PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Robert Morris University women's lacrosse team kicked of the 2021 season with a victory at Joe Walton Stadium Sunday afternoon, defeating the visiting Liberty Flames by a final score of 9-8. 

Fifth-year attack Mackenzie Gandy finished with two goals and three points, tying her for the RMU all-time program scoring record with Ashley Levering '12.  Three Colonials finished tied for the team lead with three points, while Gandy and Kelley Flynn each scored twice.  

Gandy didn't wait long to get on the scoresheet and give the Colonials an early lead, picking up a feed from Bailey Christianson and beating LU keeper Jennifer Soriero just over four minutes into the game. 

The other Gandy made it 2-0 for the Colonials minutes later when twin sister Melanie picked up her first tally of the season off an assist from Clio Kerr to set RMU up with a two-goal lead out of the gate. 

Despite a quick goal from Liberty to cut it to 2-1, RMU went right back to work in the attack as Kerr won the ensuing draw control to set up another scoring chance from Mackenzie Gandy, however she fired her effort off the post.  

A foul on Liberty gave RMU a great opportunity on a free-position attempt, and Gandy made the most of it, burying the effort for her second of the game. 

Three more shots in quick succession nearly saw her complete the hat trick, however two quick goals from the Flames evened things at 3-3 before she could find the back of the net again. 

Despite a two-minute penalty on LU for a crosse to the face, it was the Flames who scored on the ensuing action, posting a pair of man-down goals in a span of 20 seconds to take a 5-3 lead. 

Kerr scored late in the first to cut it back down to one following a rush off of Flynn's groundball pickup. 

Julia Koterwas finally evened things up at 23:17 of the second, setting off a sequence of back and forth scoring in which the Colonials and Flames traded goals, with Hannah Miller evening things at 6-6. 

Freshman Olivia Rupert scored her first career tally to put RMU up 7-6, before two late goals including a free-position goal from Flynn sealed away the 9-8 win for RMU.  

Goalkeeper Katelyn Miller made 16 stops in the effort as RMU improves to 1-0.