Men's Lacrosse | 3/2/2018 6:28:00 PM

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- The Robert Morris men's lacrosse team welcomes the Panthers of High Point University on Youth Day at Joe Walton Stadium. The opening faceoff is set for Saturday at 3:00 p.m., part of a women's/men's team doubleheader, as the women's team hosts George Washington at 11:30 a.m.

Robert Morris Athletics will have several giveaways during the games and welcomes all youth lacrosse programs to join us for Saturday's twin bill. Admission to these and all men's and women's games at Joe Walton Stadium is free.

(RV) Robert Morris vs. High Point - Mar. 3
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Both Colonials rosters feature a pair of local players: Jimmy Perkins (Pittsburgh, Pa.//Quaker Valley) and Cian Malcolm (Collier, Pa.//Chartiers Valley), and Taylor Lewand (Pittsburgh, Pa.//Oakland Catholic) and Shannon Lynch (Pittsburgh, Pa.//Shaler) for the women.

On the men's side, the Colonials (2-2) are coming off one of their more significant wins in recent memory, a 12-9 head-turner over No. 16/15 Penn State at Panzer Stadium last Saturday afternoon. It was their first win over their in-state rivals in over eight years, and it was keyed by a stellar defensive effort that saw RMU cause 17 turnovers.

Meanwhile, Robert Morris ranks second in the NEC and, through February, was seventh in D-I with its .941 clearing percentage.

SCOUTING HIGH POINT

The Panthers (0-5), like the Colonials, have opened their season with a daunting stretch of six non-conference games that include three against ranked opponents. HPU, in fact, has already faced three of the nation's top six teams.

Next week, High Point returns to the comfort of North Carolina for its Southern Conference opener versus Bellarmine, which RMU defeated for its first win of 2018. The Panthers are coming off a 16-11 loss at St. John's Feb. 24 in which they closed the gap to 12-11 with 13:36 left in the fourth quarter before the Red Storm pulled away with four goals in a 6:17 span.

Freshman attackman Asher Nolting has been a bright spot, leading High Point with 19 points, ranking second on the team with 11 goals and tied for second with 11 ground balls. His one-handed score against No. 6 Virginia was named the top play of the week by NCAA.com Feb. 27.

At the other end of the spectrum, senior attacker Connor Robinson paces the Panthers with 13 goals and has also scooped 11 ground balls.

AGAINST THE PANTHERS

Last year Robert Morris edged the Panthers 9-7 at Vert Stadium in High Point Mar. 5. The Colonials avenged two previous losses to HPU and extended their winning streak, at the time, to four games, the first of two such win streaks that represented the high-water mark of their 2017 campaign.

Eventual NEC Rookie of the Year Ryan Smith led RMU with his second hat trick in a row, and Mike Eveland became the seventh different Colonial with five caused turnovers in a game, adding two ground balls. Alex Heger earned the win with 13 saves.

Carter Yepsen had two goals and Sean Doyle a goal, two GB's and two CT's in HPU's only other trip to Joe Walton Stadium Feb. 27, 2016.

MUSKET SHOTS

A B1G Win
The Colonials' takedown of then-No. 16/15 Penn State was the program's first win over an established Big Ten team, though it does own victories over PSU and Ohio State from prior to their B1G memberships. RMU, as a result, received votes in the Maverik Media Poll published by Inside Lacrosse Magazine, getting votes in one of the two major polls at one point for the second year in a row. It was the third triumph over a ranked team for RMU in the Andrew McMinn era, the first since a victory over No. 20 Bryant Apr. 28, 2012 and the fourth all-time.

Give It Away, Give It Away, Give It Away Now
Zachary Bryant caused a rare six turnovers at Penn State Feb. 24, also finishing the match with three ground balls and an assist to earn NEC Prime Performer honors and a spot on the United State Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association's (USILA) D-I Team of the Week. He is only the second different Colonial with six in a game, surpassing his career single-game high of five versus Mount St. Mary's Mar. 25, 2017. Through February, RMU ranked sixth in the nation in caused turnovers per game, averaging 9.25.

Local Celebrity
Three-time NEC Prime Performer Jimmy Perkins was named NEC Player of the Week Feb. 26 for the first time in his career. He led Robert Morris with his second consecutive hat trick and six-point performance at Penn State last Saturday. A hockey and lacrosse champion at nearby Quaker Valley High School, Pittsburgh-born Perkins is tied for the NEC scoring lead with 21 points (9 G, 12 A) and tied for eighth in D-I with a 5.25 points-per-game average. On Feb. 9 he set a new single-game Robert Morris record with six assists at Bellarmine.

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. Mayfield scored a goal and registered a caused turnover in last year's meeting with High Point, while Doyle contributed one assist and one ground ball.

Yo Adrian!
On Feb. 17 versus Georgetown, Adrian Torok-Orban became only the ninth player in Robert Morris history to score 70 career goals. He has six career points (4 G, 2 A) against High Point.

An Apple A Day...
Led by the 12 helpers from Perkins, Robert Morris is averaging 6.25 assists per game, just 0.50 off the NEC team lead. Ryan Smith had two at PSU, including one on the winning goal.

Not Lion Down On The Job
The Nittany Lions fired 23 shots on goal last week, but Alex Heger was up to the task, making a season-high 13 saves to get his own NEC Prime Performer nod. 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. Currently, he ranks third in the NEC with 10.0 per game, and RMU's team goals-against average of 9.75 is second.

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. Carter scored the winning goal at PSU Feb. 24, and one of his 12 goals last year came at High Point. Meanwhile, Mitchell Wales's brother, Eric, is from the Class of '16, and Corson Kealey 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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