Rutgers 2022

[1766]

With the new season upon us, the score of impact transfers and returnees, and Colin Kirst being granted a redshirt year, things On the Banks are looking sky high.

Best of luck to the Scarlet Knights, including the entire staff. To the moon!

[bananas]

With the new season upon us, the score of impact transfers and returnees, and Colin Kirst being granted a redshirt year, things On the Banks are looking sky high.

Best of luck to the Scarlet Knights, including the entire staff. To the moon!

LFG!!!!!

[Njlaxx11]

With the new season upon us, the score of impact transfers and returnees, and Colin Kirst being granted a redshirt year, things On the Banks are looking sky high.

Best of luck to the Scarlet Knights, including the entire staff. To the moon!

lots of people questioning this decision be lets be real - he played like 10 minutes in his freshman year at lehigh - i think he could get another season.

reading the article posted on IL - most of the incoming transfers have 2 years of eligibility left:
"The incoming group isn’t all one-and-done. The DIII transfers Jacoby and Apgar both have two years of eligibility; last year’s DIII season did not count against players. Burgdorf and Bartolo have two years of eligibility, Brecht said. IL previously reported two years remaining for Cameron."

[lorin]

With the new season upon us, the score of impact transfers and returnees, and Colin Kirst being granted a redshirt year, things On the Banks are looking sky high.

Best of luck to the Scarlet Knights, including the entire staff. To the moon!

lots of people questioning this decision be lets be real - he played like 10 minutes in his freshman year at lehigh - i think he could get another season.

reading the article posted on IL - most of the incoming transfers have 2 years of eligibility left:
"The incoming group isn’t all one-and-done. The DIII transfers Jacoby and Apgar both have two years of eligibility; last year’s DIII season did not count against players. Burgdorf and Bartolo have two years of eligibility, Brecht said. IL previously reported two years remaining for Cameron."

Lucky if they go 500

[bananas]

With the new season upon us, the score of impact transfers and returnees, and Colin Kirst being granted a redshirt year, things On the Banks are looking sky high.

Best of luck to the Scarlet Knights, including the entire staff. To the moon!

lots of people questioning this decision be lets be real - he played like 10 minutes in his freshman year at lehigh - i think he could get another season.

reading the article posted on IL - most of the incoming transfers have 2 years of eligibility left:
"The incoming group isn’t all one-and-done. The DIII transfers Jacoby and Apgar both have two years of eligibility; last year’s DIII season did not count against players. Burgdorf and Bartolo have two years of eligibility, Brecht said. IL previously reported two years remaining for Cameron."

Lucky if they go 500

maybe agaisnt Maryland.

Knights look as strong or stronger in several areas.. Key will be how steep a drop-off from Charalambides and Kirst.

[Njlaxx11]

With the new season upon us, the score of impact transfers and returnees, and Colin Kirst being granted a redshirt year, things On the Banks are looking sky high.

Best of luck to the Scarlet Knights, including the entire staff. To the moon!

lots of people questioning this decision be lets be real - he played like 10 minutes in his freshman year at lehigh - i think he could get another season.

reading the article posted on IL - most of the incoming transfers have 2 years of eligibility left:
"The incoming group isn’t all one-and-done. The DIII transfers Jacoby and Apgar both have two years of eligibility; last year’s DIII season did not count against players. Burgdorf and Bartolo have two years of eligibility, Brecht said. IL previously reported two years remaining for Cameron."

Lucky if they go 500

maybe agaisnt Maryland.

Knights look as strong or stronger in several areas.. Key will be how steep a drop-off from Charalambides and Kirst.

honestly feel like Jacoby and Cameron will step in fine there.

[InsiderRoll]

With the new season upon us, the score of impact transfers and returnees, and Colin Kirst being granted a redshirt year, things On the Banks are looking sky high.

Best of luck to the Scarlet Knights, including the entire staff. To the moon!

lots of people questioning this decision be lets be real - he played like 10 minutes in his freshman year at lehigh - i think he could get another season.

reading the article posted on IL - most of the incoming transfers have 2 years of eligibility left:
"The incoming group isn’t all one-and-done. The DIII transfers Jacoby and Apgar both have two years of eligibility; last year’s DIII season did not count against players. Burgdorf and Bartolo have two years of eligibility, Brecht said. IL previously reported two years remaining for Cameron."

