PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Robert Morris women's lacrosse team returns to action this week as they look to stay perfect in MAC play against Central Michigan Wednesday before a nonconference showdown at UMBC on Saturday.
GAME #8
Robert Morris (3-4, 3-0 MAC) vs. Central Michigan (4-3, 2-0 MAC)
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
1:00 p.m. | Moon Township, Pa. | Joe Walton Stadium
Live Stats | Live Stream | Tickets
GAME #9
Robert Morris (3-4, 3-0 MAC) at UMBC (4-3, 0-0 AEC)
Saturday, March 19, 2022
12:00 p.m. | Baltimore, Md. | Retriever Soccer Park
Live Stats | Live Stream
LAST TIME OUT
The Colonials kept their MAC win streak alive, pushing it to 13 straight conference wins with a 10-6 victory over the Akron Zips in Akron last Wednesday. Seven different Colonials scored in the win, led by Jenna Irwin, Jerica Obee and Mackenzie Bell who each scored twice.
SERIES HISTORY
The Colonials can extend another win streak when the Chippewas roll into town as RMU looks to improve to 5-0 lifetime against CMU. Rival members of the same conference for the first time in 2021, RMU and CMU met twice a year ago in what proved to be the defining matchup of the inaugural 2021 MAC lacrosse season, as RMU swept both games including a 20-10 blowout in the second meeting that locked up the Colonials' first ever regular season conference championship.
Saturday's matchup will look a bit different when the Colonials head down to Baltimore for their first ever meeting with the UMBC Retrievers. It will be the Colonials first game against a new opponent since RMU played their regular season game at Notre Dame last March.
SCOUTING REPORT
Wednesday's game will once again see two unbeaten MAC foes face off against each other for control of the regular season standings. The Chippewas are 2-0 in conference play following wins over Kent State and Detroit Mercy and also saw their matchup against Youngstown State on March 2 postponed. The inaugural MAC runners-up a year ago, CMU looks every bit the worthy challenger again in 2022, adding wins against non-conference Butler and Saint Francis while also keeping it close with a 17-13 loss to #8 Michigan. CMU is averaging 17 goals per game in its last five starts and has outscored its two MAC opponents by a combined 38-12.
UMBC has put together some impressive results of their own, most recently shredding the Bucknell Bison 20-5 on Sunday in Baltimore. Preseason picks to finish second overall in the America East Conference, UMBC returns each of their top four scorers from a year ago in Claire Bockstie, Dymin Gerow, Megan Halczuk and Olivia Docal.
FRESHMAN PHENOM
Freshman Jenna Irwin extended her goal-scoring streak to six games against Akron, potting two including the opening goal of the game. Irwin has opened the scoring for the Colonials in three straight games and now leads the team with 15 total goals on the year. Irwin is on pace to finish the season as RMU's leading scorer, and would be the first freshman to lead the team in goals since Annie Sachs led RMU with 51 during her freshman campaign in 2017.
STILL STREAKING
RMU extended its conference win streak to 13 games last week against Akron and can make it fourteen Wednesday when CMU visits the Joe. A win Wednesday would also mark just the third time in program history the Colonials have started the season 4-0 in conference play after doing so in 2021 and 2017.
KELLER RECOGNIZED
Senior keeper Jamie Keller was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Week Tuesday following her 12-save performance against Akron last week. It marks the first DPOW win for Keller and the first MAC weekly award to be given to a Colonial this year.
BUILDING BLOCKS
Despite the senior departures, the Colonials still return a number of key pieces from their 2021 championship campaign. Junior mid Jordan Anderson is back after a season that saw her dominate as part of RMU's draw control unit, earning All-MAC First Team honors in the process. Also returning is MAC second-team attacker Kelley Flynn, second-team midfielder Colleen Tifft, and veteran defender Madison Griffin. Tifft is RMU's leading returning scorer after a 2021 campaign that saw her post 15 goals and 28 points in 17 appearances.
BEHIND THE BENCH
Reigning MAC Coach of the Year Katrina Silva returns for her fifth season at the helm of the Colonials as head coach and tenth overall with the program. Owning a 42-21 career mark at RMU including 22-4 in conference play, Silva is joined by the returning Cacki Helmer as assistant coach, as well as first-year assistant Shea Swartwout. Swartwout recently wrapped up her playing career in the spring of 2021 after five years as a midfielder for Niagara University.
NEXT UP
RMU heads over the border for a showdown at Youngstown State on Wednesday, March 23.
