PITTSBURGH, Pa.— The Robert Morris University women's lacrosse team looks to keep its win streak rolling this weekend as they stay out on the road for a pair of matchups against #4 Notre Dame and Butler.
COLONIAL WLAX PREVIEW
ROBERT MORRIS (4-0-0, 1-0 MAC)
VS NOTRE DAME (1-0, 0-0 ACC)
Saturday, March 6 at 12:00 p.m.
NOTRE DAME, IND.
LIVE STREAM
LIVE STATS via Sidearm
ROBERT MORRIS (4-0-0, 1-0 MAC)
VS BUTLER (0-0, 0-0 BIG EAST)
Sunday, March 7 at 2:00 p.m.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND.
LIVE STREAM
LIVE STATS via Sidearm
LAST TIME OUT
Robert Morris is off to its best start since the 2014 campaign after an 18-3 win over Kent State on Wednesday has them at 4-0 to start the 2021 season.
The Colonials put together a convincing victory in their first taste of MAC play this year, getting goals form 11 different players while Jordan Anderson dominated with an impressive ten draw controls against the Golden Flash.
OPPOSITION RESEARCH
A perennial powerhouse in women's lacrosse, #4 Notre Dame has played just one game so far this year, a 19-4 drubbing of Vanderbilt on their home turf back on February 13.
A deep veteran team with a bevy of talent, Senior midfielder Andie Aldave, graduate midfielder Savannah Buchanan, senior goaltender Bridget Deehan, senior attacker Maddie Howe and graduate defender Kathleen Roe were each named to the Preseason All-ACC Team ahead of the 2021 season.
Meanwhile, the Colonials will face the Bulldogs in Butler's season opener Sunday following the postponement of their scheduled game against Presbyterian.
The Bulldogs return their leading scorers in junior Gabryelle Bodine, senior Ashley Guerra and junior Lindsey Schreiber. Butler also returns goalie Amanda Rumsey, who helped lead the Butler defense to a No. 8 ranking nationally in scoring defense across the NCAA, allowing just 8.29 goals per game.
KNOW BOBBY MO
- Colonials are 4-0 for first time since 2014 and 1-0 on the road.
- RMU is in the middle of a four-game road stretch that concludes next Wednesday at Cincinnati.
- RMU has never faced Notre Dame and is 1-0 all-time against Butler, a 15-8 win on March 11 last year.
- Graduate attack Mackenzie Gandy passed Ashley Levering '09 last earlier this season for first place on the all-time scoring list with 180 career points.
- Gandy is also close to breaking several other program records this season, needing 11 goals and 24 assists to pass Jenn Collins '09 and Levering for most all time in each category. Defender Kelley Colegrove needs 19 caused turnovers to pass Colleen O'Donnell '12 for most in program history as well.
- Several RMU freshmen have already scored their first career NCAA tallies this season. Olivia Rupert scored against Liberty while Kathleen Kelley and Isabelle Robarge netted their firsts against Gardner-Webb. Lilli Hadden scored her first two against Kent State Wednesday.
- 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 63 in a row. She has the best goals-against average (9.30) in the 17-year history of the program as well as the best save percentage (.491). Last season she passed Kaitlin Pentz '14 for the most ever wins by an RMU goalkeeper.
- 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 3-0 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.
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