Women's Lacrosse | 5/1/2019 1:31:00 PM

EMMITSBURG, Md. -- For the sixth consecutive season, the Robert Morris University women's lacrosse team will play for a Northeast Conference championship in the league's four-team postseason tournament.

And for the fourth straight spring, RMU's opponent in the single-elimination NEC semifinal round is Wagner, with the Colonials' program-record 12-win season boiling down to a Thursday morning battle with the rival Seahawks.

Top-seeded Mount St. Mary's will take on Bryant in the second semifinal immediately following RMU-Wagner. Thursday's winners will play in Saturday's NEC final, scheduled for noon.

THE BASICS
3-seed ROBERT MORRIS (12-4, 5-2 NEC)
vs. 2-seed WAGNER (13-3, 6-1)
Thursday, May 2 at 11 a.m.
Waldron Family Stadium
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO

LAST WEEK
Robert Morris extended its winning streak to a season-best five games by sweeping a home weekend against NEC foes Bryant and Central Connecticut; the 12-11 win over the Bulldogs secured RMU's postseason berth and the 3 seed, while beating the Blue Devils 18-5 made this team the winningest in 15 years of program history. Junior attacker Mackenzie Gandy was once again dominant, scoring 10 points (6g, 4a) over the weekend, with senior Kerri Sayrafe notching five goals on the weekend, giving her 16 in five games.

On defense, junior Kelly Colegrove earned NEC co-Defensive Player of the Week with nine caused turnovers and nine ground balls. Classmate Clio Kerr scored three times and controlled 17 draws, her biggest total in back-to-back games this season. In goal, junior standout Katelyn Miller stopped 10 shots en route to moving within one win of the program's career record of 33.

HISTORY LESSON
RMU opened this year's conference schedule against Wagner on Staten Island, with the Seahawks grabbing a 17-7 victory on April 5. The Colonials took an early 2-1 lead on a pair of goals from senior Sophia Eureka, but Wagner scored 10 of the next 11 to take command. Colegrove had a big game despite the result, piling up five ground balls and four caused turnovers.

In last year's semifinal round, Wagner improved to 4-0 against RMU in the postseason with a tight 13-9 decision on the Bryant campus in Smithfield, Rhode Island. Sayrafe and Melanie Gandy scored twice, with Shannon Lynch picking up a goal and two assists. Miller stopped 12 shots, but the Colonials would have to wait for their first-ever tournament win.

OPPOSITION RESEARCH
Wagner lost just once in NEC action, to regular-season champion Mount St. Mary's -- and finished the year on a four-game win streak. The Seahawks have made the NEC final every season since 2014, winning the tournament in 2016 and '18.

Last year's postseason crown led to an NCAA tournament home game against Mercer, a preliminary-round matchup Wagner won to advance to play No. 8-ranked Towson. The Seahawks fell to the Tigers to end their program-best 14-win season. 

TRUE FACT
RMU has faced three different opponents in its six previous trips to the NEC tournament: Wagner (four times), Bryant and Mount St. Mary's. The Colonials lost to Bryant to end the 2015 season, while RMU's first postseason game ever came against the Mountaineers in 2011, on the campus of former conference rival Quinnipiac.

SHE SAID IT
Junior defender Madison Burke on ...

The opportunity facing the team: "We're all really excited. I think we're especially motivated this year to make those 12 wins (into) 13 and continue to make history. We're looking forward to getting to the Mount and getting our legs under us."

Why the defense has had back to back seasons allowing single-digit goals per game: "Just the opportunity to continue to play together, with Katelyn (Miller) in the net. Our communication is probably our strongest point."

The terrific performance of a nine-player junior class: "They're my best friends. There's that connection between us and I really think that benefits us through the midfield, on defense and the attack."

The chance to push back on Wagner: "We're excited to get that redemption and come out even harder. We know what we need to fix. Work on us and worry about them when we get there."

Being one of 17 Maryland natives on the roster: "We'll feel that support, even though technically it's an away game. The opportunity to play in front of people who don't usually get to see us play much is exciting."

What she'll remember about this season: "We had a great senior class that really binded everyone together. I think this year, we just have a special bond, in going through last year and going into this year and going on this historic run."

