MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – Lacrosse is coming back to Moon Township as the RMU women's lacrosse team (4-8, 2-2 MAC) is slated to host the Akron Zips (8-4, 3-1 MAC) on Saturday afternoon at Joe Walton Stadium. First draw is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. and will stream live on ESPN+
RMU LATELY
The Colonials ended a three-game skid, picking up an 8-5 conference road win over Kent State on Saturday afternoon to get back in the win column. RMU remains a perfect 6-0 on the road against Kent State.
Against the Golden Flashes,
Gabi Puzevic (11) and
Mia Berthoff (22) each scored a pair of goals in the win to lead the Colonials, while
Lea Otts tied her season-high with three assists on the afternoon. Other goal scorers for the Colonials included
Julia Foley,
Jenna Evans,
Taylor Cadeau, and
Samantha Brothers. Not only did Evans score a goal, but she was also a force for the Colonials in other ways, picking up a career-high eight ground balls.
In goal,
Lucy Carney moved to 3-3 on the season for RMU. Carney recorded 11 saves, her second double-digit mark of the season, while allowing just five goals. Carney has now recorded 61 saves on the season.
RMU AND AKRON HISTORY
Since 2020, the Colonials are 7-2 against the Zips, and a perfect 4-0 at home, despite dropping the last two matches to Akron. RMU has put up 122 goals against the Zips, averaging out to 13.56 goals per game.
LAST DRAW
Last season, the pair met in the MAC Championship, with Akron winning the 11-10 overtime thriller on a goal by Jaelyn Clinkscales with under a minute left in the first overtime period.
In the loss,
Mia Berthoff and
Samantha Brothers each led RMU with two goals, while
Madison Prietz and
Taylor Cadeau each added a goal. Akron held a narrow 27-26 advantage in shots.
SCOUTING AKRON
The Zips are off to a good start, posting an 8-4 overall record and a 3-1 record against MAC opponents. Akron will come to Moon Township with a 3-2 road record after falling on the road to UMass 18-10 last Saturday.
Against the Minutewomen, junior Sienna Hichcliffe turned in a dominant performance, recording six goals while taking a career-high 12 shots, with nine coming on goal. Senior Katie Baumer followed up Hichcliffe performance with a pair of goals.
Hichcliffe has been a force for the Zips, including leading the MAC in goals with 51, while averaging 4.25 per game and shots per game with 8.83. Hichcliffe is ranked second in the conference in points, averaging 5.58 per game, and 67 total on the season.
Adrianna Califano has gone the distance in the net all season for the Zips, starting in all 12 contests. On the season, Califano has recorded 75 saves while allowing 116 goals for an average of 9.67 per game and a save percentage of .393. Currently, Califano has an 8-4 record and has faced 265 shots on the season.
LOOKING AT THE MAC
RMU currently sits in the middle of the pack with Youngstown State, as both programs have posted a 2-2 record in conference play so far. Looking at the top half of the conference, UMass continues to lead the way, remaining perfect in conference play with a 4-0 record, while Akron and Eastern Michigan are close behind, with both posting a 3-1 record in MAC play so far. Behind RMU and Youngstown are Kent State and Central Michigan, each with a 1-3 conference play record, while Detroit Mercy is still looking for a MAC win.
UP NEXT
Following the Akron contest, the Colonials will head down the parkway for a non-conference matchup against Pitt on Wednesday afternoon at Highmark Stadium. First draw is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in downtown Pittsburgh.
