PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Lafayette College men's lacrosse team played a tight first quarter with No. 8 Rutgers, but ultimately fell 22-10 at the hands of the Scarlet Knights in SHI Stadium Tuesday afternoon.
 
Sophomore Kalman Kraham notched a hat trick on the afternoon with three goals on six shots, including the Leopards' first of the game to tie it at 1-1.
 
Junior Macklin Fitzpatrick followed that up with his first of two first-quarter goals to give Lafayette the 2-1 lead at the 10:54 mark of the first.
 
It was just a one-goal game at the end of the first before Rutgers scored 15 of the next 17 tallies, while holding the Leopards scoreless in the third quarter.
 
Sophomore Ben Howard made his first career start in net and made nine saves in the process, playing all 60 minutes of action.
 
Lafayette was able to close out the afternoon with a positive, outscoring Rutgers 5-4 in the final frame. Sophomore Jacob Freeman and Kraham scored back-to-back goals early in the fourth before classmate Peter Lehman recorded the man-up tally.
 
Lehman closed the day with a goal and two assists. Sophomore Connor Freeman converted his third goal of the season just before senior Cole Dutton fired a goal from the point of Lehman's feed to close out the Lafayette scoring.
 
The Leopards return to Patriot League action and stay on the road, traveling to Colgate for a noon start on Saturday in Hamilton, New York.
 
For the latest on the Lafayette College men's lacrosse program, follow the Leopards on Twitter @LafayetteMLAX and Instagram @lafayettemlax.