Although UMass ultimately went on to win its college lacrosse game at Brown, the biggest storyline from the afternoon had nothing to do with the final score. A vicious truck stick sparked a rules debate.
Was it legal? Who is at fault?
As with many field sports, college lacrosse officiating can often be subjective. The rules are up for interpretation.
PJ Behan of Brown absolutely LEVELED Jack Turowsky of UMass.
Neither Brown University nor the University of Massachusetts Amherst rank inside the Top 25 at the moment. However, UMass did receive votes in the last poll at 4-1 with a loss only to 12th-ranked Army. Thus, it was a must-win game for the Minutemen against the previously undefeated Bears and they went on to win by a final score of 11-8.
But that is not what we are here to discuss!
PJ Behan plays midfield for Brown. The senior is listed on the roster at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds. Jack Turowsky plays midfield for UMass. The sophomore is listed on the roster at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds.
The two midfielders met at the logo during their most recent meeting, which led to a violent collision.
Behan was bringing the ball up the field for the Bears. Turowsky tried to stop him.
Newton’s First Law of Motion (Law of Inertia) states that an object in motion will stay in motion at the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced external force. An object at rest will also stay at rest unless acted upon by an unbalanced external force.
Behan was the former. He stayed in motion. Turowsky was the latter. He did not stay at rest.
We just had an absolute TRUCK stick in the Brown vs UMass game
— Matt Nestler (@mnestler40) February 25, 2026
They are calling a penalty on Brown here, the guy carrying the rock got the penalty here !
You gotta just let the boys play. I’ve never seen this pic.twitter.com/QuWs7GxDcY
However, the officials decided to throw a flag on Brown. UMass benefited from an extra-man opportunity because of the penalty.
What is an illegal body check in college lacrosse?
PJ Behan was called for an illegal body check. It is a minor, 30-second infraction. There is a debate as to whether it was the correct decision. Officials could’ve allowed play to continue.
Per the rules of college lacrosse as they are written, an illegal body check should be called if contact is made from behind, below the waist or above the shoulders or with the head. The player on the receiving end of the hit must not be in a vulnerable, defenseless position. His head cannot be down. Contact cannot be made after a shot or pass.
This is where the debate comes to exist. Was it an illegal body check?
Some people see the call as correct because Behan lowered his head to initiate contact.
Others question whether Turowsky should be considered in a vulnerable position because he turtled.
Fortunately, this call did not have a direct impact on the final score. Unfortunately, the penalty took away the best truck stick of the year.
What do you think? Was it the right call? Let me know via email at Grayson@BroBible.com!