Rutgers men's lacrosse is riding high with national recognition this week, as two of their standout players have been named to the USILA Team of the Week. Sophomore faceoff specialist John Scarelli and attackman Colin Kurdyla are the athletes in the spotlight.
Scarelli, in his debut season as Rutgers' primary faceoff specialist, delivered stellar back-to-back performances that helped the team secure victories against St. John's and Bellarmine.
Hailing from Winter Park, Florida, Scarelli dominated the faceoff circle, winning 12-of-17 against St. John's and 14-of-18 against Bellarmine, achieving nearly a 75% success rate over the two games.
His ability to control possession was crucial, especially in the first halves where he went 9-of-12 and 11-of-14, respectively. Scarelli also set a personal best with nine ground balls against Bellarmine.
For the season, he's at 54.7% on faceoffs, with a total of 29 ground balls.
Meanwhile, Kurdyla continues to impress, adding another accolade to his growing list of achievements. Already named national Player of the Week by multiple outlets and the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, Kurdyla had a week to remember.
The Bridgewater, New Jersey native racked up an impressive 20 points, with eight goals and 12 assists over the two games. His 11-point game against St.
John's, featuring four goals and seven assists, marked the highest single-game point total for Rutgers in 33 years. He followed that up with a nine-point performance against Bellarmine, becoming the first player in Rutgers history to record two games with 9+ points in the same season.
These honors mark the second and third times this season that Rutgers players have been named to the USILA Team of the Week, with a goalkeeper previously earning the distinction.
The Scarlet Knights are gearing up for a major showdown this weekend as they kick off Big Ten play. No.
17 Rutgers will host No. 7 Ohio State on Saturday at 1 p.m.
The game, which will be streamed on B1G+, also marks Military Appreciation Day, adding an extra layer of significance to an already exciting matchup.