Men’s Lacrosse Opens Season with Win at No. 20 Lehigh

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Rutgers men’s lacrosse opened the 2025 season on the road, earning a 10-6 victory on the road at No. 20 Lehigh. Rutgers was led by three goals from Colin Kelly. Shane Murphy added two goals.

JJ Aiello, Dante Kulas, Joe Juengerkes, Justin Lawler and Colin Kurdyla all also found the scoresheet for RU. Cardin Stoller made 10 saves and allowed just six goals, a 62.5% performance between the cage. It was the second lowest goals allowed for him in his career amongst games where he played the full six minutes.  

Rutgers had a clearing percentage of 91.3%. Conversely, they pressure the Mountain Hawks into clearing just 54.5% of the time.

Lehigh scored the game’s first goal, and held a lead for just under a minute in the early going. RU countered with a three-goal run, and never trailed from there.

The Scarlet Knights led 4-3 at the end of the first quarter and 5-4 midway through the second. From there, the Scarlet Knights scored five of the game’s final seven goals, and four of the final five. The defense suffocated the Lehigh attack, as the Mountain Hawks scored just two goals across the final 38 minutes of the contest to ensure the victory.

With the Win

• 42-8-1 all-time against Lehigh, 42-3 since 1926 and 16-1 since 1961.
• 13-0 in last 13 season openers and 21-2 in last 23
• Rutgers improves to 13-1 in season openers under head coach Brian Brecht, with 13 straight season-opening wins.
• Head coach Brian Brecht‘s 100th career win at Rutgers

Up Next

• The Scarlet Knights are home next week for two games. RU hosts LIU in the home opener on Tuesday at 3 p.m., then welcomes Stony Brook on Saturday, Feb. 8 at noon.