Lucky if they go 500

maybe agaisnt Maryland.

Knights look as strong or stronger in several areas.. Key will be how steep a drop-off from Charalambides and Kirst.

honestly feel like Jacoby and Cameron will step in fine there.

They may step in, but Jacoby and Cameron are nowhere near the players charalambides and Kirst were. Bartolo is a solid option and will probably play on the 1st midfield, not an all league type guy, but he’ll add to a line that teams will now consider double polling. Burgdorf is good, but who cares if he’s on the bench. He could also rock the Apple cart culturally from the bench. Apgar may make the starting line up, but he may not, theres not a lot of polish to his game and he won’t just be able to bully guys at this level like he did at Salisbury.

Defense and goalie will be the same or better.

O-Midfield is about the same as before. Only teams will be able to put more attention on them without that great attack unit. Knobloch gets a lot of hype for a guy that scored 1 goal in the final 6 games of the year. Teams figured him out, he’ll need to develop.

Face-off. - improved. Deeper, not game changers.

Attack - huge drop off. I know there are transfers but replacing what was the greatest attack unit in the programs history with D3 transfers and D1 bench transfers and being excited. seems like there’s some false hope. They will not have the scoring punch to just will them out of games (At Michigan as an example)

If you talk to the Rutgers staff they will tell you that the biggest impact was that the 3 grad transfers, Kirst, Kirst, and Ward, had a dramatic impact on the locker room and work ethic. If that is not maintained, or this team comes back satisfied and thinking they finally made it. They will go right back to where they were before.

Lastly I know it worked great in 2021, but looking at the future. Having a wealth of 6th year guys does not always translate to winning. They can get distracted, not connect with the rest of the team, be more interested in getting their careers started. It’s not always as simple as just rolling the ball out. It’s not a game of Madden. Not saying that will happen, but it is a delicate and difficult balance for most teams to manage. Just because it worked with one group, doesn’t mean it’ll work with the next.

[bananas]

With the new season upon us, the score of impact transfers and returnees, and Colin Kirst being granted a redshirt year, things On the Banks are looking sky high.

Best of luck to the Scarlet Knights, including the entire staff. To the moon!

lots of people questioning this decision be lets be real - he played like 10 minutes in his freshman year at lehigh - i think he could get another season.

reading the article posted on IL - most of the incoming transfers have 2 years of eligibility left:
"The incoming group isn’t all one-and-done. The DIII transfers Jacoby and Apgar both have two years of eligibility; last year’s DIII season did not count against players. Burgdorf and Bartolo have two years of eligibility, Brecht said. IL previously reported two years remaining for Cameron."

Lucky if they go 500

maybe agaisnt Maryland.

Knights look as strong or stronger in several areas.. Key will be how steep a drop-off from Charalambides and Kirst.

honestly feel like Jacoby and Cameron will step in fine there.
[/quote

They may step in, but Jacoby and Cameron are nowhere near the players charalambides and Kirst were. Bartolo is a solid option and will probably play on the 1st midfield, not an all league type guy, but he’ll add to a line that teams will now consider double polling. Burgdorf is good, but who cares if he’s on the bench. He could also rock the Apple cart culturally from the bench. Apgar may make the starting line up, but he may not, theres not a lot of polish to his game and he won’t just be able to bully guys at this level like he did at Salisbury.

Defense and goalie will be the same or better.

O-Midfield is about the same as before. Only teams will be able to put more attention on them without that great attack unit. Knobloch gets a lot of hype for a guy that scored 1 goal in the final 6 games of the year. Teams figured him out, he’ll need to develop.

Face-off. - improved. Deeper, not game changers.

