PITTSBURGH, Pa.— The Robert Morris University women's lacrosse team looks to stay perfect on the still fresh 2021 campaign when they play host to Gardner-Webb on Sunday at Joe Walton Stadium.
COLONIAL WLAX PREVIEW
ROBERT MORRIS (2-0-0, 0-0 MAC)
VS GARDNER-WEBB (2-0, 0-0 BIG SOUTH)
Sunday, February 28 at 12:00 p.m.
Joe Walton Memorial Stadium
LIVE STREAM
LIVE STATS via Sidearm
LAST TIME OUT
Robert Morris returned to action after almost a full calendar year away with a pair of home wins Sunday against Liberty and Tuesday against Fresno State.
After three points in the win over the Flames, Mackenzie Gandy entered Tuesday's contest tied with the all-time RMU scoring record of 179 points, which she broke with a free-position goal minutes into the first half against the Bulldogs.
She would finish with six goals on the day as RMU held FSU at bay for an 18-13 win.
OPPOSITION RESEARCH
RMU and Gardner-Webb have played just once before, a 20-8 win for RMU back on March 13, 2019 at Joe Walton Stadium.
The Bulldogs are a perfect 2-0 on the season so far as well, beating Wofford 19-6 on their opening day on Monday as well as a 16-8 win over MAC foe Akron Friday in Ohio.
They finished 6-3 a season ago before being shutdown and are led on offense by the duo of Talen Francis and Jada Preston who have combined for 15 of their 35 goals so far this season.
KNOW BOBBY MO
- The Colonials are 2-0 to start the 2021 season and have not lost a game at Joe Walton Stadium since February 27, 2019 against Liberty, a win streak that currently sits at eleven games.
- Graduate attack Mackenzie Gandy passed Ashley Levering '09 Tuesday first place on the all-time scoring list with 180 career points. She finished with six goals on the day.
- Gandy is also close to breaking several other program records this season, needing 18 goals and 29 assists to pass Jenn Collins '09 and Levering for most all time in each category. Defender Kelley Colegrove needs 20 caused turnovers to pass Colleen O'Donnell '12 for most in program history as well.
- Several RMU freshman scored their first career NCAA tallies earlier this week. Olivia Rupert scored against Liberty while Kathleen Kelly and Isabelle Robarge netted their firsts against Gardner-Webb.
- RMU was picked to finish second in the MAC in the preseason coaches' poll, earning two first-place votes. Central Michigan took the top spot with four first-place votes, with Kent State coming in third.
- Goalie Katelyn Miller has started every game for the Colonials since arriving on campus four years ago, a remarkable streak of 62 in a row following last weekend's games. Last season she passed Kaitlin Pentz '14 for the most ever wins by an RMU goalkeeper.
- RMU has been formidable at Joe Walton Stadium in recent memory, owning a dominant 24-5 overall record at home dating back to the 2017 campaign.
- The Colonials will boast an expanded squad in 2021 that includes six graduate students, seven total seniors, six juniors, five sophomores and twelve freshmen.
- Robert Morris welcomes back six graduate students for their last go-around with the program, a class which includes their three top scorers in Mackenzie Gandy, Melanie Gandy and R-Sr. Clio Kerr. Ground ball leaders Madison Burke and Kelly Colegrove also make their return, as do free-position goals leaders Thalia Zolis and Shea McArdle.
- The Colonials will see a mix of new and familiar foes as they join the MAC in 2021, They are 2-0 all-time against Kent State, 1-0 against Akron, 2-0 all-time against Central Michigan and 4-1 all-time against Detroit-Mercy meeting the latter two for the last time during the 2017 campaign. They will play first-year Youngstown State as well.
- For a full list of all-time team records and stats, click here.
THE SILVA FILE
Entering her fourth season at the helm of the Colonials, Katrina Silva brings 14 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.
Silva will be joined by the returning Cacki Helmer and Chelsea Rosiek.
FOLLOW THE COLONIALS
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