacrosse team, Friday, April 26 at U-M Lacrosse Stadium. General admission tickets are available for $6 and group tickets (10 or more) are on sale for $3 each. Group experiences are also available. [ Tickets ]
Tweet of the Week
Here they are, all EIGHT caused turnovers from #DeCap#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/xPQPRRdPhi
— Michigan Men's Lacrosse (@UMichLacrosse) April 15, 2019
Keep Up with the Wolverines
Stay current with everything going on with the Wolverines by following Michigan men's lacrosse on Twitter and Instagram (@umichlacrosse), on Snapchat (@umichathletics) and "liking" the Wolverines on Facebook! Inside access can also be viewed via the team's YouTube page by searching 'MgoBlueLacrosse.'
Next Week
Friday, April 26 -- vs. Ohio State – Senior Day (U-M Lacrosse Stadium), 6 p.m. (TV: ESPNU)
