Men's Lacrosse | 2/23/2018 1:04:00 PM
MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- The
Robert Morris men's lacrosse team gets back on the road for the fourth of its six consecutive, season-opening non-conference games when it visits Penn State University Saturday afternoon. The opening faceoff from University Park, Pennsylvania is planned for the renovated and renamed Panzer Stadium at 12:00 p.m.
Robert Morris at #16/15 Penn State - Feb. 24
LIVE STATS
The Colonials (1-2) are coming off a narrow 12-11 defeat at the hands of Georgetown Feb. 17 in their 2018 home opener at snowy Joe Walton Stadium. The Nittany Lions are the second nationally ranked opponent on RMU's schedule this season, and the Hoyas received votes in last week's Maverik Men's Division I Media Poll published by Inside Lacrosse Magazine.
Robert Morris began its 2018 campaign at then-No. 7/8 Rutgers Feb. 3, marking only the second year in a row since 2011 it has opened against a ranked team. The last time the Colonials played three or more such teams in a single year was 2014.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
Penn State (2-1) comes in at No. 16 in the latest United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Coaches Poll and No. 15 in the Maverik Men's Division I Media Poll.
Sophomore attackman Mac O'Keefe is riding a 19-game goal-scoring streak dating back to last year's meeting with RMU, during which he has registered 61 goals. It is the third-longest active streak in Division I. O'Keefe buried seven against the Colonials in his collegiate debut, the best single-game output by a PSU player since 1983.
Junior attacker Grant Ament has earned a point in 31 straight matches, the tenth-longest active run in the nation, and has amassed 110 points (48 G, 62 A) since the streak began versus Robert Morris two years ago. He finished last year's meeting with six points, including five assists.
The 2017 Nittany Lions would go on to reach the Big Ten Conference Tournament, where they fell to eventual national champion Maryland, but did also appear in the NCAA Tournament.
AGAINST THE NITTANY LIONS
Robert Morris is 2-3 against Penn State all-time, with both victories coming prior to PSU's Big Ten membership. On Feb. 4, 2017 the Colonials met the No. 15/14 Nittany Lions in their season opener for a second straight time and bowed at Holuba Hall, 15-11, despite a career-high three goals on three shots from
Matt Schmidt, who added an assist, and two scores and two apples from
Adrian Torok-Orban.
In the Feb. 6, 2016 lid-lifter, JonPatrik Kealey scored a goal and registered an assist for Robert Morris. The Colonials out-slugged their in-state counterparts 24-17 on Feb. 20, 2010, as Kiel Matisz exploded for five goals and an assist.
One of the most memorable moments in team history is a double-overtime, 12-11 RMU triumph over PSU in 2009 on a snowy Valentine's Day at Joe Walton Stadium. Sal Barcia made 13 saves, while sophomores Corbyn TaoBrambleby and Patrick Smith each supplied hat tricks.
MUSKET SHOTS
Right Back Where We Started From
Jimmy Perkins,
Austin Popovich,
Trey Arnold and
Dylan Sidoriak all made their collegiate debuts for Robert Morris at Penn State Feb. 4, 2017. Arnold won 11 faceoffs and collected three ground balls, and he would go on to finish 2017 with a .445 faceoff win percentage that was good enough to make the Northeast Conference All-Rookie Team.
Toomb Raider
Jack Toomb, who, with Arnold, shared the Colonials lead with five ground balls in his team's home opener Feb. 17, was named NEC Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career on Feb. 12. On Feb. 9 at Bellarmine he accounted for five of ten turnovers caused by the Colonials. Toomb became the seventh different RMU player with five in a game and the first to accomplish the feat since
Zachary Bryant versus Mount St. Mary's Mar. 25, 2017. He scored his first-ever NCAA goal at Penn State last Feb. 4, also finishing the match with three GB's as Robert Morris edged Penn State 32-18 in that category.
Hoya Vey!
For the second week in a row, Perkins was named an NEC Prime Performer. On Feb. 17 he registered his first collegiate hat trick in the first half against Georgetown. He also lit up the Hoyas for a game-high three assists, and, through Thursday, led the conference with his 15 points (6 G, 9 A). On Feb. 9 he set a new single-game Robert Morris record with six assists at Bellarmine. Perkins also became the eighth different RMU player with an eight-point game, and the first since
Matt Schmidt versus Wagner Apr. 8, 2017.
Take Me To Your Leader
For the second year in a row, McMinn has selected
Marshall Gibson and
Justin Mayfield to captain the Colonials. Meanwhile,
Leighton Gibson and
Sean Doyle round out their 2018 leadership group.
Marshall Gibson got his first two goals of the year off the Robert Morris bench in the second quarter at Bellarmine Feb. 9, including the game-winner, and he scored twice as a substitute at Penn State last year, adding an assist. Mayfield collected his first two ground balls of 2018 at Bellarmine, and he had one against the Nittany Lions in 2017.
Yo Adrian!
Adrian Torok-Orban is an integral part of the RMU scoring depth returning in 2018, having finished second on the team with 27 goals in 2017. In the home opener versus Georgetown, he became only the ninth player in Robert Morris history to score 70 career goals, beating Hoays keeper Nick Marrocco from the close right wing in the second quarter. Torok-Orban, entering Saturday, is also ninth in team history with a career 1.52 goals-per-game average.
Not "Lion" Down On The Job
The Nittany Lions kept
Alex Heger busy in last season's meeting, firing 27 shots on goal, but the Colonials keeper was up to the task, making 15 saves. As a sophomore, Heger attained All-NEC First Team honors, sharing the NCAA Division I lead in saves per game, averaging 12.75, and concluded 14 of his 16 starts with double-digit stops. He ranks fourth in the NEC with 8.67 saves per game on the young season and fourth in goals-against average (10.00).
Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
The Colonials have had a history of brothers playing together, and with three sets on the roster, this season is no different. Besides the aforementioned Gibsons, the Yepsens (Carter and Conner) and Sturgises (Will and David) make up the RMU family who are literal family.
Mitchell Wales and
Corson Kealey are also part of RMU brotherly duos; Mitchell's brother, Eric, is a Robert Morris alumnus from the Class of '16, and Corson is the younger brother of 2014 All-NEC Rookie Team standout JonPatrik "JP" Kealey. The last time the Colonials did not have a set of brothers on their roster was 2010.
From Bobby Mo To Pro
Twelve former Colonials have competed in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) since 2016. The elder Kealey became the latest, and also the 20th RMU alumnus drafted into the indoor circuit since 2005, scoring his first pro goal for the New England Black Wolves Dec. 23, 2017.
A Call To The Hall
On Feb. 2 Kiel Matisz, another of the ex-Colonials currently playing professionally, became the first RMU men's lacrosse player inducted into the Robert Morris Athletics Hall of Fame. "Moose," a former All-American and NEC Player of the Year now with the NLL champion Georgia Swarm, recorded 166 career points (94 G, 72 A), the third-most in school history.
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