Women's Lacrosse 2/21/2014 11:13:00 AM

RMU Starts 2014 Season with Niagara on Saturday

Game One

Robert Morris vs. Niagara
Joe Walton Stadium
Moon Township, Pa.

Saturday, February 22, 2014 - 2:00 p.m.

Video: www.necfrontrow.com

Live Stats: www.sidearmstats.com/rmu/wlax

Against Niagara
The Colonials and Purple Eagles will meet for the fifth time when the two teams battle it out at Joe Walton Stadium on Saturday. The all-time series is tied, 2-2, with Robert Morris winning the most-recent meeting between the two teams, 18-7, last season. RMU has won the previous two meetings after Niagara had won the first two meetings between the two programs. The Colonials have hosted Niagara just once, a 13-9 loss during the 2006 season.

Scouting the Purple Eagles

Niagara returns eight of its 12 starters from a 2013 team that finished 5-11 with a sixth-place finish in the MAAC. Overall, the Purple Eagles return 16 letterwinners while welcoming 11 newcomers to the team. Leading Niagara with 36 points and 17 assists in 2013, Carrie-Jo Farruqia returns to the Purple Eagles for her junior season. The leading goal scorer for Niagara in 2013, Danielle Maio returns for her sophomore campaign after 23 goals as a freshman. Maio also led the Purple Eagles with 50 shots on goal in 2013. The Purple Eagles' leader in draw controls last season with 36, Paige Matecki, returns for her senior season. Between the pipes, Paige Sasser is back with Niagara for her senior season after recording five wins with a team-best .414 save percentage. Sasser also led the Purple Eagles with 29 ground balls in 2013.

What's On Tap

The Colonials will continue a three-game homestand to kick off the 2014 campaign when Robert Morris will host Howard on Saturday, March 1 at Noon.

Tenth Season of Women's Lacrosse at RMU

When Robert Morris takes on Niagara on Saturday, it will mark the start of the tenth season in program history for the Colonials. RMU has been under the leadership of Katy Phillips in each of its ten years as a Division I program.

Draw Control Record

In 2013, Jessica Karwacki set a NCAA record with 152 draw controls. Karwacki set the record in her freshman campaign with Robert Morris.

The Usual Suspects
Ten Colonials participated in each of RMU's 16 games last season. Of those ten players, nine of them return for the 2014 season. Nine Colonials also started each of the 16 games for Robert Morris in 2013; eight of which return this year.

Landing on the Moon
Seven freshmen will look to make their collegiate debuts against Niagara on Saturday. This season's freshman class is comprised of two attack, two midfielders, two defenders, and a goaltender.

A Mainstay Between the Pipes
After an 8-8 season in 2013, goaltender Kaitlin Pentz returns for her senior year with the Colonials. Her eight wins last season matched a career high and give Pentz the second-most wins in a single season in program history. Her 22 career wins are the second-most in the RMU record books, two behind Erica Webb (2007-10) who recorded 24 victories. Pentz also has the lowest goals-against average in program history, allowing 11.04 goals-per-game.

NEC Honors in 2013
Two freshman, Brittany Byerly and Jessica Karwacki, earned spots on the NEC All-Freshman Team after the 2013 campaign. Byerly was also named to the All-NEC First Team after her first season with Robert Morris.

Byerly in the Record Books as a Freshman

In her first season with the Colonials, Brittany Byerly has already left a mark in the Robert Morris record books. Averaging 2.75 points-per-game, Byerly ranked tenth in single-season program history. Byerly's 32 goals tie her for the eighth-highest total in a single year at RMU. Of her 32 goals, Byerly picked up 15 of them off of free-position attempts, setting a new single-season record at Robert Morris. Byerly's 3.50 shots-on-goal per game is the ninth-highest average over the course of a single season.

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