Last week, junior Morgan Ruggieri verbally committed to play lacrosse at Manhattan College, making her Stony Brook’s first Division I commit in womens’ lacrosse since Caitlin Banks ’00 with the University of Virginia.

In her first season with the Bears in 2019, Ruggieri established herself as one of the top freshman on the island, leading the team in scoring with 44 goals and 5 assists, including three separate seven-goal outbursts, as she powered the team to its first postseason appearance in program history. Last season she was named to Long Island Lacrosse Journal‘s 2022 Watch List, but lost out on her sophomore season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year she is poised to lead a youthful but talented squad back to the PSAA playoffs.

Manhattan College, which plays in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, has won three MAAC conference titles in their history and Ruggieri hopes to play a role in bringing home the first since 2005. In 2019, the Jaspers finished fourth in the conference with a 6-2 record to earn a berth in the MAAC playoffs along with Fairfield, Siena, Canisius, Marist, and Monmouth.

The Bears are set to open the season on April 14 at home vs. Portledge.

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