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Preview: ASUN Semifinal - RMU vs. Air Force

RMU Game Notes (5/5)

GAME 16
#6 RMU (8-7 / 4-5 #ASUNMLAX) vs. #2 AF (10-5 / 7-2 #ASUNMLAX)
Friday, May 5 | 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
  • In continuing to host the ASUN tournament, the Colonials advance to the semifinals, taking on the #2 seeded Air Force Falcons, playing at the Joe Walton Stadium on Friday, May 5th, at 4:00 p.m.
  • In the opening round of the ASUN tournament, the #6 Colonials took down the #3 seed Dolphins of Jacksonville, winning 9-8.
  • Ontario native Taggart Clark led the team in scoring with one goal and four assists.
  • Eight other Colonials registered a point against the Dolphins. Colton Lidstone scored two goals.
  • Elliot Holden, Eric Swagerty, David Burr, Brendan Cina, Johnny Chaisson and Kean Moon all scored one goal. Matt Duncan recorded one assist in the team's win.
  • Junior Steven DelleMonache won 12 face-offs and scooped up six ground balls. Holden picked up five loose balls.
  • Head coach Craig McDonald is now 18-13 overall at RMU, and remains 8-6 in ASUN play. (ASUN playoff games do not count towards conference records.)
  • In his post-season career at RMU, McDonald is 3-1, winning the ASUN Championship in 2022 and making it to the NCAA Play-In Round last year.
GAMEDAY LINKS
- Video
- Live Stats
- Tickets
- RMU Athletics Gameday App

The All-Time Series (Air Force) – In program history, the Colonials are 5-3 all-time against the Falcons. This series between the two teams started back in 2010. RMU lost in the 2015 and 2016 season, by one goal each time. In those two games, Associated Head Coach Adrian Torok-Orban recorded three goals when he was a member of the team.
 
Last year in the regular season, the Colonials edged out Air Force in their first ASUN match-up. Winning 11-10, forwards and midfielders Taggart Clark, Torin Neal, Ben Starkey and Elliot Holden all produced two-point games. Later in the year, RMU played a rematch against the Falcons in the ASUN semifinals. The Colonials would be victorious again, winning 9-7 in Huntsville, Alabama. Eric Swagerty led the way with a three-point game. James Leary scooped up a team-high four ground balls and caused two turnovers. Midfielders Elliot Holden and Will Johansen were also crucial in the victory, scoring a goal and an assist each. Both players went on to make the ASUN All-Tournament Team, leading their squad to an ASUN Championship crown.
 
A week ago, the Colonials regular season ended with a loss in Colorado Springs, Colo., against Air Force, losing 13-5 (4/29). In that game, Elliot Holden posted a two-point effort, scoring one goal and dishing out one assist. Friday's game will be a rematch for the Colonials, as they look to beat Air Force for a second year in a row in the playoffs for a spot in the championship game. All-time, RMU is out-scoring Air Force, 88-85. Every game has been evenly matched, as each contest has been decided by two goals or less, excluding the first two meetings. The Colonials won by six and then by three in the 2010 and 2012 seasons.
 
Scouting the Falcons – In the 2023 campaign, Air Force is 10-5 overall and 7-2 in conference play, which earned them the #2 seed for the tournament. Specifically, in ASUN games, their two losses on the year were to Bellarmine and Utah. Entering the playoffs, the Falcons are riding a three-game win streak with wins against Detroit Mercy, Jacksonville and RMU. As a team, the Falcons are averaging 12.33 goals per game, and allowing 10.33 goals a game. On the man-advantage, Air Force has converted 16 out of 36 chances (.444). On 345 clear attempts, they've successfully cleared into the offensive zone 311 times (.901).
 
The team's leading goal scorer and point getter is Brandon Dodd. He's compiled 38 goals and 30 assists, totaling 68 points. Second on the team in points is Ethan Grandolfo, pacing for 29 goals and 11 assists to this date. Air Force have used five different players in the face-off circle this year, which is the most any opponent has deployed that the Colonials have come across. Overall, they're winning face-offs at a .405-win percentage. Defensively, outside of face-off specialists, Jason Rose has scooped up the teams most ground balls with 42. He's also the team's starting goalkeeper, owning a 10-5 record with 153 saves through the regular season and a .519 save percentage.
 
MILESTONE WATCH
  • Against Jacksonville in the first round, sophomore goalkeeper Nate Randall made 10 saves. With those 10 stops he's officially reached over 250 in his career. His 253 saves rank fourth all-time in program history.
  • Reaching another milestone, junior Steven DelleMonache won 12 face-offs vs. the Dolphins. The New Jersey native officially reached over 300 face-off wins.
  • Fifth-year defenseman Owen Down is two ground balls away from 100.
  • Fifth-year long stick midfielder Johnny Chaisson is five ground ball pickups away from the century mark.
  • Taggart Clark this season has climbed his way into the top 15 in points produced across program history. With one more point he'll be tied 10th with Andrew Watt and Kyle Buchanan; with two more, he'll be tied ninth all-time with Eric Rankel.
  • Also, if Clark scores three more goals, he'll enter the top 10 in goals, tying Jake Hayes with 89.
ASUN'S FINEST
Reviewing the regular season awards, the Ontario trio of fifth-year players Taggart Clark, Owen Down and James Christoforatos were all honored with awards this past week. Clark and Down received Second-Team All-Conference awards for a second season in a row. Christoforatos was tabbed to the All-Academic team.
 
ASUN TOURNAMENT
The winner between #6 RMU and #2 Air Force will go on to face either #5 Bellarmine or #1 Utah on Sunday, May 7th at 1:00 p.m. in the ASUN Championship game. 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. Tickets are available here.

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