MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- After dropping two of three games and getting their rivalry matchup with Duquesne cancelled due to weather, the Robert Morris University women's lacrosse team could've used a feel-good kind of day at Joe Walton Stadium.

The Colonials got just that on a cool Wednesday afternoon, overpowering Gardner-Webb by 20-8 score in the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Junior Melanie Gandy erupted for a career-high six goals -- two shy of the program record -- while five other Colonials recorded multiple points to help lift the team's record to 4-2 in this non-conference portion of the schedule.

"It was overall a team effort," said junior Meghan Crouse, who was one of three Colonials with two goals. "Everyone contributed something, even though Mel had six goals. We really passed the ball around and everyone had the chance to score."

Freshman Bailey Christianson picked up her first career hat trick, while sophomores Rachel Ward and Kelley Flynn each scored their first goals of the season. RMU never trailed after being held to a season-low six goals in a loss at George Washington four days ago. 

"Took us a little bit to get on target," said head coach Katrina Silva. "But once we did, we got rolling. ... We wanted to play our style, which is uptempo, pushing the fast break and then looking for the slow break before settling into our offense."

To Silva's point, Gardner-Webb (3-3) pulled even, 3-3, midway through the first half after RMU carried a 2-0 lead through a sketchy opening 10 minutes for both sides. But the Colonials shifted into a higher gear from there, scoring six of the next seven going into halftime.

And that was before Melanie Gandy really got it going with three straight goals early in the second. Her twin sister Mackenzie entered the game with a team-best 12 goals, but it was Melanie's turn on the finishing end Wednesday.



"I think everyone knows who Mackenzie Gandy is by now, but we have a lot of good players," Silva said. "Today is a telltale sign that if they shut off 'Kenz,' we have a lot of other weapons. When you put those weapons together, we're something pretty special. ... We've been relying pretty heavily on Mackenzie, and now Mel comes up with a huge day."

Mackenzie still continued to pile up the points, ending up with a goal and three assists. Her 11 helpers are two times as much as any other Colonial, so she has no issue making the right play if she's covered.

With nine total assists registered on 20 RMU goals Wednesday, there was plenty of unselfishness to go around. Just ask Hannah Miller, Clio Kerr or Crouse about that, after each buried a pair of goals against the Runnin' Bulldogs.

"That's the kind of scoring (depth) we need to have," Silva said. "That's the kind of love we need to show for one another if we want to be more successful down the road in conference."

Wednesday wasn't all about offense, either. RMU set a new season-high with 15 caused turnovers, with juniors Thalia Zolis and Kelly Colegrove forcing three each. Zolis had a monster game out of the midfield, chipping in five ground balls as well, in addition to her third goal of the season.

In goal, junior Katelyn Miller made six stops in her 41st consecutive start to begin her NCAA career. She held Gardner-Webb to a 2-for-11 day on free-position shots, which helped the Colonials build their margin large enough to trigger a running clock in the final 10 minutes. RMU also stifled eight of the Runnin' Bulldogs' 19 clear attempts with a high-pressure ride.

"As the defense took over, it transitioned up the field and we gained momentum," Melanie Gandy said. "We all were part of the offensive success."



"We just kept pushing," Silva said. "It looked really nice."

So did seeing 22 Colonials in all see action, including a second-straight late substitute appearance for freshman goalie Jamie Keller and some solid minutes for defender Elizabeth Engel, who played last year for Gardner-Webb before transferring to RMU.

"It's exciting that everyone's putting in good minutes," Crouse said. "Scoring, causing turnovers, getting draw controls after coming off the bench."

The Colonials will once again take their show on the road over the weekend, playing their fourth consecutive Saturday game away from the Joe. They'll challenge Atlantic 10 foe St. Bonaventure at 1 p.m. in Olean, N.Y.