 

KNOW BOBBY MO
• The Colonials' 12 victories this season marked the first time an RMU team has reached that level, surpassing the 11 wins achieved in 2014 and 2017. They also matched their best non-conference (7-2) and conference (5-2) records in team history. RMU has gone 5-2 in the NEC for four straight seasons, finishing as high as second in the regular-season standings (2017) over that span.

• Through 16 games, Robert Morris ranks fourth among its NEC sisters in scoring offense (12.5 goals per game), third in scoring defense (9.4 goals allowed) and third in scoring margin (plus-3.1). The Colonials have been even better during this current five-game surge, outscoring opponents by an average score of 16-6.

• This year's team ranks first in program history in shots per game (31.5), second in caused turnovers per game (11.8), second in save percentage (.485), third in goals-against average (9.95), third in assists per game (6.12) and fourth in goals scored per game (12.5). 

• Junior defender Kelly Colegrove is again excelling in taking the ball away, as she ranks first in the NEC (and fifth in Division I) with 2.69 caused turnovers per game, the second-best single-season pace in team history. That exceeds her 2.00 caused-turnover rate from last season, when she was an All-NEC First Team honoree.

• Junior attacker Mackenzie Gandy is putting together a special season, as she ranks third in the NEC and 53rd in the nation with 4.00 points per game. Gandy's 64 points rank third in program history for a single season; she already has RMU's seventh-best point total, with 56 as a freshman in 2017. She's already set team record for shots in a single year, with 118 and counting.

• Junior attacker Melanie Gandy is showing off her playmaking skill to a great degree in her junior year, averaging 1.75 assists per game, good for second in the NEC and 39th in the nation. That would rank second in team history if she maintains that rate, behind only the 2.94 posted by Ashley Levering '09. Gandy's 28 assists have her tied with Kristin Yoviene for the second most by a Colonial in a single season.

• Junior goalie Katelyn Miller is on pace for the second-best single-season save percentage by a starter in program history. Her .493 mark through 16 games ranks 15th in Division I, third in the NEC, and would threaten the .508 put up by former Colonial Erica Webb in 2009.

• Junior midfielder Clio Kerr is one of the top draw-control artists in D-I lacrosse, averaging 5.63 per game. That's currently fourth-best in the NEC and 27th in the nation; it's also the best per-game rate in team history by someone not named Jessica Karwacki, who led D-I in draw controls per game in three straight seasons (2013-15).

• Following three consecutive winning seasons in NEC play and five straight conference tournament berths, the Colonials returned 12 players who competed in all 18 games last year. RMU was picked by league coaches to finish fourth in the standings.

• For more fun facts on this year's squad, the 15th in team history, click here.

STERLING SILVA
Entering her second season in charge of the Colonials, Katrina Silva brings 12 years of Division I head coaching experience to the table. Before taking over the program in 2018, Silva served as an RMU assistant coach for five years and a volunteer assistant for one.

Previous to her time in Moon Township, Silva led the lacrosse programs at Virginia Tech (four years) and Colgate (seven), in addition to Division III Roanoke College. A goalie in her playing days, she was the 1993 Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year for Towson.

IRISH EYES ARE SMILIN'
Kerr and assistant coach Cacki Helmer have been chosen to represent Ireland in the upcoming European Championship this summer in Israel. Kerr, whose father was born in Ireland, will be one of the youngest players on the squad, while Helmer will serve as head coach following a few years as an assistant for the national team.

HONOR ROLL
The following Colonials have earned NEC weekly awards this season:
Katelyn Miller (Defensive Player of Week - Feb. 18-24, March 25-31)
Mackenzie Gandy (Player of Week - Feb. 18-24, Feb. 25-March 3)
Clio Kerr (Defensive Player of Week - Feb. 25-March 3)
Melanie Gandy (Player of Week - March 11-17)
Kerri Sayrafe (Player of Week - April 8-14)
Kelly Colegrove (Defensive Player of Week - April 22-28)

MARCH WITH THE COLONIALS
In addition to reports and videos on RMUColonials.com, check out Twitter and Instagram for news and updates throughout the season.

NEXT WEEK
The NCAA tournament begins next Tuesday and Wednesday with opening-round games for all but the top six seeds, who will receive byes.