Men's Lacrosse | 3/12/2019 1:00:00 AM
MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- The
Robert Morris men's lacrosse team hosts the Golden Eagles of Marquette University Tuesday for its sixth consecutive non-conference game to begin the 2019 season. The opening faceoff from Joe Walton Stadium is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET, and admission is free, as is the livestream on NEC Front Row.
This will be its final non-conference test before opening Northeast Conference play this weekend. Robert Morris is looking to improve upon this past Saturday's effort, when Canisius ended a string of seven Colonials victories in their all-time series by handing them a 12-8 loss in only the fifth night game ever played at RMU.
Robert Morris (1-4) vs. Marquette (2-3)
Mar. 12 (1:00 p.m.) - LIVE STREAM | LIVE STATS
In addition, the Colonials are vying for their second win over the Golden Eagles in four all-time meetings. On Mar. 11, 2017, the last time Marquette visited Joe Walton Stadium,
Tyson Gibson scored twice and
Jack Toomb scooped five ground balls in defeat.
On Mar. 10, 2018, Robert Morris dominated Marquette, 12-2, in Milwaukee, tying the ten-year-old team record for the fewest goals allowed to a Division I opponent.
SCOUTING MARQUETTE
The Golden Eagles are below .500 at the five-game mark for just the third time in program history and the first since the 2014 squad started the year 1-4. MU has lost three-straight games since beginning the year 2-0 with wins over Bellarmine and at Jacksonville. Marquette dropped a 7-5 decision in its last game to Cleveland State on Saturday afternoon while playing without the services of several key players due to violations of team rules.
Four Golden Eagles made their first career starts against the Vikings, including junior goalie Chris Rolfing, who made nine first-half saves to keep MU within striking distance. John Wagner leads Marquette with 11 points (five goals, six assists) on the season, with Tanner Thomson not far behind with ten (7 G, 3 A).
Noah Richard became the second-highest drafted MU player in history when the Chesapeake Bayhawks selected him in the MLL Draft March 9 at 25th overall (third round). The senior long-stick midfielder was named to the 2019 Preseason All-Big East Team and was nomiated for the Senior CLASS Award. He also made the Big East Honor Roll for his four ground balls and four caused turnovers versus CSU.
MUSKET SHOTS
Eagle-Eye Cheery
In their last meeting, the Colonials opened with a 7-0 run that spanned the first quarter at No. 19/18 Marquette. Three players collected their first goals that day:
Austin Popovich got his first of 2018, and
Brad McCulley and
Dylan Sidoriak their first as collegians. The .857 save percentage by
Alex Heger that day remains his career single-game high through Saturday.
Hat's All, Folks
Saturday marked the first time in 15 games that none of the Colonials recorded a hat trick. The last instance was the team's 2018 victory over the Golden Eagles.
Ryan Smith and
Matt Schmidt co-led Robert Morris with two goals apiece that day. On Saturday evening,
Tyson Gibson and
Jake Boudreau each scored twice to co-lead RMU against Canisius.
Alexander The Great
Heger, whose 25th career win in goal Feb. 23 set a new RMU record, was named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List for the second straight year Mar. 1. On Mar. 9 he became the seventh Major League Lacrosse draftee in team history, taken by the Ohio Machine in Round Seven with the 59th overall pick. Heger will get his shot at pro ball after exhausting his NCAA eligibility this spring, with the same outdoor team that drafted
Zachary Bryant '18 last April.
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. The Colonials rank second in the NEC with an average of 10.40 CT's per game, which is also among the top 15 rates in the NCAA.
Will Ewing was credited with three caused turnovers versus Canisius, tying his career single-game high, as did
Daniel Smith with three forced miscues Saturday.
What Aboot It?
Corson Kealey, who earned NEC Co-Player of the Week honors Mar. 4 for his career-high five goals and five points at No. 13/11 High Point Mar. 2, is one of 15 Canadians on the 2019 roster. This gives the Colonials the most Canadians, and also, the most international players of any Division I men's team this year.
Ground Round
Jack Toomb, with seven ground balls Saturday, passed Kyle Buchanan '12 for No. 3 in RMU lore and now has 180 all-time. He is fourth at RMU with his career average of 3.40 GB's per game, just behind the 3.49 career clip for
Trey Arnold. Arnold, now with 136 for his career, passed
Sean Meagher '14 and
Zac Christianson '18 for seventh all-time at High Point Mar. 2.
Drawing A Blank
On Feb. 23 the Colonials shut out Bellarmine for the final 33:44, including a scoreless second half. This was their longest sustained stretch of scoreless ball since they went 35:07 without allowing a goal to visiting Cleveland State during a 14-5 win Apr. 14, 2018. RMU shut out the Golden Eagles for the first 16:30 of its win at Marquette last March.
You Stay Classy, Maple, Ontario
Tyson Gibson is a candidate for the Senior CLASS (Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®) Award, one of the premier citizenship awards in Division I athletics. Gibson is fourth all-time at Robert Morris with 55 assists, having passed
James Rahe '16 (Vancouver Warriors, NLL) with his first apple on Saturday. After the game, he became the sixth MLL draftee in team history, taken by the Atlanta Blaze in Round Five with pick No. 41.
An EMO Band
The Colonials 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 in a single game. Their lone man-up goal Saturday was also the first collegiate goal for
Justin Robinson. Robert Morris leads the NEC and is up to second in the nation--behind the Nittany Lions--with its .538 conversion rate in man-up situations.
Tuesday's Gone
RMU is going for its eighth win on a Tuesday under
Andrew McMinn. The Colonials won 11-9 at Canisius Apr. 10, 2018, their last Tuesday contest, also McMinn's 100th game as head coach and the 200th game in program history. Their last Tuesday win at Joe Walton Stadium was a 12-7 decision over the Golden Griffins on the night of Apr. 18, 2017.
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