Robert Morris men’s soccer concluded their final exhibition match against Le Moyne Sunday afternoon in a 3-1 decision at the North Athletic Complex.

Sophomore Kai McLoughlin scored all three goals for the Colonials in the game. The only Dolphin goal came off the foot of Colonial sophomore midfielder Alex Lorigny.

Here are the four takeaways from today’s exhibition win.

THE McLOUGHLIN SHOW

Kai McLoughlin made a name for himself Sunday afternoon as the Australian native scored a hat trick, leading to a win.

He seemed to be at the right place at the right time on each of them, especially on the first one as he was wide open on a 2-on-0 break with South Carolina transfer Kosi Udeh. He jumped on LeMoyne’s miscue in the defensive zone with a minute left in the first half.

“Kai has worked so hard in preseason,” head coach Jonathan Potter said. “He has hit the ground running from day one. Today was his goal scoring, but in other games, he showed a lot of fighting qualities with his ability to press and defend, but today we were fortunate that it came together for some goals.”

McLoughlin transferred from UMass Lowell and shared how he has been welcomed since he stepped foot on campus.

“It’s a good start here at Robert Morris,” McLoughlin said. “It’s a great, encouraging environment so it’s easy coming in as a transfer student. All the new boys feel the same as well.”

SLOW START

Before the hydration break in the first half, the Colonials lacked possession and their only opportunities came from counterattacks.

However, after the break the Colonials took control, scoring two goals before the half was over.

“[We need] some more reps in training,” Coach Potter said. “The guys haven’t been here very long and it’s a mentality too. We really want to be aggressive and score the first goal. The team just being hungry to start the match is vital.”

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS

Sunday was the last opportunity for Coach Potter and his staff to play diverse lineups and substitutes.

Many substitutes came in and out throughout the game as the coaching staff had a final look at the different players, matchups and formations before opening the regular season later this week.

“It’s very important to give everyone minutes and experience.” Coach Potter said. “We put some players in different roles and found a lot of answers to some questions. This time is a great time to do that because you don’t have the consequence or the penalty of a loss, so it’s important to do that now.”

HOME SWEET HOME

Sunday was the first time this fall most of the Colonial roster played competitively at the North Athletic Complex, and it seemed like they’ve been here for awhile. A spark was lighted underneath them pregame as a lot of them had never played there before.

“I told the guys beforehand, it’s always special to play at home and to create good memories for the team and for the alumni. I wanted make that a message to them before. For 15 of them, it was their first opportunity playing here. It gave our guys a lot of energy and excitement as we come into the season.”

The Colonials open their season at home against VMI Thursday at 4 p.m.