MOON TOWNSHIP– The Colonials had eight teams play in a busy weekend for RMU sports. Here’s how it all played out:
Volleyball (24-3, 14-0 NEC) kept their foot on the gas pedal and swept their matches this weekend, with a 3-2 win against Central Connecticut State (13-13, 9-5 NEC) that saw them survive a comeback attempt by the Blue Devils, and a 3-0 win over St. Francis Brooklyn (13-17, 6-9 NEC).
Emma Granger, my player to watch for this game in the weekend preview, had a game for the ages against CCSU, totaling 26 kills and 33 points. Both are career highs for the junior middle blocker, and either tie (26 kills) or break (33 points) previous program records. Also with key contributions were Alyssa Hudak had 13 kills, Maria Alfano tallied 12 kills, Megan Cannon had 43 assists, and Nikolette Zanolli led the team with 20 digs. Granger and Lauren Kolenik each had 12 kills and two blocks in the game against SFB, while Alfano and Hudak both had nine kills and Cannon racked up 36 assists. After a couple of road matches next weekend to close out the regular season, RMU volleyball will host the NEC Tournament that following weekend.
Rowing closed out an impressive fall season on Friday with their successful outing at Duquesne.
Men’s hockey (5-4, 5-1 AHA) also went undefeated this weekend, with a pair of 4-2 wins against Canisius (1-6, 0-2 AHA). The Golden Griffins’ special teams issues were on full display in the first game, as RMU scored two power-play goals and added a short-handed score for good measure. Forward Nick Prkusic led the way on offense for the Colonials with a goal and an assist, while goalie Justin Kapelmaster stopped 39 of 41 in another strong outing. The holiday spirit came early for Prkusic in the second game, as he felt generous with a career-best three assists on the evening. Forward Grant Hebert notched a pair of goals, both assisted by Prkusic, and defenseman Brandon Michaelian picked up a goal and an assist. The team will face Bentley (3-6, 2-5 AHA) on the road in a pair of games next weekend.
In the jungle of Wentzville, Missouri, RMU made sure the Lions slept back-to-back nights, as women’s hockey (6-5-1, 4-0 AHA) won both of their games this weekend against Lindenwood (2-8-2, 0-4 AHA) by scores of 2-0 and 4-3 in OT, respectively. Forward Lexi Templeman put the Colonials up early in the first game with her second goal of the year, a power-play tally that would remain the only goal until forward Joelle Fiala’s empty-netter in the final minute. Forward Jaycee Gebhard added two assists and goalie Raygan Kirk notched her second shutout of the season. In the second game, RMU recorded an astonishing 53 shots and a comeback victory after being down 3-0 in the second period. Defender Emily Curlett, one of my players to watch in the preview, scored the winner 2:28 into the extra frame. Defender Emilie Harley tallied two goals, and Gebhard added a goal and an assist to reach 26 points in only 12 games. The team’s next action will be a pair of games at RPI (0-10-1, 0-4 ECAC) the weekend before Thanksgiving.
Men’s basketball (0-2) lost their second game of the season with a 92-57 defeat at Notre Dame (1-1) on Saturday. Guard Josh Williams, my player to watch in the preview, led RMU with 21 points, going 7-for-18 on the day, including 6-for-16 from 3-point range. RMU will continue their season on Tuesday in the heavily anticipated game at the UPMC Events Center, where they will play host to Pitt (1-1, 1-0 ACC).
Women’s basketball (1-1) took the map to victory from the La Salle Explorers (1-1) on Saturday, getting their first win of the season in overtime by a score of 71-68. Nneka Ezeigbo tallied 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Colonials, picking up her 18th career double-double while adding four steals and two blocks. The “Finnish Flash” Nina Augustin, my player to watch in the preview, recorded 14 points and eight assists. Other Colonials to reach double-digits in scoring were Laura Carrasco (12), Holly Forbes (12), and Isabella Posset (10). RMU will face Youngstown State (1-1) at the UPMC Events Center in their next game on Wednesday.
The football team (6-4, 5-0 NEC) put on a clinic against Duquesne (6-3, 4-1 NEC) in front of their home fans at Joe Walton Stadium, pushing their win streak to five and remaining undefeated in conference play with a 41-21 win. With a balanced attack on offense and seven turnovers forced on defense, the Colonials jumped out to a 20-0 halftime lead and never looked back. On offense, quarterback George Martin threw for 131 yards and one touchdown on the day, adding a rushing touchdown as well, while Terence Stephens, Jr. racked up 119 rushing yards and a rushing TD. On defense, safety Mason Gray had a historical day, with two interceptions in the second half that turned into pick-sixes of 36 and 81 yards respectively. He became the 28th player in NCAA FCS history and second in RMU history to accomplish this, and was the first RMU player to do so in Joe Walton Stadium’s history. Corey Oaks, the other Colonial to accomplish this feat, recorded two pick-sixes in 2002 against Buffalo State at Moon Stadium. Linebacker Aniello Buzzacco, my player to watch, notched a game-high 11 tackles and added one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and an interception return of 22 yards. RMU will head to CCSU (9-1, 5-0 NEC) next Saturday in a matchup of two teams that are 5-0 in conference play.
Men’s soccer (4-11-2, 3-5-1) came up one point shy of qualifying for the NEC tournament this year following a 3-0 loss to Saint Francis (10-5, 7-2). Lucas Rosa, the leading scorer for SFU, scored the game’s opening goal and his 11th of the year. Saint Francis added a pair of late goals to put the game out of reach for the Colonials. Senior goaltender Christian Snatchko recorded three saves for RMU in his final appearance.
Stay tuned to RMU Sentry Media for more updates throughout the year.
