MOON TOWNSHIP– The Michelle Rick era started off with a bang Sunday afternoon as the RMU women’s soccer team thrashed Le Moyne, 5-0, in their season opener.
Head coach Michelle Rick celebrated her first win in the first game as the Colonial coach
“For us, this is a chance to celebrate the start of a new season.” said Michelle Rick, the new head coach of the women’s soccer program. And celebrate they would.
The Colonials dominated from the start, pressing high and controlling the speed of the game early on. While no chances would find the back of the net early for RMU, their high intensity and control over the midfield made what was to come inevitable.
With three minutes left in the first half, junior defender Emerson Johngarlo would head in a cross from Ava Trethewey on a corner and score her first collegiate goal of her career.
“Last year, we tied them, so we wanted to come back and show them who we are.” said Johngarlo. “It was a tough game last year so it was a really good first win at home too.”
But RMU would be far from finished, as a minute later a freekick was given just outside the box and was tucked in nicely by Malia Kearns.
The Colonials entered the break 2-0 over the Dolphins, but would add a third not far after the second half started, when Paloma Swankler would tap in a driven pass at the back post from Kearns.
And the party wasn’t over, as Johngarlo would pick up her second goal of the day after a ball would be played back in off a clearance, and landed right to the defender before she smashed it in to make it 4-0, RMU.
“Two goals from a center back, that’s fantastic,” Rick said. “For Emerson, coming back from missing most of last season and all spring, she’s come back from an injury, so for her, I’m just super excited to see her back on the field like she hasn’t skipped a beat.”
Johngarlo’s contribution in both the attacking and defensive end of the field highlights the progress made under Rick.
“She’s come in and done really well honestly. We all feel really comfortable with her.” the defender said of her new coach. “Her and Regan [Duval] will come in the locker room before, hype us up, and everything is super positive and uplifting to get us ready for the game. Everything is light-hearted and fun, but still intense and telling us what to do.”
The final blow would come from sophomore Joey Tomlinson, who met a low cross from Haleigh Finale with ten minutes remaining, sealing the win and sending a huge statement from Michelle Rick’s reinvisioned Colonial team.
Tomlinson being a sophomore and scoring the final goal would really sum up the day for RMU. Fellow sophomore Shauna Gamble continued her exceptional form from last season, bossing the midfield along with her classmate Ava Tretheway.
“Shauna is somebody who can contribute in multiple positions, but she has stepped into that midfield role and she’s someone who we can rely on game after game to do the dirty work in the midfield,” Rick said.
And freshman Madison Hurst would break onto the scene today, getting two assists in her first game for the Colonials.
When asked about the ability to trust these young players to have impactful roles,” Rick said, “Everybody on this team, all 27 players, we want to feel like they’re getting the development that they need, they can see that next step and they’re growing every day.”
Robert Morris will continue non-conference play when they travel to Evansville to take on Southern Indiana on Thursday at 8 p.m., but for Rick, this is just the beginning in a long road ahead.
“From day one it’s all about the process. We’re taking steps every day towards the best version of who we can be as a team, and today is a huge testament to that.” said Rick. “We just need to keep it rolling, moving in the right direction.”
