MOON TOWNSHIP– Robert Morris (1-4) looks to carry the momentum from their victory over California Baptist (1-3-1) into Sunday when they take on the Longwood Lancers (2-1) out of the Big South Conference.

Recapping RMU

The Colonials picked up their first win of the season on Thursday, scoring two goals only two minutes apart to put them over California Baptist 2-1. Ethan Romito and Riccardo Rota scored their first goals in that game and they look to add to those totals for this upcoming matchup. After a dismal 0-4 start, RMU was finally able to put things together on offense, with half of their 14 shots being on target last game. The Colonials will look to keep that up as they enter the next matchup. Goalie Grant Glorioso picked up the win for the Colonials, as they continue to decide on a starter for this season. It will likely either be him or Christian Snatchko who gets the start against Longwood.

Scouting Longwood

The Lancers will prove to be a tough opponent for the Colonials, as they have had a strong start to their season. The Virginia-based school opened the season with a 3-0 victory against Howard (0-3) before losing a hard-fought game 1-0 against NC State (3-1-1). Their last game was on Wednesday, where they dominated VMI (0-5), in a 5-1 beating in which the Lancers put up 31 shots. Their roster features 11 international players spanning from Spain to New Zealand and has a solid veteran core for every position.

Players to Watch

Ethan Romito (RMU)

The freshman from Maryland scored his first collegiate goal last game and has played some solid and consistent minutes for the club despite his inexperience. He has started the last three games for RMU and looks to have filled a gap the Colonials had in their midfield. He will likely get his fourth start in a row against Longwood as he continues to settle into his role.

Mikel Abando (Longwood)

A senior forward from Spain, Abando dominated Division III soccer before transferring to Longwood in his junior year. He has had a great beginning to his season with three goals over three games, two of those coming against Howard. He will need to be a main point of focus for the RMU defense if they hope to get their second win of the season.

Prediction

As good as it would be for RMU to pick up back-to-back wins, Longwood is a really tough team to do that against. They’ve easily beaten teams they’ve needed to beat and played hard against a much bigger team in NC State. It would likely take an almost perfect game from the Colonials to leave with a win in this matchup. I predict a 3-1 victory for the Lancers in this match, leaving RMU to figure things out for their next match against Duquesne (3-0-1).