Records are meant to be broken. Seasons are meant to be rewritten.
Sophomore attacker Jack Rego (#22) delivered a performance meant for the record books, tallying 12 points within a single lacrosse game to break a record older than himself in a game where the Rams wanted the win.
Rego since joining the Rams squad has averaged nearly four points per game throughout his collegiate career, a testament to his offensive dominance straight off the whistle.
He wasted no time making his presence known, recording four goals and three assists within the first half alone.
For Rego, the performance wasn’t about his individual stats – it was for the team.
“My level of training and the trust everyone puts in me allows me to get out there and give my best for everyone,” Rego said. “I just try to push everyone around me to be the best they can.”
That energy was carried into the second half where Rego continued to take over. He accounted for four of the Rams nine second-half goals, which helped maintain control through the final minutes.
The moment came early in the fourth quarter final quarter. After being called for a slashing penalty, Rego spent a minute in the box as the game was tied. Just 25 seconds after being released, sophomore midfielder Ryan Menard (#53) found him on the left side feeding him the ball. Once cradled, Rego capitalized – firing the shot for a goal that would secure his 12th point of the contest and etch his name in program history.
From penalty box to record book, the moment was forever sealed.
“I was [angry] that they gave me a flag in the first place,” Rego said. “[When I was] coming out of the box, I just wanted [us] to get the lead.”
The previous record was set in 2000 by Mike Roth, who scored 10 points during the National Tournament game against California Berkeley.
More than two decades later the mark stood untouched, until Rego’s performance reset the standard.
While it was an outstanding individual’s accomplishment, an individual cannot succeed without those who stand with them.
“If I get a couple goals here and there, that’s great, but it’s just [about] the team overall,” Rego said.
It was a shift that was needed for CSU, as they had entered the contest on a seven-game losing streak following a loss to San Diego State just two days earlier.
“It just got to a point where we all wanted to win,” Rego said. “We were just angry, we wanted [to make] a statement.”
The game against Chapman resulted in a 19-15 win against an MCLA No. 12 ranked team, a result the Rams had been gunning for all season. While it was only their second win of the season, it could carry more significance for the team.
Not only was it a record-breaking performance, it was also a unified push by the team, the Rams found the spark they needed.
With the record now his, he’s shown the team their ability to turn the page, signaling that the Rams are still capable of rewriting their story this season.
