PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Ken Springer must be a little sick of looking up to his older brother.

It’s happened so many times. Like five years ago at Ridgewood High in New Jersey, where Ken’s all-state honors seemed great until his brother was deemed an All-American.

Then there was May 29, 2000, when Ken, whose Rutgers lacrosse team hasn’t even sniffed the postseason, watched Mike win a national championship for Syracuse.

If that’s not enough, Ken still grinds his teeth every time he looks at the stat sheet and sees that his 15 goals, which ties for the Rutgers lead, can’t compare to Mike’s 23.

So it was little surprise that Ken watched his older brother Mike steal the show again Saturday. Not only did the Orangemen beat the Scarlet Knights, 13-4, but Mike, not Ken, scored three show-off goals that yanked the 40 Springer family members in attendance out of their seats.

“There are certain games you lose and you can walk away happy,” said Ken, who scored once. “This isn’t one of those games. I’m happy for Mike, but it would have been nice to have it go my way this time.”

Alas, Mike stole the show midway through the first quarter with a goal so spectacular it negated all hopes of Ken sneaking into the spotlight. With Syracuse down 1-0, Springer won a skirmish for the ball in front of the net and whipped a behind-the-back shot past Rutgers’ goalie Chris Kenyon.

Both Springers scored in the second quarter, Mike on a one-timer from Mike Powell and Ken on a side-arm sling from 10 yards out.

Ken, though, could only watch from the other side of the field when Mike, with his back to the goal, nonchalantly swung a two-handed shot over his head and past Kenyon early in the third quarter.

“I just had a lucky situation,” Mike said. “I wasn’t trying to make anybody feel bad or show off.”

And even if he was, could you blame him? Relatives from North Dakota and Georgia checked in to watch the Springers battle.

After the game, the large clan flanked Mike and Ken, still in uniform, for what Ken Springer, their father, deemed the photo op of a lifetime.

“This is a moment you have to capture,” the elder Springer said. “It’s an incredibly proud day as a father. One kid lost and the other won, but it doesn’t change anything.”

It might have changed something if, this time, the other Springer won.

In three years at Rutgers, things haven’t gone Ken’s way all that often. Not only has he lost to Mike and Syracuse three times, but he’s also played each game with a different head coach.

“It’s definitely a frustrating experience for him,” Mike said. “He’s had three coaches in three years. Each coach brainwashes the team and then leaves a year later. I don’t even think we’ve had three trainers in three years. It’s gotta be tough.”

“Ken is succeeding on his own at Rutgers,” their father said. “I think he probably questions it sometimes. Should he have gone to a place like Syracuse? But he decided to do it his own way. It has its up and downs, but he’s doing well.”

Young Rutgers fans think so too. After the game, both Springer brothers stayed on the field and signed autographs. One kid spent a few minutes begging Ken for his lacrosse stick before giving up.

After about 10 minutes, the two left the stadium and started the family photo shoot. Mike and Ken stood in the center, finally sharing the spotlight.

“It’s nice having everybody here, and it’s definitely weird going against your little brother,” Mike said. “You want to win, but you also want to see him do well. I wish he was unstoppable but we still won. But I guess you can’t have both all the time.”

Published on April 14, 2002 at 12:00 pm