Attack - huge drop off. I know there are transfers but replacing what was the greatest attack unit in the programs history with D3 transfers and D1 bench transfers and being excited. seems like there’s some false hope. They will not have the scoring punch to just will them out of games (At Michigan as an example)

If you talk to the Rutgers staff they will tell you that the biggest impact was that the 3 grad transfers, Kirst, Kirst, and Ward, had a dramatic impact on the locker room and work ethic. If that is not maintained, or this team comes back satisfied and thinking they finally made it. They will go right back to where they were before.

Lastly I know it worked great in 2021, but looking at the future. Having a wealth of 6th year guys does not always translate to winning. They can get distracted, not connect with the rest of the team, be more interested in getting their careers started. It’s not always as simple as just rolling the ball out. It’s not a game of Madden. Not saying that will happen, but it is a delicate and difficult balance for most teams to manage. Just because it worked with one group, doesn’t mean it’ll work with the next.

Fair assessment. Good points.

[Laxfan#1969]

With the new season upon us, the score of impact transfers and returnees, and Colin Kirst being granted a redshirt year, things On the Banks are looking sky high.

Best of luck to the Scarlet Knights, including the entire staff. To the moon!

lots of people questioning this decision be lets be real - he played like 10 minutes in his freshman year at lehigh - i think he could get another season.

reading the article posted on IL - most of the incoming transfers have 2 years of eligibility left:
"The incoming group isn’t all one-and-done. The DIII transfers Jacoby and Apgar both have two years of eligibility; last year’s DIII season did not count against players. Burgdorf and Bartolo have two years of eligibility, Brecht said. IL previously reported two years remaining for Cameron."

Lucky if they go 500

maybe agaisnt Maryland.

Knights look as strong or stronger in several areas.. Key will be how steep a drop-off from Charalambides and Kirst.

honestly feel like Jacoby and Cameron will step in fine there.
[/quote

They may step in, but Jacoby and Cameron are nowhere near the players charalambides and Kirst were. Bartolo is a solid option and will probably play on the 1st midfield, not an all league type guy, but he’ll add to a line that teams will now consider double polling. Burgdorf is good, but who cares if he’s on the bench. He could also rock the Apple cart culturally from the bench. Apgar may make the starting line up, but he may not, theres not a lot of polish to his game and he won’t just be able to bully guys at this level like he did at Salisbury.

Defense and goalie will be the same or better.

O-Midfield is about the same as before. Only teams will be able to put more attention on them without that great attack unit. Knobloch gets a lot of hype for a guy that scored 1 goal in the final 6 games of the year. Teams figured him out, he’ll need to develop.

Face-off. - improved. Deeper, not game changers.

Attack - huge drop off. I know there are transfers but replacing what was the greatest attack unit in the programs history with D3 transfers and D1 bench transfers and being excited. seems like there’s some false hope. They will not have the scoring punch to just will them out of games (At Michigan as an example)

If you talk to the Rutgers staff they will tell you that the biggest impact was that the 3 grad transfers, Kirst, Kirst, and Ward, had a dramatic impact on the locker room and work ethic. If that is not maintained, or this team comes back satisfied and thinking they finally made it. They will go right back to where they were before.

Lastly I know it worked great in 2021, but looking at the future. Having a wealth of 6th year guys does not always translate to winning. They can get distracted, not connect with the rest of the team, be more interested in getting their careers started. It’s not always as simple as just rolling the ball out. It’s not a game of Madden. Not saying that will happen, but it is a delicate and difficult balance for most teams to manage. Just because it worked with one group, doesn’t mean it’ll work with the next.

Fair assessment. Good points.

Agree also on fair assessment...however a big area that was overlooked is one of the strengths on the team...the rope unit. Rall is very good and after last year, I'd put Kamish up with any SSDM /two way middies in the big ten...that unit is a big part of what Rutgers likes to do...

Frankly I'm not concerned at all with the Rutgers back end...they will be as good or better with Kirst back in net...

I'm very concerned about scoring...very

The face off situation will probably be neutral...maybe a bit better...I hope

Like I've said, time will tell...I'm not saying Rutgers will win the conference, but I don't think they'll be last either...

[1766]

With the new season upon us, the score of impact transfers and returnees, and Colin Kirst being granted a redshirt year, things On the Banks are looking sky high.

