Robert Morris Colonials (1-9, 0-3 NEC) vs. Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers (4-6, 1-1 NEC)
Wednesday, April 8, 2015 / Joe Walton Stadium – Moon Township, Pa. / 4:00 p.m.

Scouting Mount St. Mary's – The Mountaineers earned a 12-11 comeback victory over Bucknell this past Saturday and enter this meeting with an overall mark of 4-6 and a 1-1 record in conference play. Redshirt sophomore attack Bubba Johnson leads Mount St. Mary's in all scoring categories with 15 goals, six assists, and 21 points. Juniors Justin Gosnell and Evan Gormley are also in double-digits for goals with 14 and 11, respectively. Senior defenseman Kyle O'Brien has caused 22 turnovers this season, with his per-game average of 2.20 ranking fifth nationally. At the X, senior midfielder Nick Haley has taken most of the draws, winning 74 of 146 for a percentage of .507. Freshman goaltender Matt Vierheller has started eight of 10 games between the pipes for the Mountaineers, compiling a goals against average of 7.35 and the nation's fourth best save percentage of .607.
 
Against the Mountaineers – Robert Morris is 3-4 against Mount St. Mary's in its history and has won the last two meetings. The Colonials defeated the Mountaineers last season, 15-8, behind a six-point game (5g, 1a) from James Rahe and a four-goal effort from Eric Rankel.


 
On Deck – Robert Morris hits the road this Saturday for its final conference game away from home as it plays Bryant. The Colonials are 2-4 against the Bulldogs all-time, and have lost their last three meetings. RMU received a three-point performance from Eric Rankel last season in a 13-6 loss to Bryant.
 
Last Time Out – James Rahe scored twice and dished out four assists, but Robert Morris fell to Saint Joseph's, 18-11, last Saturday in NEC action. The Colonials trailed by two goals at halftime, but that deficit doubled after the third quarter. Adrian Torok-Orban and Eric Rankel joined Rahe with two-goal efforts in the defeat.
 
Finding Faceoffs – Chris Barney has enjoyed a nice run at the faceoff X recently as he has won 82 of his last 151 draws, good enough for a .543 percentage. That mark is .091 higher than his career faceoff percentage of .452, and over a course of a season would be the highest for a Colonial specialist since Mike Grosz's .544 mark in 2010. Since March 7, Barney has raised his face-off percentage by .103, from .375 to .478.
 
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.
 
Flag Shortage – Robert Morris has kept itself out of the penalty box so far this season, committing just 21 fouls for a total of 20:00. The Colonials ranks tops in the NEC in both categories, with averages of 2.10 penalties per game and two penalty minutes per contest.
 
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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