Robert Morris Colonials (1-7, 0-1 NEC) vs. Hobart Statesmen (4-3, 1-0 NEC)
Saturday, March 28, 2015 / Joe Walton Stadium – Moon Township, Pa. / 1:00 p.m.

Scouting Hobart – The Statesmen have alternated wins and losses this season, coming into this meeting with a 4-3 overall record following an overtime victory over Bryant last weekend. Senior attack Alex Love leads Hobart with 12 goals and 16 points, and was named to the Tewaaraton Watch List for the third consecutive season. Love's classmate Brendan Saylor is the only other Statesman in double-digit goals with 10. Junior midfielder Cooper Stefaniak has scooped up a team-high 24 groundballs, while sophomore defenseman Grant Soucy leads Hobart with seven caused turnovers. At the X, freshman J. Andrew Spallanzani takes the majority of the draws, winning 44.2 percent (46-104) of them. Sophomore goaltender Jackson Brown has started every game in net for the Statesmen, compiling a goals against average of 9.71 and a .550 save percentage.
 
Against the Statesmen – Robert Morris is 2-3 against Hobart in its history. The Colonials saw their two-game winning streak over the Statesmen snapped last season, as the new Northeast Conference (NEC) team squeaked out an 8-6 victory in Geneva. This will be the fifth straight season in which RMU and Hobart have played.


 
On Deck – Robert Morris travels across the state next weekend as it takes on Saint Joseph's. The Colonials fell to the Hawks last season, 11-8, despite Sean Meagher scoring twice and adding an assist. Prior to last year, RMU's last meeting with Saint Joseph's came in its first game as a Division I program on Feb. 19, 2005 in State College.
 
Last Time Out – On Tuesday, the Colonials hosted a Top 10 opponent for the first time since April 17, 2010 as No. 3 Maryland arrived at Moon Township. The Terrapins were too strong for the Colonials however, as they left with a 13-4 victory. RMU saw four different players score, including Ryan Madigan, who tallied his first career goal.
 
Coming Up Roses – Chase Rose had a busy day on Tuesday as he stopped a career-high 16 shots against No. 3 Maryland. The 16-save performance was the most for a Colonial freshman since Matt Bukovac on Feb. 18, 2012, when he stopped 16 shots at UMBC.
 
Finding Faceoffs – Chris Barney has enjoyed a nice run at the faceoff X in March as he has won 53 of his last 103 draws, good enough for a .515 percentage. That mark is .079 higher than his career faceoff percentage of .436, and over a course of a season would be the highest for a Colonial specialist since Mike Grosz's .535 mark in 2012.
 
Hey Mr. Carter – Carter Yepsen is one of five Colonials with double-digit points this season as he has registered 16 in his first eight games. Yepsen has scored 10 goals and dished out six assists in his rookie campaign, and registered a point in five consecutive contests.
 
Alumni Update – Two former Colonials have excelled in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) this season as they both rank in the top 25 in major offensive categories. Vancouver Stealth forward Tyler Digby (2010-13) is 14th in goals with 22 and 21st in points with 44. His shooting percentage of .289 is tops in the league among players with more than 30 shots. New England Black Wolves forward Kyle Buchanan is tied for 19th in assists with 25 and tied for 25th in points with 41.
 
Brotherly Love – The Colonials have had a history of brothers playing together and this season is no different with three sets on the roster. The Gibsons (Leighton and Marshall), Wales (Eric and Mitchell), and Yepsens (Carter and Conner) make up the RMU family who are actually family. The last time the Colonials have not had a set of brothers on their roster was in the 2010 season.
 
Travelin' Men – Robert Morris is scheduled to play in eight different states this season, tying a school record set in its inaugural season of 2005 and in 2011. The Colonials will stay in the Keystone State for seven games with home contests and a trip to Philadelphia. RMU will also visit Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, and Rhode Island during the 2015 campaign.
 
New Faces – The Colonials welcome 16 freshmen and a junior college transfer to the program in 2015. In addition, RMU also will be guided by two new assistant coaches in Travis Harrington and Robert Marasti. Harrington is a 2012 graduate of Bryant and previously coached at Seton Hill. Marasti is an alumnus of the program, having played for the Colonials from 2008 to 2011.

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