Best of luck to the Scarlet Knights, including the entire staff. To the moon!

lots of people questioning this decision be lets be real - he played like 10 minutes in his freshman year at lehigh - i think he could get another season.

reading the article posted on IL - most of the incoming transfers have 2 years of eligibility left:
"The incoming group isn’t all one-and-done. The DIII transfers Jacoby and Apgar both have two years of eligibility; last year’s DIII season did not count against players. Burgdorf and Bartolo have two years of eligibility, Brecht said. IL previously reported two years remaining for Cameron."

Lucky if they go 500

maybe agaisnt Maryland.

Knights look as strong or stronger in several areas.. Key will be how steep a drop-off from Charalambides and Kirst.

honestly feel like Jacoby and Cameron will step in fine there.

They may step in, but Jacoby and Cameron are nowhere near the players charalambides and Kirst were. Bartolo is a solid option and will probably play on the 1st midfield, not an all league type guy, but he’ll add to a line that teams will now consider double polling. Burgdorf is good, but who cares if he’s on the bench. He could also rock the Apple cart culturally from the bench. Apgar may make the starting line up, but he may not, theres not a lot of polish to his game and he won’t just be able to bully guys at this level like he did at Salisbury.

Defense and goalie will be the same or better.

O-Midfield is about the same as before. Only teams will be able to put more attention on them without that great attack unit. Knobloch gets a lot of hype for a guy that scored 1 goal in the final 6 games of the year. Teams figured him out, he’ll need to develop.

Face-off. - improved. Deeper, not game changers.

Attack - huge drop off. I know there are transfers but replacing what was the greatest attack unit in the programs history with D3 transfers and D1 bench transfers and being excited. seems like there’s some false hope. They will not have the scoring punch to just will them out of games (At Michigan as an example)

If you talk to the Rutgers staff they will tell you that the biggest impact was that the 3 grad transfers, Kirst, Kirst, and Ward, had a dramatic impact on the locker room and work ethic. If that is not maintained, or this team comes back satisfied and thinking they finally made it. They will go right back to where they were before.

Lastly I know it worked great in 2021, but looking at the future. Having a wealth of 6th year guys does not always translate to winning. They can get distracted, not connect with the rest of the team, be more interested in getting their careers started. It’s not always as simple as just rolling the ball out. It’s not a game of Madden. Not saying that will happen, but it is a delicate and difficult balance for most teams to manage. Just because it worked with one group, doesn’t mean it’ll work with the next.

Two of the three guys you mention as locker room guy are back. Sure, there will be some production that will be needed to be found at the attack but the staff is confident they will. With the focus on the midfield, that gives them time to gel and find chemistry. Ross Scott will likely be playing from behind. Expectations are very high for him.

The D will likely be even better with all that returns, like the midfield. This is a tournament caliber roster no question.

[Laxfan#1969]

With the new season upon us, the score of impact transfers and returnees, and Colin Kirst being granted a redshirt year, things On the Banks are looking sky high.

Best of luck to the Scarlet Knights, including the entire staff. To the moon!

lots of people questioning this decision be lets be real - he played like 10 minutes in his freshman year at lehigh - i think he could get another season.

reading the article posted on IL - most of the incoming transfers have 2 years of eligibility left:
"The incoming group isn’t all one-and-done. The DIII transfers Jacoby and Apgar both have two years of eligibility; last year’s DIII season did not count against players. Burgdorf and Bartolo have two years of eligibility, Brecht said. IL previously reported two years remaining for Cameron."

Lucky if they go 500

maybe agaisnt Maryland.

Knights look as strong or stronger in several areas.. Key will be how steep a drop-off from Charalambides and Kirst.

honestly feel like Jacoby and Cameron will step in fine there.

They may step in, but Jacoby and Cameron are nowhere near the players charalambides and Kirst were. Bartolo is a solid option and will probably play on the 1st midfield, not an all league type guy, but he’ll add to a line that teams will now consider double polling. Burgdorf is good, but who cares if he’s on the bench. He could also rock the Apple cart culturally from the bench. Apgar may make the starting line up, but he may not, theres not a lot of polish to his game and he won’t just be able to bully guys at this level like he did at Salisbury.

