Women's Lacrosse 4/30/2015 1:17:00 PM

RMU Prepares for Second Look at Top-Seeded Bryant

#4 ROBERT MORRIS (10-6, 3-4 NEC) vs. #1 BRYANT (12-4, 6-1 NEC)
Northeast Conference Semifinal | Friday, May 1 at 4 p.m. | Smithfield, R.I.
Watch: NEC Front Row | Live Stats: Presto | Twitter: @RMUWLacrosse

THE LEAD

Robert Morris returns to the Northeast Conference tournament for the second season in a row - and the third time in five years - with a matchup against host and top-seed Bryant in Friday's semifinal round. The Colonials are seeking their first postseason triumph in their 11-year program history.

HOW THEY GOT HERE

- The Colonials had to win at LIU Brooklyn on Sunday to make the NEC tournament. By virtue of the runaway victory, RMU prevailed in a total-goals-allowed tiebreak with LIU Brooklyn and Sacred Heart.

- Bryant led the conference standings from start to finish, clinching its second consecutive top seed with a victory over Wagner last Friday. The Bulldogs won the NEC tournament last spring.

HISTORY LESSON

- Bryant outscored RMU 8-4 in the second half on its way to a 17-13 win April 17. All-time, the Colonials have a 3-3 record against the Bulldogs, with their previous win coming in 2012.

- RMU faced Wagner (2014) and Mount St. Mary's (2011) in its previous two tourney appearances. The Colonials were the No. 3 seed last season, falling to Wagner 17-7 in the semis at Bryant.

MUSKET SHOTS

- RMU's much-needed 12-4 win at LIU Brooklyn last Sunday was the Colonials' best goal-prevention performance since the 2014 regular-season finale, an 8-3 win over Mount St. Mary's.

- Senior midfielder Kristin Yoviene registed four points (3g, 1a) in the Colonials' final game of the regular season, establishing a new RMU record for points in a season (66). The Maryland native has at least a point in every game this season and currently carries a 20-game scoring streak.

- Juniors Corey Karwacki (58 points) and Brittany Byerly (50) have joined Yoviene in powering the attack. Yoviene (39), Karwacki (37) and Byerly (35) are also the team's top three goal-scorers.

- RMU scored on 12 of its 21 shots at LIU Brooklyn, the seventh time in 16 games this season that it converted on more than half of its attempts on goal.

- With a victory Friday, the Colonials would match the program record for wins in a season (11), set last year. RMU has now posted records of .500 or better in three straight seasons.

- Robert Morris finished the regular season as the highest-scoring team in the NEC, at 14.1 goals per game; Bryant was second at 11.9. RMU's scoring average ranked eighth in all of Division I.

- Underclass goalies Hallie Yancey and Mackenzie Duffy have each started eight games. Duffy has the edge in save percentage (.410), while Yancey leads in goals-against average (10.8).
- Freshman midfielder Dana Davis paced the Colonials in ground balls (41) and caused turnovers (21), with senior defender Kristi Marks ranking second on the team in both critical categories.
- Jessica Karwacki continued to dominate the center circle this season, as she was first in all of Division I lacrosse with 10.9 draw controls per game. The junior midfielder is already the all-time NCAA career leader in that category, boasting 532 in her three years at RMU.

NEXT UP
The winner of this game will advance to face either second-seeded Wagner or No. 3-seed Mount St. Mary's in Sunday's NEC championship game. The first draw is set for 1 p.m. on the campus of Bryant University.

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