Men's Lacrosse | 4/6/2018 12:01:00 PM
MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- The No. 19
Robert Morris men's lacrosse team will try to find its footing in the Northeast Conference race when it travels to Hobart College to square off with the Statesmen Saturday afternoon. The opening faceoff from Boswell Field in Geneva, New York is set for 12:00 p.m. EDT.
#19/19 Robert Morris at Hobart - Apr. 7
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For the Colonials (6-3, 2-1) this marks their first visit to that venue since falling to Bryant in last year's NEC Tournament Semifinal May 4, 2017. RMU bowed to the Bulldogs again, 10-7, last Friday in the first of its two night games at Joe Walton Stadium this regular season, which halted a five-game winning streak.
No. 19 Robert Morris currently holds the third position in the NEC with still half of its conference schedule yet to play, including this weekend's contest. Hobart, which has an NEC game in hand on the Colonials, sits fourth. The top four finishers make the NEC Tournament, which RMU is trying to reach for the third straight year.
The Statesmen won the tournament in 2016 and reached the championship game in 2017, also losing to Bryant.
SCOUTING HOBART
On Tuesday, Hobart (4-6, 1-1) was humbled by No. 8 Syracuse at the Carrier Dome, 11-4, but the Statesmen fared well on the road against the Colonials' next opponent, Canisius, in a 19-9 non-conference decision Mar. 27. Their last Northeast Conference contest resulted in a defensive struggle, and, ultimately, a 6-5 loss to St. Joseph's at home, back on Mar. 24.
For the second week in a row, RMU will do battle with one of the nation's top faceoff specialists, as junior Matthew Pedicine ranks sixth in Division I with his .658 win percentage. Robert Morris, in its last meeting with Hobart, held Pedicine to .518 (14-for-27) from the X.
Like the Colonials, the Statesmen boast one of the conference's best setup men, junior attackman Chris Aslanian, who averages 2.22 assists per game to lead the NEC and tops Hobart in points, with 40. He was named an NEC Prime Performer for racking up nine (five goals, four assists) against the Golden Griffins, and he had a game-high seven (5 G, 2 A) last time he faced RMU.
Hobart, also, has been a strong transition team, ranking two spots back of RMU (.911) at tenth in D-I with its .910 clearing percentage.
AGAINST THE STATESMEN
Robert Morris is seeking its first win over Hobart since Mar. 17, 2013, and its first victory at Boswell Field since the prior St. Patrick's Day.
In the 2013 contest, a 16-12 victory, redshirt senior attackman
Dave Morton enjoyed his second career outing with at least five goals, finishing with that many and recording three ground balls, while freshman midfielder
Nicholas Beaudoin went 18-for-31 (.581) on faceoffs and paced the Colonials with eight GB's, also chipping in a pair of goals and an assist.
The previous year, RMU rallied from a 9-4 first-half deficit for a 14-12 triumph led by Kiel Matisz, whose seven points (five goals, two assists) tied his career high. The senior middie also scooped three ground balls, and redshirt senior midfielder Kevin Brownell took two while recording a hat trick.
Last year the Statesmen squeaked by the Colonials on Senior Day, 18-17, at Joe Walton Stadium for the NEC regular-season title.
Tyson Gibson rung up a game-high seven points (2 G, 5 A) in the Apr. 29, 2017 match, along with one GB and one caused turnover, and
Matt Schmidt delivered five goals, an assist and a ground ball.
MUSKET SHOTS
Poll City
The Colonials are No. 19 in the USILA Coaches' Poll and the Maverik Media Poll published by Inside Lacrosse Magazine. This marks the sixth week in a row Robert Morris has, minimally, received votes in at least one of those two polls, the longest such streak in program history.
Do You Smell What The Rok Is Cooking?
Adrian Torok-Orban got his 11th career hat trick Mar. 30. He leads active Colonials with 80 career goals, having become just the ninth Robert Morris player in history with that many by completing his HT versus Bryant. Torok-Orban also leads his team with eight career points (5 G, 3 A) against Hobart, including career hatty number nine in last year's meeting.
Stop Me If You've Heard This Before:
Alex Heger helped the Colonials tie a team record for fewest goals allowed to a current D-I team at Marquette Mar. 10 (last: 10-2 at Wagner Feb. 24, 2008). His .602 save percentage, third-highest in the nation, makes him one of three NEC keepers ranked in the NCAA top four. He is also among the D-I top ten in GAA (8.08; 9th) and saves per game (12.11; 8th).
An EMO Band
RMU has scored 16 goals on extra-man opportunities, including 14 over its last five games. Robert Morris ranks fourth nationally at .593 in man-ups, and
Matt Schmidt shares the D-I lead with eight EMO goals, tying the RMU single-season record set by
Jake Hayes in 2011.
Schmidt Happens
Schmidt is averaging 1.96 goals per game for his career, third-most in team history, and has multiple goals in eight straight. RMU is averaging 11.89 goals per game, second in the NEC.
Apple Fest
Jimmy Perkins is second in the NEC with his 2.11 assists per game, on pace for a single-year RMU record.
Tyson Gibson is tied for fourth all-time with his 1.00 career average at RMU.
Afternoon "D"-Light
Since their win at Mount St. Mary's the Colonials have cracked the NCAA top ten in every major defensive category. They rank third in man-down defense (.815) and fifth in caused turnovers per game (9.56). RMU is eighth in saves per game (12.44) and tied for eighth in scoring defense, allowing 8.33 goals per game. That puts the 2018 squad on pace to shatter the team GAA record of 10.31 set in 2017.
Give It Away, Give It Away, Give It Away Now
On Mar. 3 versus High Point
Zachary Bryant became the fourth RMU player with 50 career caused turnovers. Last Friday he passed
Tyler Rankel '14 for third on the school's career chart with his 61st CT all-time. Bryant averages 2.33 per game, ranking seventh in the NCAA.
Take Me To Your Leader
Justin Mayfield and
Marshall Gibson captain RMU for a second time this year, and
Leighton Gibson and defensive midfielder
Sean Doyle round out its 2018 leadership group. Doyle enjoyed his second career multi-point game versus Hobart in 2017, getting a goal and an assist.
Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
RMU has had a set of brothers on its roster every year since 2010. Besides the Gibsons, the Yepsens (Carter and Conner) and Sturgises (Will and David) make up the RMU family who are literal family. Meanwhile, Eric Wales '16 is the older brother of
Mitchell Wales, and
Corson Kealey is the younger brother of 2014 All-NEC Rookie Team standout JonPatrik "JP" Kealey.
Corson Kealey is on an eight-game goal streak, including the game-winner over SHU Mar. 17.
From Bobby Mo To Pro
Since 2016, 12 Colonials have played in the NLL, and several future stars of the indoor circuit played key roles in their last two wins over Hobart. In 2012,
Jacob Ruest '15 (Colorado Mammoth), whose more recent claim to fame is his behind-the-back goal on #SCTop10 Mar. 30, got his first career assist on the goal by Kiel Matisz '12 (Georgia Swarm) that triggered RMU's comeback. In 2013,
Luke Laszkiewicz '15 (Rochester Knighthawks) had a career-high four assists versus the Statesmen, and
Jake Hayes '13 (Calgary Roughnecks) recorded a hat trick.
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A Call To The Hall
On Feb. 2 Matisz became the first men's lacrosse player to enter the Robert Morris Athletics Hall of Fame. "Moose," a 2012 USILA All-American and, that same season, just the second different Colonial to be named NEC Player of the Year, ranks third in program history with 166 career points (94 G, 72 A), just shy of the 167 (125 G, 42 A) registered by Laszkiewicz.
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