Defense and goalie will be the same or better.

O-Midfield is about the same as before. Only teams will be able to put more attention on them without that great attack unit. Knobloch gets a lot of hype for a guy that scored 1 goal in the final 6 games of the year. Teams figured him out, he’ll need to develop.

Face-off. - improved. Deeper, not game changers.

Attack - huge drop off. I know there are transfers but replacing what was the greatest attack unit in the programs history with D3 transfers and D1 bench transfers and being excited. seems like there’s some false hope. They will not have the scoring punch to just will them out of games (At Michigan as an example)

If you talk to the Rutgers staff they will tell you that the biggest impact was that the 3 grad transfers, Kirst, Kirst, and Ward, had a dramatic impact on the locker room and work ethic. If that is not maintained, or this team comes back satisfied and thinking they finally made it. They will go right back to where they were before.

Lastly I know it worked great in 2021, but looking at the future. Having a wealth of 6th year guys does not always translate to winning. They can get distracted, not connect with the rest of the team, be more interested in getting their careers started. It’s not always as simple as just rolling the ball out. It’s not a game of Madden. Not saying that will happen, but it is a delicate and difficult balance for most teams to manage. Just because it worked with one group, doesn’t mean it’ll work with the next.

Two of the three guys you mention as locker room guy are back. Sure, there will be some production that will be needed to be found at the attack but the staff is confident they will. With the focus on the midfield, that gives them time to gel and find chemistry. Ross Scott will likely be playing from behind. Expectations are very high for him.

The D will likely be even better with all that returns, like the midfield. This is a tournament caliber roster no question.

Scott could be very good...he showed his potential vs UNC...he's ready to pop...

The defense (with Kirst back) can be better

Can we get better, more consistent performance from the face off x...hope so

[Lax1887]

Rutgers Athletics website article posted today on returning seniors: https://scarletknights.com/news/2021/8/ ... eason.aspx

[bananas]

Rutgers Athletics website article posted today on returning seniors: https://scarletknights.com/news/2021/8/ ... eason.aspx

Important veteran returns. Knights will have good set of defensive mids and Ward will help in several ways. Kirst return just enthralls and raises. Wish one NJyan had come home instead of wasting his last year but Knights defense will be very good . If attack unit is productive then this team can match the success of last year.

[FannOLax]

Rutgers Athletics website article posted today on returning seniors: https://scarletknights.com/news/2021/8/ ... eason.aspx

Hmmm, Brian Ward, who was a sophomore defensive midfielder on Yale's 2018 national championship team, is back yet again for Rutgers. Somehow it seems that everyone sticks around at Rutgers until hitting 26 or 28 years of age.

[courtdog]

Got to give Brecht credit, he is doing some things that are out of the box and he might be on to something

[DocBarrister]

Rutgers Athletics website article posted today on returning seniors: https://scarletknights.com/news/2021/8/ ... eason.aspx

Hmmm, Brian Ward, who was a sophomore defensive midfielder on Yale's 2018 national championship team, is back yet again for Rutgers. Somehow it seems that everyone sticks around at Rutgers until hitting 26 or 28 years of age.

Is it just a coincidence that Rutgers also happens to be the home of the New Jersey Center for Biomaterials, which extensively utilizes cryopreservation technologies in its “research”?!?

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5651856/

Just sayin’ ….

DocBarrister

[Laxfan#1969]

Rutgers Athletics website article posted today on returning seniors: https://scarletknights.com/news/2021/8/ ... eason.aspx

Hmmm, Brian Ward, who was a sophomore defensive midfielder on Yale's 2018 national championship team, is back yet again for Rutgers. Somehow it seems that everyone sticks around at Rutgers until hitting 26 or 28 years of age.

Ward is expected to play LSM...he was a transfer in last year and promptly had a season ending lower leg injury last fall...hence the extended return...bad luck...but hopefully he stays healthy this year and can be a contributor...

RU is loaded with experienced veteran skilled SSDM's...that will be a strength of their team

[FannOLax]

Yes, a graduate transfer. I hope he stays healthy in 2022 and gets to contribute. Solid defender with good stick skills.

