Senior forward Ben Stitz opened and closed the scoring and sophomore forward Stas Korzeniowski scored in between for Penn as the Quakers defeated the Scarlet Knights 3-0 in their first-round NCAA Tournament matchup.

All the damage was done by Penn’s two top scorers, but the Scarlet Knights were stymied by outstanding goalkeeping from Nick Christoffersen, who went into Thursday night averaging less than a goal a game this season. In the match, Christoffersen made five saves as he recorded a clean sheet victory.

Just days after the Scarlet Knights’ program reached new heights by winning the Big Ten Tournament Championship, Rutgers made an early exit in the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

The offensive firepower of the Quakers was on display against Rutgers, and while the Scarlet Knights had 12 shots in the game, Penn clearly set the tone for the match with RU often scrambling to make great plays to keep the game close.

With RU goalkeeper Ciaran Dalton out of position, Stitz found himself alone in front of a yawning net and fired what appeared to be an easy goal. But that’s when Rutgers defender Tommy DeVizio made the play of the game for the Scarlet Knights, robbing Stitz, who had raised his hands triumphantly believing that he had scored.

But as the frustration level grew, the Scarlet Knights pressed harder to make plays and began drawing fouls, including three yellow cards to Ian Abbey, Joey Zalinsky and Matthew Acosta.

In the end, the Scarlet Knights lost to a superior team, but the strides made by the program in 2022 will never be erased. This year’s berth into the NCAA Tournament was their first since 2015, and was their eighteenth overall. In addition, this year’s squad is only the third team to capture any Big Ten title for the school, and the first to do it in any men’s sport. The question now is whether or not head coach Jim McElderry can build upon this year’s success to keep the program moving forward.