This weekend will be a big one for the Colonials, with high-profile opponents and potential playoff spots at stake.

Rowing at Duquesne, 11/8

To kick off the weekend, the rowing team will be facing off at Duquesne on Friday. They will be closing out a successful fall season that saw them win the Yinzer Cup.

Volleyball vs. Central Connecticut State University, 11/8

Volleyball faces off at home against Central Connecticut (12-12, 8-4 NEC) on Friday at 7:00 p.m. RMU comes into the contest with a 22-3 record and is undefeated in conference play (12-0) and at home (10-0). CCSU is riding a five-game winning streak into this weekend. RMU won the last meeting three sets to one.

The player to watch for the Colonials is middle blocker, Emma Granger. She leads RMU in kills with 3.30/set, blocks with 1.53/set, points with 4.72/set, and serve aces with .56/set.

The Blue Devils player to watch will be outside hitter Emma Henderson. It’ll be a Battle of the Emmas, as Henderson leads Central Connecticut in kills with 3.03/set, points with 3.5/set, and is tied with Erin McDermott for the lead in service aces per set with .30. My prediction is another 3-1 win for RMU.

Men’s Hockey vs. Canisius 11/8-11/9

The men’s hockey team takes the ice for a home-and-home against Canisius. The Colonials (3-4) are 3-1 in the AHA this season, while the Golden Griffins (1-4) get their first taste of conference action this weekend.

The RMU players to watch are forwards Aiden Spellacy and Justin Addamo. Spellacy has shown his scoring ability on the man advantage, with two powerplay goals on the year to show for it. This could come in handy considering Canisius’ penalty trouble and defensive woes; as the Griffins have three major penalties on the year and a -16 goal differential. Meanwhile, Addamo leads the Colonials with five assists and six points this season.

The players to watch for Canisius are forward Austin Alger and defenseman Matt Stief. Alger is the team leader with two goals and three points, while Stief is tied for second in scoring with a goal and an assist. My prediction is that RMU sweeps Canisius with a 4-1 win in the first game, with at least one powerplay goal, and a 5-1 win in the second game.

Women’s Hockey vs. Lindenwood, 11/8-11/9

Also on the ice this weekend will be the women’s hockey team (4-5-1, 2-0 CHA), facing off in a pair of games at Lindenwood (2-6-2, 0-2 CHA) for an early College Hockey America match-up.

The players to watch for the Colonials are defenseman Emily Curlett and forward Michaela Boyle. The reigning CHA Player of the Month, Curlett is tied for second on the Colonials roster with seven goals and 15 total points, which are truly impressive numbers for a defenseman. Boyle, a Clarkson transfer, has 11 points on the season.

The Lions players to watch will be forwards Lokelani Antonio and Madilynn Hickey. Antonio is tied with Hickey for the lead on their team with an identical stat line of three points and two assists. My prediction is another sweep for RMU with a 5-1 victory in the first game, featuring a goal and assist from Curlett, and a 4-2 win in the second game.

Men’s Basketball vs. Notre Dame, 11/9

Men’s basketball (0-1) will begin a busy Saturday for Robert Morris athletics with their game at Notre Dame (0-2, 0-1 ACC) at noon. The Colonials are looking to get off to a strong start this season.

With his senior leadership and an average of 14.5 points per game last season, the RMU player to watch is guard Josh Williams. The player to watch for the Fighting Irish is power forward John Mooney. Named to the 2019 All-ACC Third Team, he averaged 14.1 points per game and 11.2 rebounds per game. My prediction is an 80-62 win for Notre Dame.

Women’s Basketball vs. La Salle, 11/9

Also taking the hardwood this Saturday is women’s basketball (0-1) at La Salle (1-0) at 1:00 p.m.

The player to watch for the Colonials is guard Nina Augustin, who led RMU in their opening game against TCU with 11 points and six assists. The La Salle player to watch is guard Deja King, who tied for second on her team with 12 points and led with six assists in their opening game. My prediction is a close win for RMU, 68-64.

Football vs. Duquesne, 11/9

The football team (5-4, 4-0 NEC) squares off in a huge game at Joe Walton Stadium against NEC rival Duquesne (6-2, 4-0 NEC), this Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Robert Morris is will put their four-game win streak on the line, while the Dukes look to continue their recent success against the Colonials.

The RMU player to watch is linebacker Aniello Buzzacco, who leads the defense with 95 tackles through their first nine games and will have the task of stopping the player to watch for the Dukes; running back A.J. Hines. He leads Duquesne with 620 rushing yards and four rushing TDs. My prediction is that RMU pulls off the “upset” and wins 28-21.

Volleyball vs. Saint Francis Brooklyn, 11/9

Volleyball (22-3, 12-0 NEC) will also have a home match against St. Francis Brooklyn (12-16, 5-8 NEC) this Saturday at 5:00 p.m. RMU won the last meeting between these two teams three sets to zero.

The player to watch for the Colonials is defensive specialist Nikolette Zanolli, who leads RMU with 4.75 digs/set. The SFB player to watch is outside hitter Una Stevic. She leads the Terriers with 3.1 points/set and with 2.63 kills/set. My prediction is another 3-0 win for RMU.

Men’s Soccer vs. Saint Francis, 11-10

Rounding out the weekend, men’s soccer (4-10-2, 3-4-1 NEC) will be closing out their season at Saint Francis (9-5, 6-2 NEC). The two teams have not met yet this year.

The RMU player to watch is midfielder Michael Petitti, who is second in points with a balanced offensive attack of two goals and two assists on the season. The player to watch for the Red Flash is midfielder Lucas Rosa, who leads SFU with an amazing stat line of 10 goals and 22 points. My prediction is that Saint Francis wins 2-1 with a game-winning goal from Rosa. However, if the Colonials pull off the victory, and St. Francis Brooklyn (7-5-2, 3-4-1 NEC) loses on the road in Long Island (8-7-1, 5-2-1 NEC) against the Sharks; they will make the NEC playoffs for the first time since 2017.

It is sure to be an entertaining weekend for Colonials’ sports, stay tuned to RMU Sentry Media all weekend long for more updates.