Moon Township, Pa. - Fresh off its upset victory at nationally-ranked Ohio State, the Robert Morris University men's lacrosse team claimed votes in a national poll for the third time this season.
RMU was listed as the third team in the also receiving votes section of both the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Coaches' Poll and the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll in each of the latest polls that came out Monday.
After falling behind 3-0 at the end of first quarter last Friday, RMU came fighting back and rallied to produce a 9-7 upset victory over the Buckeyes. The win came two years to the day after Robert Morris' first-ever triumph over Ohio State and gave RMU its second straight victory in the series between the Colonials and the Buckeyes. RMU's triumph was also its second win over a nationally-ranked opponent in its last eight games against non-conference foes.
With its contest against Ohio State, each of Robert Morris' first six contests have now come against opponents which have been ranked or received votes nationally at some point during the season. Furthermore, the Colonials' schedule has been made more challenging due to the fact that the squad has had to play five of its first half-dozen outings away from home.
RMU leads the NEC in goals per game (11.17) and is being led by one of the top scoring duos in the nation in senior Kiel Matisz (Stoney Creek, Ontario / Saltfleet) and junior Jake Hayes (Calgary, Alberta / Central Memorial). Matisz and Hayes have both put home 16 goals with the former posting 25 points and the latter notching 22. Matisz leads the league in points per game (4.17), sitting 13th nationally, while Hayes ranked first across the country in shooting percentage (.667) at the beginning of the week.
The road ahead continues to feature some formidable competition for the Colonials as it will face a trio of squads--Bucknell, Mount St. Mary's and Bryant--that have already gained mention in national polls this season.
RMU will continue its second three-game roadtrip of the season this weekend. The Colonials will play at Hobart for the first time in school history Saturday, March 17. The opening faceoff is set for 1:00 p.m.