[InsiderRoll]

With the new season upon us, the score of impact transfers and returnees, and Colin Kirst being granted a redshirt year, things On the Banks are looking sky high.

Best of luck to the Scarlet Knights, including the entire staff. To the moon!

lots of people questioning this decision be lets be real - he played like 10 minutes in his freshman year at lehigh - i think he could get another season.

reading the article posted on IL - most of the incoming transfers have 2 years of eligibility left:
"The incoming group isn’t all one-and-done. The DIII transfers Jacoby and Apgar both have two years of eligibility; last year’s DIII season did not count against players. Burgdorf and Bartolo have two years of eligibility, Brecht said. IL previously reported two years remaining for Cameron."

Lucky if they go 500

maybe agaisnt Maryland.

Knights look as strong or stronger in several areas.. Key will be how steep a drop-off from Charalambides and Kirst.

honestly feel like Jacoby and Cameron will step in fine there.

They may step in, but Jacoby and Cameron are nowhere near the players charalambides and Kirst were. Bartolo is a solid option and will probably play on the 1st midfield, not an all league type guy, but he’ll add to a line that teams will now consider double polling. Burgdorf is good, but who cares if he’s on the bench. He could also rock the Apple cart culturally from the bench. Apgar may make the starting line up, but he may not, theres not a lot of polish to his game and he won’t just be able to bully guys at this level like he did at Salisbury.

Defense and goalie will be the same or better.

O-Midfield is about the same as before. Only teams will be able to put more attention on them without that great attack unit. Knobloch gets a lot of hype for a guy that scored 1 goal in the final 6 games of the year. Teams figured him out, he’ll need to develop.

Face-off. - improved. Deeper, not game changers.

Attack - huge drop off. I know there are transfers but replacing what was the greatest attack unit in the programs history with D3 transfers and D1 bench transfers and being excited. seems like there’s some false hope. They will not have the scoring punch to just will them out of games (At Michigan as an example)

If you talk to the Rutgers staff they will tell you that the biggest impact was that the 3 grad transfers, Kirst, Kirst, and Ward, had a dramatic impact on the locker room and work ethic. If that is not maintained, or this team comes back satisfied and thinking they finally made it. They will go right back to where they were before.

Lastly I know it worked great in 2021, but looking at the future. Having a wealth of 6th year guys does not always translate to winning. They can get distracted, not connect with the rest of the team, be more interested in getting their careers started. It’s not always as simple as just rolling the ball out. It’s not a game of Madden. Not saying that will happen, but it is a delicate and difficult balance for most teams to manage. Just because it worked with one group, doesn’t mean it’ll work with the next.

Two of the three guys you mention as locker room guy are back. Sure, there will be some production that will be needed to be found at the attack but the staff is confident they will. With the focus on the midfield, that gives them time to gel and find chemistry. Ross Scott will likely be playing from behind. Expectations are very high for him.

The D will likely be even better with all that returns, like the midfield. This is a tournament caliber roster no question.

Scott could be very good...he showed his potential vs UNC...he's ready to pop...

The defense (with Kirst back) can be better

Can we get better, more consistent performance from the face off x...hope so

I guess we’ll find out in a few months. But you don’t need to look much further than the B1G to see that things can unravel quickly.

The 2020 Penn State team was more talented and had more potential that the 2021 Rutgers team. They had 7 of those seniors stay and play in 2021. Arguably bringing back more in 2021 than Rutgers does in 2022. They finished 4-7 and weren’t all that good. The loss of Ament and Wright was too much. Rutgers loses even more than the 2020 PSU team did and wasn’t as good to begin with. There’s a lot to play out and it’ll be interesting to see how Rutgers handles expectations, replacement of players, and a blogger wave of transfers into the locker room.

[Laxfan#1969]

With the new season upon us, the score of impact transfers and returnees, and Colin Kirst being granted a redshirt year, things On the Banks are looking sky high.

