Robert Morris Colonials (2-9, 1-3 NEC) @ Bryant Bulldogs (4-7, 2-2 NEC)
Saturday, April 11, 2015 / Bulldog Stadium – Smithfield, R.I. / 1:00 p.m.

Scouting Bryant – The Bulldogs opened NEC play with two last-second losses at Hobart and against Saint Joseph's, but rebounded with two victories to sit at third in the league. Two-time USILA All-American midfielder Kevin Massa leads Bryant with a .650 face-off percentage, the eighth highest mark nationally. Sophomore Tucker James and junior Shane Morrell pace the team with 31 and 30 points, respectively. James has scored a team-high 23 goals, while Morrell has dished out 13 assists. Two freshmen in Anthony Johnson and Charles South have caused 10 turnovers each, while junior goaltender Gunnar Waldt has made every start in the cage for the Bulldogs. Waldt, last season's NEC Defensive Player of the Year, holds a 8.27 goals against average and is stopping 55.1 percent of the shots he faces.
 
Against the Bulldogs – Robert Morris is 2-4 against Bryant in its history. The Bulldogs hold three straight wins in the series, with the Colonials' last victory coming in 2012. In that contest, RMU clinched its first league regular-season championship with a 13-12 win.



On Deck – Robert Morris closes out the road slate of its schedule next Saturday as it travels west to take on Air Force. The Colonials are 2-0 against the Falcons in their history, holding wins in 2010 and 2012. Jake Hayes led RMU to a 17-14 in the teams' last meeting as the former attack tied a school record with seven goals.
 
Last Time Out – Robert Morris is coming off a big 10-7 win over Mount St. Mary's on Wednesday, catapulting the Colonials back into NEC postseason contention. Luke Laszkiewicz and Adrian Torok-Orban each registered hat tricks in the victory, while Carter Yepsen tied a career-high with four points.
 
Know Your Enemy – In three games versus Bryant, Eric Rankel has tallied four goals and three assists. Last year, Rankel registered three points (1g, 2a) and collected four groundballs against the Bulldogs. Jacob Ruest has also scored in three consecutive meetings with Bryant, while Luc Magnan has forced five turnovers over the same stretch.
 
Breaking Through – The Colonials faced a tough task between the pipes on Wednesday when they faced the NEC's leader in goals against average, save percentage, and saves per game in Matt Vierhaller. RMU was up for the challenge however, as it became just the third team this season to score double-digit goals against Vierhaller. The Colonials are currently the second-highest scoring team in conference play with an average of 9.25 goals per game.
 
Meagher Makes the MLL – Former long stick midfielder Sean Meagher made the 25-man roster for the Charlotte Hounds of Major League Lacrosse (MLL), becoming the ninth alumnus to currently play professionally. Meagher was drafted with the 41st overall pick in the 2015 MLL Supplemental Draft this past December, and will be the second Colonial to play in the league once he makes an appearance.
 
Rahe Leads the Way – James Rahe enjoyed a breakout campaign as a sophomore, registering 32 points (21g, 11a) en route to All-NEC Second Team accolades. As an encore in 2015, he has already surpassed his assist total with 15 helpers and is three points shy of tying his aforementioned career-high in points. Rahe leads the NEC in assists per game with a mark of 1.50 and is third in points per game with an average of 2.90.
 
Take Care – Robert Morris is second nationally in least turnovers per game with a mark of 11.36. In the last two games, the Colonials have committed a total of 15 turnovers and have been in single-digits for that category four times this season.
 
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.
 
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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