Men's Lacrosse | 4/17/2015 9:55:00 AM

Robert Morris Colonials (2-10, 1-4 NEC) @ Air Force Falcons (7-5)
Saturday, April 18, 2015 / Falcon Stadium – USAFA, Colo. / 11:00 a.m. (MDT)

Scouting Air Force – The Falcons are led offensively by freshman attack Chris Walsch, who paces the team with 30 goals, 14 assists, and 44 points. Senior Keith Dreyer has tallied 32 points (19g, 13a), while rookie Nick Hruby is second on Air Force in goals with 20. Senior Kyle O'Brien, freshman Sean LaVine, and junior Alex Warden have combined to force 50 turnovers on the year, while sophomore defenseman Luke Toscano has collected a team-high 33 groundballs. Toscano is one of two primary face-off specialists for the Falcons, winning 75 draws at a .560 conversion rate, while freshman midfielder Josh Radjenovich has won 48 of 102 face-offs. Junior goaltender Doug Gouchoe has started all 12 games for Air Force, compiling a goals against average of 8.30 and a .538 save percentage.
 
Against the Falcons – Robert Morris is 2-0 against Air Force in its history. The Colonials and Falcons last played on Feb. 25, 2012 in the DU Face-Off Classic as a school record-tying seven-goal performance by Jake Hayes helped RMU earn a 17-14 victory.


 
On Deck – Robert Morris celebrates its senior class next Saturday when Wagner comes to Joe Walton Stadium for the teams' final regular-season game of 2015. The Colonials have won seven consecutive games against the Seahawks, with their only loss coming in 2005. From 2009 to 2013, RMU had scored over 20 goals in each victory over Wagner.
 
Last Time Out – Robert Morris held a 6-5 lead after three quarters at Bryant last Saturday, but ultimately fell 10-8 to the three-time defending NEC champion Bulldogs. Eric Rankel registered his 10th career hat trick for the Colonials, while James Rahe scored once and dished out two assists.
 
Know Your Enemy – A total of six current Colonials played against Air Force in the teams' previous 2012 meeting. Luc Magnan caused two turnovers and collected three groundballs on that day, while Jacob Ruest helped out offensively with a goal. At the X, Chris Barney took 14 draws and won half of them, and Matt Bukovac made nine saves in 38:50 between the pipes.
 
The 100 Club – With a four-point performance at Bryant last Saturday, Eric Rankel became the ninth player in program history to register 100 points in his career. Rankel has tallied 69 goals and 34 assists in 41 career games, and sits one point shy of tying Dave Morton for eighth all-time at 104. His points per game mark of 2.51 is currently the fourth highest, only trailing the program's top three leading scorers in Trevor Moore (2008-11), Kiel Matisz (2009-12), and Corbyn Tao-Brambleby (2008-11).
 
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 17 helpers and tied his career-high in points last Saturday at Bryant. Rahe leads the NEC in assists per game with a mark of 1.42 and is tied for fifth in points per game with an average of 2.67.
 
Take Care – Robert Morris is tied with Towson for first nationally in least turnovers per game with a mark of 11.08. In the last three games, the Colonials have committed a total of 23 turnovers and have been in single-digits for that category five times this season.
 
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.
 
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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