Best of luck to the Scarlet Knights, including the entire staff. To the moon!

lots of people questioning this decision be lets be real - he played like 10 minutes in his freshman year at lehigh - i think he could get another season.

reading the article posted on IL - most of the incoming transfers have 2 years of eligibility left:
"The incoming group isn’t all one-and-done. The DIII transfers Jacoby and Apgar both have two years of eligibility; last year’s DIII season did not count against players. Burgdorf and Bartolo have two years of eligibility, Brecht said. IL previously reported two years remaining for Cameron."

Lucky if they go 500

maybe agaisnt Maryland.

Knights look as strong or stronger in several areas.. Key will be how steep a drop-off from Charalambides and Kirst.

honestly feel like Jacoby and Cameron will step in fine there.

They may step in, but Jacoby and Cameron are nowhere near the players charalambides and Kirst were. Bartolo is a solid option and will probably play on the 1st midfield, not an all league type guy, but he’ll add to a line that teams will now consider double polling. Burgdorf is good, but who cares if he’s on the bench. He could also rock the Apple cart culturally from the bench. Apgar may make the starting line up, but he may not, theres not a lot of polish to his game and he won’t just be able to bully guys at this level like he did at Salisbury.

Defense and goalie will be the same or better.

O-Midfield is about the same as before. Only teams will be able to put more attention on them without that great attack unit. Knobloch gets a lot of hype for a guy that scored 1 goal in the final 6 games of the year. Teams figured him out, he’ll need to develop.

Face-off. - improved. Deeper, not game changers.

Attack - huge drop off. I know there are transfers but replacing what was the greatest attack unit in the programs history with D3 transfers and D1 bench transfers and being excited. seems like there’s some false hope. They will not have the scoring punch to just will them out of games (At Michigan as an example)

If you talk to the Rutgers staff they will tell you that the biggest impact was that the 3 grad transfers, Kirst, Kirst, and Ward, had a dramatic impact on the locker room and work ethic. If that is not maintained, or this team comes back satisfied and thinking they finally made it. They will go right back to where they were before.

Lastly I know it worked great in 2021, but looking at the future. Having a wealth of 6th year guys does not always translate to winning. They can get distracted, not connect with the rest of the team, be more interested in getting their careers started. It’s not always as simple as just rolling the ball out. It’s not a game of Madden. Not saying that will happen, but it is a delicate and difficult balance for most teams to manage. Just because it worked with one group, doesn’t mean it’ll work with the next.

Two of the three guys you mention as locker room guy are back. Sure, there will be some production that will be needed to be found at the attack but the staff is confident they will. With the focus on the midfield, that gives them time to gel and find chemistry. Ross Scott will likely be playing from behind. Expectations are very high for him.

The D will likely be even better with all that returns, like the midfield. This is a tournament caliber roster no question.

Scott could be very good...he showed his potential vs UNC...he's ready to pop...

The defense (with Kirst back) can be better

Can we get better, more consistent performance from the face off x...hope so

I guess we’ll find out in a few months. But you don’t need to look much further than the B1G to see that things can unravel quickly.

The 2020 Penn State team was more talented and had more potential that the 2021 Rutgers team. They had 7 of those seniors stay and play in 2021. Arguably bringing back more in 2021 than Rutgers does in 2022. They finished 4-7 and weren’t all that good. The loss of Ament and Wright was too much. Rutgers loses even more than the 2020 PSU team did and wasn’t as good to begin with. There’s a lot to play out and it’ll be interesting to see how Rutgers handles expectations, replacement of players, and a blogger wave of transfers into the locker room.

All true...nobody knows how it will play out for any of these teams...with the exception of Maryland...the expectation is they'll be very good as always...

My view as posted many times is wait it out (as you state in your first sentence)...I certainly would never call Rutgers the best team in the conference by a stretch...but I'd also slow the commentary from many on this board saying they'll fall to last place...time will tell

RU has a strong core of guys coming back, but also has to deal with fitting in new pieces...and yes, we all know they lost a ton of offensive talent...their back end with Kirst back will be very good...but who knows if they will score goals...

Lots of questions...but it's fair for RU fans to be hopeful...

Also, I assume your talking about the 2019 PSU team...the 2020 season was essentially a wash due to covid cancellation