PISCATAWAY, N.J. — No. 12 Army West Point men’s lacrosse answered an early two-goal deficit and a fourth-quarter punch from No. 18 Rutgers with its most complete stretch of the afternoon, scoring three of the final four goals to earn an 11–9 road win.
Army improved to 2–0 on the young season, leaning on timely scoring, a strong possession profile, and a late defensive stand after Rutgers briefly regained the lead early in the fourth.
How it happened
Rutgers struck first and jumped out 2–0 in the opening quarter on goals from Shane Murphy (13:57) and Colin Kurdyla (12:29).
Army responded with a surge from Gunnar Fellows, who scored twice in a little over two minutes to erase the deficit. Fellows’ first came off an Evan Plunkett assist at 7:33, then he tied it himself at 5:27.
Rutgers answered with Colin Zeller (2:31), but Army closed the period with a momentum-swinging finish when Hill Plunkett scored with five seconds left to make it 3–3 after one.
The second quarter turned into a back-and-forth sprint. Army briefly moved ahead 4–3 on Aiden Weisenborn (10:16) off a Tyler Mathews assist, but Rutgers answered with three straight goals — including two from Zeller and a Kurdyla finish — to take a 7–5 lead late in the half.
Black Knights New
- Army Rifle Falls to Navy in Annual Star Match at West Point
- Army Women’s Tennis Sweeps Monmouth 4-0 for Eighth Straight Win, Sets Up Fairfield Match
- Army Softball Grinds Out First Win of 2026, Edges Delaware 3–2 in Boca Raton
Army’s Cal Lambert trimmed it at 2:17 (assist Tyler Clark), but Rutgers took a two-goal edge into the break when Greyson Vorgang scored at 1:34 off a Zeller assist.
Army’s response out of halftime set the tone for the finish. Fellows scored again at 13:12 (assist Evan Plunkett), then Lambert tied it at 12:07 — again off an Evan Plunkett feed — to pull Army even 7–7.
The Black Knights grabbed their first lead since the second quarter when Hill Plunkett scored at 5:54 to make it 8–7, but Rutgers forced another tie late in the third on Kasey Mongillo (2:36).
Rutgers opened the fourth with a quick strike as Kurdyla completed his hat trick at 13:57 to put the Scarlet Knights up 9–8.
Army answered immediately.
Tyler Clark tied the game at 13:15, then gave Army the lead for good at 7:20. With Rutgers pressing, Fellows delivered the dagger at 6:33, finishing his four-goal day off a Gus Bell assist to seal the 11–9 final.
Rutgers had one last look in the closing seconds, but Ryan Splaine’s shot attempt at the horn went wide as Army closed out the win.
Black Rifle Coffee — Fuel for Game Day
Black Rifle Coffee backs the people who show up early, stay late, and get the job done.
By the numbers
Army generated more total looks, finishing with a 42–37 edge in shots, while both teams recorded 21 shots on goal.
The Black Knights also won key possession categories:
- Faceoffs: Army 13-of-23 (Robert Simone 12 wins)
- Ground balls: Army 31, Rutgers 22
- Turnovers: Army 12, Rutgers 17
- Clears: Army 20-of-21, Rutgers 19-of-21
In goal, Sean Byrne played the full 60 minutes and made 12 saves to steady Army through Rutgers’ runs.
Scoring leaders
- Gunnar Fellows (Army): 4 goals (8 shots)
- Hill Plunkett (Army): 2 goals (11 shots)
- Tyler Clark (Army): 2 goals, 1 assist
- Cal Lambert (Army): 2 goals
- Evan Plunkett (Army): 3 assists
Rutgers was led by Colin Kurdyla with 3 goals, while Colin Zeller added 2 goals and 1 assist.
What it means
Early in the season, ranked road games often come down to composure and possessions. Army showed both Saturday — answering runs, winning the faceoff/ground-ball battle, and closing with its best lacrosse when the game tightened in the fourth.
Bad Dawg Sports — Real reporting. Real access. No fluff.
Get the Bad Dawg Sports Newsletter for just $2/year and never miss a scoop, a recap, or a story the mainstream skips.
Discover more from Bad Dawg Media Group
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
