Rutgers Men’s Lacrosse has six players named All-Big Ten

The All-Big Ten men’s lacrosse teams for the 2022 season were announced on Wednesday and Rutgers landed six players on the list, second only to Maryland’s nine players.

Goalie Colin Kirst, midfielder Shane Knobloch and long-stick midfielder Ethan Rall made First Team.

Attackers Ronan Jacoby and Ross Scott, along with defenseman Jaryd Jean-Felix were named to the Second Team. Bobby Russo was awarded the league’s Big Ten Sportsmanship award for Rutgers.

Kirst has now made the First Team two consecutive seasons and is having one of his best seasons, posting a career-best 10.56 goals-against-average and a .542 save percentage. A member of the Tewaaraton Award Top 25 Watch List (the lacrosse Heisman), the Bernardsville, NJ native has a 12-2 record this season with 162 saves and 27 ground balls. He’s the first RU player to receive First Team All-Big Ten selections in consecutive seasons since Michael Rexrode in 2017 and 2018.

Rall is the only Big Ten long-stick middie to earn a First Team award. A unanimous selection to the First Team, Rall was a three-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. The Long Island native has a career-high 41 ground balls and 25 caused turnovers. Fans who have watched Rutgers men’s lacrosse this season know that Rall is a turnover-causing machine, averaging nearly two per game. Rall’s 25 forced turnovers are the most in a single season since Rutgers begin tracking the stat in 2006.

Shane Knobloch earns First Team honors after claiming the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award last year. The Moorestown, N.J. native is enjoying a stellar season, tallying career-bests with 26 goals, 12 assists and 38 points. Knobloch has scored multiple goals in 10 of the 14 games, including four hat tricks and was instrumental dishing out the game-tying and winning assists in Rutgers’s dramatic comeback overtime win against Penn State this past weekend. In my opinion, Knobloch is neck and neck with Scott for being the most clutch and composed player on this team in crunch-time situations.

Former division three All American Ronan Jacoby earns Second Team honors in his first season competing in division one. The Glastonbury, Ct. native had no difficulty transitioning to division one lacrosse, scoring 30 goals and adding nine assists. He has logged 10 multi-goal games, including six goals in a ranked win over Army. Jacoby had 15 points in Big Ten games (10 goals, five assists), second most on the team.

Jaryd Jean-Felix earns Second Team All-Big Ten honors for the second straight season. The team’s top defenseman was a three-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week recipient, tied with Rall for most in the conference. The Cumming, Ga. native matched his career-high with 12 caused turnovers while also scooping 16 ground balls.

Ross Scott has had a monster offensive season, earning Second Team honors. The West Linn, Ore. native moved into a starting attackman role for the first time in his career and proceeded to lead the team in all three offensive categories, posting 36 goals, 21 assists and 57 points. Scott has also scooped 25 ground balls. Scott had nine multi-goal games, highlighted by five crucial goals, including the game-tying and game-winning goals, in the overtime victory over Penn State this past weekend. It can be argued that Scott was deserving as a First Team selection but he’ll be one of the favorites heading into 2023 to compete for Offensive Player of the Year in the Big Ten.

Bobby Russo was named the team winner of the Big Ten Sportsmanship award. A starting defenseman from Bridgewater, N.J., Russo has scooped 27 ground balls and caused eight turnovers. This season, he was named a Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten and two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. It’s very satisfying to see a Knight named to the All-Big Ten Sportsmanship Team and recognized for academic honors. This program continues to do things the right way on and off the field under the leadership of Coach Brecht.

Rutgers returns to action Thursday, May 5, the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals in College Park, Md.

Rutgers Athletics

The full list of awards is below, as provided to me by the Rutgers Athletic Communications Department.

Offensive Player of the Year: Logan Wisnauskas, 5th, A, Maryland

Defensive Player of the Year: Brett Makar, Sr., D, Maryland

Specialist of the Year: Luke Wierman, Jr., FO, Maryland

Freshman of the Year: Bobby Van Buren, D, Ohio State

Coach of the Year: John Tillman*, Maryland

First Team All-Big Ten:

Keegan Khan, Gr., A, Maryland

Brett Makar, Sr., D, Maryland

Roman Puglise, Gr., M, Maryland

Luke Wierman*, Jr., FO, Maryland

Logan Wisnauskas*, 5th, A, Maryland

Josh Zawada, Jr., A, Michigan

Jack Myers, Sr., A, Ohio State

Colin Kirst, Sr., G, Rutgers

Shane Knobloch, So., M, Rutgers

Ethan Rall*, Sr., LSM, Rutgers

Second Team All-Big Ten:

Garrett Degnon, Sr., A, Johns Hopkins

Jon Donville, Gr., M, Maryland

John Geppert, Sr., LSM, Maryland

Kyle Long, Sr., M, Maryland

Shane Carr, So., G, Michigan

Jackson Reid, Sr., M, Ohio State

Bobby Van Buren, Fr., D, Ohio State

Ronan Jacoby, Sr., M, Rutgers

Jaryd Jean-Felix, Sr., D, Rutgers

Ross Scott, Jr., A, Rutgers

Sportsmanship Honorees

Jake Calnan, Sr., D, Johns Hopkins

Bubba Fairman, 5th, M, Maryland

Jackson Zaugg, Gr., LSM, Michigan

Jackson Reid, Sr., M, Ohio State

Brayden Peck, Gr., D, Penn State

Bobby Russo, Sr., D, Rutgers