PITTSBURGH, Pa.— The Robert Morris University women's lacrosse team closes out its road schedule this week with a pair of games at Detroit Mercy and at Youngstown State.  

COLONIAL WLAX PREVIEW

ROBERT MORRIS (11-2-0, 7-0 MAC)

VS DETROIT MERCY (2-4, 2-4 MAC)

Wednesday, April 22 at 3:00 p.m.

Detroit, Mich. 

LIVE STATS via Sidearm

ROBERT MORRIS (11-2-0, 7-0 MAC)

VS YOUNGSTOWN STATE (2-6, 2-6 MAC)

Saturday, May 1 at 1:00 p.m.

Youngstown, Oh. 

LIVE STATS via Sidearm

LAST TIME OUT

The Colonials earned a resounding 20-10 win over the Central Michigan Chippewas Saturday at Joe Walton Stadium to stay a perfect 7-0 in conference play and take a stranglehold and the 2021 MAC Championship race. 

After falling behind 4-2 in the first, a run of six straight unanswered goals from Mackenzie Gandy helped RMU flip the script on CMU, outscoring the Chippewas 15-5 over the games' final 36 minutes to come away with the 20-10 victory.  

Melanie Gandy became the program's all-time assist leader with her 95th helper, one of five on the day for the graduate. 

OPPOSITION RESEARCH

Detroit Mercy is the lone MAC squad left to face the Colonials this year after the postponement of their previously scheduled matchup last month. 

At 2-4 overall, the Titans are riding a two-game losing streak after dropping back-to-back contests against Kent State and Akron, and are just 1-4 all time against RMU, with their lone win coming back during the 2016 campaign. 

The Colonials took down Youngstown State earlier this year 17-7 at JWS in a game that featured hat tricks from Clio Kerr and Gianna Anthony.

KNOW BOBBY MO

• Colonials are 11-2 to start the season, the best start in program history. 
• RMU improved to 7-0 and maintained first place overall in the MAC with a win against CMU last week. 
• After the win vs. CMU, the Colonials control their own destiny in the 2021 MAC Championship race, needing to go just 1-2 over their final three games to lock up the title.  A win against the Titans Wednesday gives RMU its first conference title in program history. 
• RMU defeated YSU in their prior meeting this season, 17-7, and has yet to face DM this season.  
• One more victory would tie the record for most wins in a single season in RMU program history, a mark set when the Colonials finished 12-5 in 2019.  
• The Colonials lead the NCAA in ground balls per-game (26.92) and rank 3rd in caused turnovers per-game (12.62).
• RMU's 23 goals scored against KSU earlier this season was the second highest single-game total in program history, just one behind the record of 24 set against Howard on February 28, 2015.
• Robert Morris has won its last 16 home games, a streak that dates back to February of the 2019 campaign.  
• The Colonials are 7-0 in conference play for the first time in program history as well.
• 108 of RMU's 187 goals this season have been assisted.  Melanie Gandy leads all Colonials with 31 helpers. 
• Graduate attack Mackenzie Gandy passed Ashley Levering '09 earlier this season for first place on the all-time scoring list with 180 career points. She became the program's all-time leading goal scorer earlier this season with career goal #129.
• Twin sister Melanie Gandy became the program's all-time assist leader Saturday with five helpers against CMU and is also now second on the program all-time scoring list with 188 points, behind only Mackenzie. Currently at 97 for her career, she is three assists away from becoming the first Colonial to hit the century mark in helpers.  
• Defender Kelly Colegrove needs six caused turnovers to pass Colleen O'Donnell '12 for most in program history. 
• Mackenzie Gandy earned OPOW honors last week following her hat trick against Akron, making it two wins in a row for a Colonials following sister Melanie's win the week prior. The twins join Jordan Anderson, Clio Kerr, Shea McArdle  and Kelly Colegrove who have also earned individual awards this season.  
• Several RMU freshmen have already scored their first career NCAA tallies this season. Olivia Rupert scored against Liberty while Kathleen Kelly and Isabelle Robarge netted their firsts against Gardner-Webb.  Gianna Anthony scored her first against the Zips, while Lilli Hadden scored her first two against Kent State. Mackenzie Bell and Julia Davies finally found the back of the net against KSU two weeks ago. 
• 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 72 in a row. Junior Jamie Keller has also seen significant minutes in relief this season, including playing 50 of 60 minutes vs. Butler in a ten-save performance.  
• The Colonials 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 5-0 all-time against Kent State, 3-0 against Akron, 4-0 all-time against Central Michigan, 1-0 against Youngstown State and 4-1 all-time against Detroit-Mercy, meeting the latter for the last time during the 2017 campaign. 
• 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

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