Men's Lacrosse | 3/1/2019 12:06:00 PM
MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- The
Robert Morris men's lacrosse team visits the No. 13/11 Panthers of High Point University Saturday for its fourth consecutive non-conference game to begin the 2019 season. The opening faceoff from Vert Stadium in High Point, North Carolina is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. ET and can be seen live on ESPN Plus (subscription required).
Robert Morris (1-2) at #13/11 High Point (4-1)
Mar. 2 (12:00 p.m.) - LIVE STREAM ($) | LIVE STATS
For the Colonials this is the third time in those four outings they will face a nationally ranked opponent. They have won their previous two contests with the Panthers, cruising past High Point, 16-11, at Joe Walton Stadium Mar. 3, 2018, opening up an 11-goal lead at one point in the second half. Those 16 goals would be a season-high for last year's RMU squad.
Robert Morris edged the Panthers 9-7 on its last trip to Vert Stadium, Mar. 5, 2017. Most recently, the Colonials rolled past Bellarmine, 15-7, for their first win of the 2019 campaign in last Saturday's home opener.
SCOUTING HIGH POINT
Just as the Colonials attracted national attention at the end of 2018, the Panthers have raised some eyebrows at the beginning of 2019. They stunned No. 2 Duke in Durham Feb. 6, and they took down another perennial ACC power, No. 9 Virginia, in Charlottesville, and in dramatic fashion, Feb. 18. Last Saturday, however, High Point saw the tables turn, with visiting St. John's delivering a 10-9 upset.
Senior goalkeeper Tim Troutner Jr. and sophomore attackman Asher Nolting were named to the 2019 Tewaaraton Watch List on Thursday. Nolting was an addition to the list last year, while this is Troutner's first time on the list. They join three-time selection Dan Lomas as the only Panthers to be named to the watch list for lacrosse's most distinguished award.
Troutner ranks third in the Southern Conference in goals against average at 9.32. He has logged a .589 save percentage, which is tenth in the NCAA. Troutner has double-digit saves in four of five starts in 2019, and 36 in three career outings against Robert Morris. Nolting is second in the SoCon and 12th in the NCAA in assists per game this season at 2.60. He has posted two or more points in all 19 games of his career at HPU and had a team-high five the last time he faced RMU.
MUSKET SHOTS
Schmidt Show
Matt Schmidt was named a Week 3 NEC Prime Performer for his game-high five goals and seven points versus Bellarmine. Schmidt scored two of the team's man-up goals against High Point last time out, and he potted nine in all in 2018, tied for the fifth-most in the NCAA, to set a new RMU single-season record. The 2019 co-captain has five career goals against the Panthers and notched the game-winner 1:27 into the fourth quarter of their 2017 meeting.
Hat's All, Folks
Ryan Smith's three goals versus Bellarmine gave the Colonials a hat trick in each of their first three games of 2019, and at least one hat trick in 13 consecutive games. The Week 3 NEC Prime Performer also got one during his last trip to High Point, capping a 4-0 Robert Morris run in the second quarter, then scoring the last goal of the half and first of the second half.
Alexander The Great
Alex Heger, whose 25 career wins as of Feb. 23 make him the winningest keeper in Robert Morris history, was named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List for the second straight year Friday. He joins Max Tuttle of Sacred Heart as the only other representative from an active NEC member school. Heger also made team history by becoming its first First Team Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-American Dec. 17, 2018.
Give It Away, Give It Away, Give It Away Now...
Robert Morris tied a team single-game record with 19 caused turnovers versus Bellarmine, which hadn't been done since a 15-6 win over Detroit Mercy Mar. 13, 2010.
Jack Toomb forced two miscues, putting him two shy of equaling Mike Meagher '12 for sixth on the program's all-time list, with 47 CT's all-time.
Owen Down and
Evan Hellmich each had their best games as rookies in this regard, finishing with three apiece, as did
Ryan Smith and
Tyson Gibson.
What Aboot It?
Corson Kealey, who registered a career-high four assists and five points in the team's last meeting with High Point, is one of 15 Canadians on the 2019 roster. This gives the Colonials the most Canadians, and also, the most international players of any D-I men's team this year.
Ground Round
With 171 career ground balls,
Jack Toomb is now just four behind Kyle Buchanan '12 for the No. 3 spot in RMU lore. He also ranks fourth all-time at Robert Morris with his 3.35 per-game average through Feb. 23, just ahead of
Trey Arnold (3.20). Arnold's 12 GB's at Georgetown put him past Alex Sewell '08 into sole possession of ninth place in program history, with 120.
Drawing A Blank
RMU shut out Bellarmine for the final 33:44 last Saturday, including a scoreless second half, after holding Georgetown without a goal for 17:45 at one point in the first half Feb. 16. This was the longest sustained stretch of scoreless ball for the Colonials since they went 35:07 without allowing a goal to visiting Cleveland State during a 14-5 win Apr. 14, 2018.
The Golden Child
Tyson Gibson, a two-time First Team All-NEC honoree, played hero at No. 20 St. Joseph's in the NEC Final May 5, 2018, scoring the game's decisive goal with :10 left in sudden-victory overtime. The 2019 co-captain provided the game-winner over Bellarmine last Saturday as well, giving Gibson goals in 11 of his past 12 games and points in 24 of his last 25. He has six career points (2 G, 4 A) in three career outings against the Panthers.
An EMO Band
Robert Morris went 4-for-4 on extra-man opportunities at No. 9 Penn State Feb. 9. This marked the third time within the past calendar year and eighth time in team history that RMU registered four man-up goals in a single game, previously achieving the uncommon feat versus Sacred Heart Mar. 17, 2018 and High Point Mar. 3, 2018. The Colonials lead the NEC and rank sixth in the NCAA with their .545 success rate in man-up situations.
Mr. Saturday Knight
Michael Autry, who transferred in from Bellarmine last summer, scooped a career-high nine ground balls against his former team Feb. 23 while finishing 13-for-23 (.565) on faceoffs. Autry had made his collegiate debut versus Robert Morris Feb. 9, 2018, going 7-for-13 from the X, and went on to lead his former team with 31 GB's as a freshman.
New Kids On The Block
In addition to
Dan Taddeo, who scored his first NCAA goal :23 into the fourth quarter,
Owen Down made his first career appearance, also getting his first start and caused turnover, at No. 9 Penn State Feb. 9.
Brandon Sulhoff, another of the ten Colonials who made his first collegiate appearance that day, fired in his first goal in a Robert Morris uniform Feb. 23, and he also closed out the scoring with 8:12 left in the 15-7 RMU victory over Bellarmine.
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