Box Score
Geneva, N.Y. – Despite the first hat trick of sophomore
James Rahe's
(Aldergrove, British Columbia / W.J. Mouat) career, the
Robert Morris University men's lacrosse team dropped its second Northeast Conference (NEC) game in a 8-6 defeat at Hobart this afternoon.
Robert Morris (2-4, 0-2 NEC) falls to 0-2 in conference play for the first time since 2011. That season, the Colonials rebounded from their slow start to make their first NEC Tournament.
Hobart (2-5, 1-0 NEC) snapped a two-game losing streak to RMU with the victory.
The Statesmen and Colonials traded goals in the first quarter, with the home team tallying one more than the visitors to take a 3-2 lead. Rahe was the first to score for RMU, then after classmate
Eric Rankel (Downingtown, Pa. / Downingtown West) forced a turnover, the offensive rush set up the 10
th goal of the season for freshman
JonPatrik Kealey (Ottawa, Ontario / South Carleton) off a pass from sophomore
Luke Laszkiewicz (Oshawa, Ontario / Westminster Prep).
However, Hobart picked up two unanswered goals in the second quarter to stretch its lead to 5-2 going into the halftime break.
Rankel ended a scoreless drought of nearly 26 minutes with an unassisted tally to begin in the third quarter, pulling the Colonials within two. Even with goals from Rahe and Laszkiewicz however, the Statesmen always had an answer and took their three-goal lead into the final stanza.
With 5:26 remaining in regulation, Hobart had a player sent off for a pushing minor. RMU took advantage of the man-up opportunity, as Rahe completed the hat trick off a pass from Laszkiewicz.
That's all the scoring the fourth quarter would see, as a late offensive attack would falter and the Statesmen would come away with the victory.
Senior
Brian Bohn (Mars, Pa. / Seneca Valley) made 10 saves in the loss.
Kealey, Rankel, and Laszkiewicz each hit the 10-goal mark with their tallies this afternoon.
Robert Morris returns home next weekend to take on Jacksonville. The non-conference match-up with the Dolphins is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. start on Saturday, March 22 from Joe Walton Stadium.