GAME 15
#6 RMU (7-7 / 4-5 #ASUNMLAX) vs. #3 JU (12-3 / 7-2 #ASUNMLAX)
Tuesday, May 7 | 4:00 p.m.
Joe Walton Stadium (3,000) | Moon Township, Pa.
 
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Dan Matthews (pxp), John Paul (color)
Twitter: @RMUMLacrosse | Instagram: rmumlacrosse
 
Opening Face-Off

• The Colonials return home to host the ASUN tournament, at the Joe Walton Stadium in Moon Township, Pa.
• RMU's first-round game will be against the #3 seeded Jacksonville Dolphins, on Tuesday, May 2^nd at 4:00 p.m.
• After winning three in a row, the Colonials regular season ended with a loss at Air Force, 13-5 (4/29).
• In that game, Elliot Holden posted a two-point game with a goal and an assist.
• Sophomore Zach Seppi stepped in the face-off circle, winning 9 out of 12 draws and scooped up seven ground balls.
• Previously, in RMU's last home game, the Colonials beat the Lions of Lindenwood, 18-12 (4/22).
• Against Lindenwood, Taggart Clark produced seven points and was then tabbed Player of the Week for the second time this season by the ASUN.
• Liam Keane, David Burr and Eric Swagerty all scored hat tricks vs. Lindenwood.
• Junior face-off specialist Steven DelleMonache won 28-34 face-offs and picked up a career-high 17 ground balls.
• Defensively, Owen Down picked up six ground balls and caused two turnovers.
• Head coach Craig McDonald is now 17-13 overall at RMU, and owns an 8-6 record in ASUN play.
• In his post-season career at RMU, McDonald is 2-1, winning the ASUN Championship in 2022 and making it to the NCAA Play-In Round.

GAMEDAY LINKS
- Video
- Live Stats
- Tickets
- RMU Athletics Gameday App

The All-Time Series (Jacksonville) – In program history, the Colonials are 5-3 all-time against the Dolphins. When the Dolphins came to Moon Township earlier in the season, the Colonials lost, 12-6 in their first conference game of the 2023 campaign. Liam Keane led the offense with two goals and one assist for RMU. Owen Down picked up three ground balls and caused two turnovers. Fifth-year attacker Taggart Clark also caused two turnovers and added two points. In 2021, RMU beat Jacksonville 16-15 with help from Elliot Holden, Taggart Clark and James Leary all scoring one goal each. Captain Owen Down caused three turnovers in that game and Steven DelleMonache won 14 face-offs. Long-stick midfielder Johnny Chaisson scooped up a team-high five ground balls and added an assist. Back in 2015, Associate Head Coach Adrian Torok-Orban scored two goals for the Colonials against Jacksonville. Dating back to 2010 when these teams first met, RMU went on a four-game winning streak against Jacksonville in their first four matches against the opposing program.
 
Scouting the Dolphins – Previously in the Southern Conference, Jacksonville entered the ASUN conference for the 2023 season. Last year, in the Southern Conference, Jacksonville made it all the way to the conference final but lost 10-9 to the #2 seed, Richmond. So far this year, the Dolphins boast four players with over 40 points: Dylan Watson (36G, 9A, 45 pts), Jackson Intrieri (21G, 24A, 45 pts), Brandon Galloway (26G, 15A, 41 pts), and Jacob Greiner (27G, 13A, 40 pts). In the face-off circle, junior Nathan Kapp has taken most of the teams draws, winning 221 this season with a .564-win percentage. He's picked up 124 ground balls. On defense, fifth-year Jack Heed leads the team in caused turnovers with 32 and has picked up 30 ground balls. In net, Luke Millican has started and played in all 15 games for Jacksonville. He's made 155 saves this season, earning 12 wins and a .531 save percentage.
 
Overall, Jacksonville is 12-3 this year and finished the ASUN regular season games with a 7-2 record. Their only two losses in conference play came to #1 Utah and #2 Air Force. The Dolphins field a team of 61 players, led by Head Coach John Galloway in his seventh season.
 
ASUN STATS
After this past Saturday's results, every member of the ASUN officially played their ninth and final conference game of the regular season. A few key players of the Colonials ranked well in some statistical categories. All-year, RMU has taken advantage of man-up opportunities. Attackers David Burr and Taggart Clark both scored four goals on the man advantage, being tied fourth in the ASUN for man-up goals. Clark also finished ranked fourth in points across the conference, scoring 29 goals, 19 assists and 48 total points. His 19 assists tied ninth in the ASUN. Also, there were only seven man-down goals scored all year out of all the teams in the ASUN; Clark had one of them.
 
In the face-off circle this year, junior Steven DelleMonache reached new heights. His 84 ground balls in 14 games ranked fourth. Also, his 163 total face-off wins were the fourth-most this season. Defensively, freshman Liam Blakely caused 15 turnovers on the year, reaching the top 10 in that category. Between the pipes, sophomore goalie Nate Randall was the fourth goalkeeper in program history to reach over 200 saves. His save percentage of exactly 50.0%, was fourth-best amongst keepers in the ASUN. Randall also was fourth in goals-against-average (11.08).
 
Looking across the country, RMU is seventh in all of Division I in man-up offense. They've converted on the power play 21 times, scoring 51.3% of the time with the extra man.
 
CLARK'S CAMPAIGN
After scoring against Lindenwood two weeks ago, Taggart Clark officially scored in 15 straight games. Now, with a goal against the Falcons in this past Saturday's matinee, Clark now owns a 30-game point streak. The Canadian natives goal streak started last year in the ASUN playoffs against Utah (5/7/22) in the Championship, when the captain scored four goals and three assists. His point streak began in the beginning of the 2022 campaign, at Duke (2/4/22), scoring four goals and one assist. Overall, during the attacker's senior and graduate seasons, in 30 games, Clark has scored 77 goals and 35 assists, including five game winning goals and eight goals scored on the man-advantage. In the process, he pressured opposing teams' defenders, causing 15 turnovers and scooping up 52 ground balls.
 
MILESTONE WATCH

• Nate Randall, seven saves from 250 in his career.
• Johnny Chaisson is eight ground balls away from 100.
• Owen Down is three ground balls away from 100.
• Steven DelleMonache is closing in on 300 face-off wins, as he's 11 away.

ASUN TOURNAMENT
The winner between #6 RMU and #3 Jacksonville will go on to face #2 Air Force on Friday, May 2^nd at 4:00 p.m. All games will be played at the Joe Walton Stadium in Moon Township, Pa. To check out the full bracket on the ASUN website, click here.
 
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