One of the weekend’s feel-good stories was the Rutgers debuts of Colin and Connor Kirst, a pair of transfers whose late father played goalie for the Scarlet Knights from 1988-90. Connor had three goals and four assists, while Colin made 15 saves in an 11-9 defeat of Penn State.

But make no mistake: Rutgers doesn’t believe that’s the end of the story. Far from it.

The Scarlet Knights, who visit Ohio State on Saturday, did a lot well in their opener. They took care of the ball, committing just 12 turnovers while converting 20 of 21 clears.

An inexperienced defense — in addition to the new goalie, Rutgers had one first-time starter on close defense (Bobby Russo) and another with just six career starts (Jaryd Jean-Felix) — stymied Penn State, keeping the Nittany Lions to fewer than 10 goals for the first time since their final game in 2018.

Rutgers returned to an identity it utilized to become competitive in its early years in the Big Ten, leaning on a deep rope unit with options like Tommy Coyne, Cole Daninger, Zackary Franckowiak and Brennan Kamish to create unsettled opportunities.

The Kirsts also played a prominent part. Connor, who thrived as a midfielder at Villanova, has shifted positions to complete an imposing and experienced attack in Piscataway.

“Having him on the field all the time for 60 minutes, in transition, in 6-on-6 offense, I think is a great way to use the talent he has, and certainly he’s worked very well with Adam Charalambides and Kieran Mullins,” coach Brian Brecht said. “That’s become a very tight and dynamic group. Along with our midfield and rope guys, I’m hoping we’ll continue getting better and growing.”

Brecht emphasized that both Kirst brothers made a seamless transition when they arrived, in part because of their family’s ties to the program. But both have also been welcomed because of their personalities, both on and off the field.

That’s particularly useful for a goalie, and Colin Kirst provided a valuable spark in his first game as a Scarlet Knight after appearing in 11 games and making one start over the last four years at Lehigh.

“Colin is like a coach on the field,” Brecht said. “He commands the defense, very strong communication skills. It’s not just making saves. He’s really impressed us in practices all fall and all preseason to really be able to play in big games and not only make saves but lead the defense and make some plays outside the cage that maybe go unseen but are a big reason of why we’re having success.”

With so many teams struggling to find their footing in their openers after the unusual offseason, Rutgers was one of the success stories right from the start. Brecht was pleased with how his team handled its fall and preseason workouts, but there was still a degree of uncertainty prior to the Scarlet Knights’ impressive opening showing.

“Obviously, there’s a reason you scrimmage in the fall and the preseason,” Brecht said. “There’s a reason you have for the non-conference games, to prepare yourself for the conference games. So opening up with Penn State, a top-five team, opening up and going right into Big Ten play, there was a sense of urgency. I appreciate the guys answering the bell.”