Before the season began, most analysts were saying that this would be a rebuilding year for RPI’s men’s lacrosse team because of the loss of half the squad to graduation. The Red Hawks, however, are rapidly proving them wrong.
After four games Rensselaer is now 4-0 and has outscored its opponents 54-20. The team has converted 62 percent of its man-advantage opportunities while holding the line 80 percent of the time when down a player.
Rookie attacker Nick Culotti has been the offensive star for the Red Hawks. He was the top scorer in the Elmira, Western New England, and Haverford games and currently leads RPI with 11 goals and 13 assists. Midfielder Ryan Frisch, another freshman, has also had a huge impact with 14 points and a team-high 21 ground balls.
On the other end of the field, the story has been junior goaltender Matthew Moog, who allowed only three goals in 90 minutes of play during the team’s spring break trip in Vegas. He currently has a 4.42 goals-allowed average and his save percentage now stands just under 80 percent, impressive numbers in a sport where scores generally run in the double digits.
The Red Hawks have tougher challenges in store this week. RPI hosts No. 10 Hartwick tonight at 7 pm, followed by a home match against Springfield on Saturday at 1 pm. RPI, the No. 14 team in the country, begins its conference season next week at Vassar.
