Moon Township, Pa. - March 12, 2010 - The Robert Morris University Colonials entered the second half only down by two, 8-6, but the St. Bonaventure Bonnies overwhelmed the Colonials with four unanswered goals throughout the first 20 minutes of the final stanza to lead them to a 15-8 victory at Joe Walton Stadium on Friday afternoon.
The loss brings the Colonials record to 1-3, while the Bonnies earned their first win of the season to give them a 1-3 record, as well.
Junior Ashley Trombetta (Sykesville, Md. / Century) and senior Ali Gibbons (Candia, N.H. / Machester) led the Colonials with two goals and two assists each, while junior Alana Beck (Carle Place, N.Y. / Old Dominion) also added a pair of goals in the contest. Alexis Liberatore (Marriotsville, Md. / Liberty) captured a team high three caused turnovers and junior Karly O'Brien (Rockville, Md. / Our Lady of Good Counsel) led the game with five ground balls.
St. Bonaventure led the contest for the entire 60 minutes of play, which started with a goal at the 3:01 mark by Danielle Drabin on a free position shot. Beck responded for the Colonials with a goal 19 seconds later off an assist from Courtney Sicinski (Downingtown, Pa. / Downingtown West), but the Bonnies went on a four goal scoring spree throughout the next four minutes to give SBU a four goal lead. Molly Hastrich scored two of the four goals for the Bonnies.
Robert Morris was finally able to get in a groove with 18:14 left to play in the first when Gibbons connected on a free position shot. Trombetta and Colleen O'Donnell (Portland, Ore. / St. Mary's Academy) captured two more scores within the next minute to cut SBU's lead to one at 5-4. This would be the closest the Colonials ever came to the Bonnies throughout the rest of play.
St. Bonaventure's Samantha Cavallaro scored at the 16:09 mark and Marybeth Madia found the RMU net with 6:35 left to play to put the Bonnies up by three. Each squad captured one more goal before the half to set the score at 8-6 heading into the second frame.
SBU dominated the start of play, scoring four goals throughout the first 20 minutes, while also holding the Colonials scoreless until 28:52. Gibbons was finally able to break the silence and scored a goal for RMU with 10:18 left on the scoreboard to bring RMU within five.
The Colonials were only able to score one more time before the end of regulation, while the Bonnies ran past RMU's defense three more times to finalize the score 15-8.
SBU's Tori Waheibi finished the contest with 12 saves, while the duo of Erica Webb (Arnold, Md. / Broadneck) and Jennifer Schulze (Bel Air, Md. / C. Milton Wright) tallied 12 stops as well. Webb led with nine saves.
Robert Morris returns to action on Sunday, March 14 to take on Manhattan at Joe Walton Stadium at 1:00 p.m.
