Box Score

Philadelphia, Pa. – Despite hat tricks from sophomores Luke Laszkiewicz (Oshawa, Ontario / Westminster Prep) and Eric Rankel (Downingtown, Pa. / Downingtown West), and freshman JonPatrik Kealey (Ottawa, Ontario / South Carleton), the Robert Morris University men's lacrosse team fell to No. 16/15 Drexel this afternoon, 18-12.

Robert Morris (1-2, 0-0 NEC) pulled within two at one point of the fourth quarter, but Drexel (2-2, 0-0 CAA) answered with four goals in the final 4:36 to set the final.

After the Dragons scored the first two goals of the game, the Colonials answered with 47 seconds left in the first quarter as Laszkiewicz found the back of the net off a pass from Kealey.

Drexel regained its two-goal advantage with a tally from Nick Trizano, but RMU responded with five and a half minutes left in the first half as senior Ryan Higgins (Downingtown, Pa. / Downingtown West) scored his first goal of the season.

Three more Dragon goals made it 6-2 with three and a half minutes remaining in the half. A minute later, John Emmenecker's (Toledo, Ohio / St. John's Jesuit) shot was stopped by Drexel goaltender Wil Gabrielsen, but the groundball found its way to Kealey, who ripped a shot to stop the bleeding temporarily.

The Dragons added a goal to take a 7-3 lead into halftime.

Kealey scored his second of the game midway through the third quarter, but Drexel answered with two goals to make it a five-goal game.

Facing a five-goal deficit, sophomore James Rahe (Aldergrove, British Columbia / W.J. Mouat) started the Colonials' comeback attempt with a tally off a pass from Barney. The Dragons quickly responded, but Laszkiewicz answered back with his first goal of the contest.

With just seconds left in the third frame, Rankel forced a turnover in the Colonial defensive end and recovered his own groundball. The sophomore then sprinted down the length of the field and ripped a shot, finding the back of the net as time expired to give RMU a jolt of momentum for the final 15 minutes.

After the teams traded two goals each to start the fourth quarter, Laszkiewicz pulled the Colonials within two with a diving shot that trickled under the goaltender's legs.

Drexel made it a three-goal game once more, but RMU responded as senior Sean Meagher (Chesterfield, Mo. / St. Louis University) picked up the groundball off the face-off and rifled a shot for his first goal of the season.

After the Dragons scored off the following face-off, Rankel completed his fifth hat trick of his career (first of the season) with a goal similar to his buzzer-beater in the previous quarter. The sophomore again picked up a groundball on the defensive end and sprinted the length of the field, weaving through the Drexel defense before ripping a shot from the left side of the arc.

Meagher and Rankel each forced three turnovers as the Colonials caused 11 as a team.

Senior Brian Bohn (Mars, Pa. / Seneca Valley) made four saves in the loss.

Robert Morris opens up Northeast Conference (NEC) play on Sunday, March 9 with St. Joseph's. The Colonials take on the Hawks at 11:00 a.m. on from Joe Walton Stadium.