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The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are the 30th team in our 2018 schedule preview series and the fourth team from the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights missed out on the NCAA Tournament once again, despite being ranked number one during part of the regular season and having only four losses. They return Adam Charalambides and Christian Trasolini after they missed last season with injuries.
Here’s the entire 2018 schedule:
Rutgers’ 2018 Schedule
| Date | Road Team | Home Team | Special Notes | Last Year's Meeting(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Road Team | Home Team | Special Notes | Last Year's Meeting(s) |
| 1/20 | Holy Cross | Rutgers | Scrimmage | |
| 1/27 | UMBC | Rutgers | Scrimmage | |
| 2/3 | Robert Morris | Rutgers | First ever meeting | |
| 2/10 | St. John's | Rutgers | 16-8 W | |
| 2/17 | Rutgers | Army West Point | 12-10 W | |
| 2/24 | Fairfield | Rutgers | 8-3 W | |
| 3/3 | Rutgers | Brown | 13-11 W | |
| 3/10 | Rutgers | Princeton | Tots Meistrell Cup | 16-11 W |
| 3/14 | Rutgers | Lehigh | First meeting since 1990 (21-6 W) | |
| 3/18 | Syracuse | Rutgers | First meeting since 2013 (12-11 W); Former Big East rivals | |
| 3/24 | Delaware | Rutgers | 13-9 L | |
| 4/1 | Johns Hopkins | Rutgers | Big Ten | 12-6 L |
| 4/8 | Michigan | Rutgers | Big Ten | 14-7 W |
| 4/15 | Rutgers | Maryland | Big Ten | 13-12 L/3OT |
| 4/22 | Penn State | Rutgers | Big Ten | 13-7 L |
| 4/28 | Rutgers | Ohio State | Big Ten | 12-11 W/OT |
We don’t see Wagner, Stony Brook, or NJIT on the schedule. To replace them are Robert Morris, Lehigh, and probably the most exciting one, Syracuse.
Let’s check out some notable games on this schedule:
Best Nonconference Game: vs. Syracuse
Would’ve been Army West Point or Brown, but the addition of Syracuse at High Point Solutions Stadium is a huge get for a rising program. It could be a top 10 or top five matchup come St. Patrick’s Day, and it should be filled with a ton of offense.
Best Conference Game: vs. Penn State
When this game was held in Piscataway in 2016, it was a rocking atmosphere with a ton of action, as the Scarlet Knights won by just a goal. That also helped them get into the Big Ten Tournament. In a conference where almost every team has a chance to get into the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments, this year’s meeting could decide who has an easier path to May Madness.
Under The Radar Game: vs. Robert Morris
The Colonials return their top nine scorers from a year ago, as well as their entire starting defense. Are they the best NEC team, maybe not. But they’ll definitely put some pressure on Bryant this year, and should be competitive elsewhere in the season, and hope to make an early impact against Rutgers.
Possible Upset: @ Lehigh
The Mountain Hawks hope to take the next step forward as a rising program with a good crop of juniors. They have an ample opportunity to host Rutgers in the team’s only midweek game of the season and get a big win for their development as a program.