Youngstown State University
Robert Morris
Penguins Host Robert Morris in MAC Opener on Saturday
3/30/2023 12:03:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
| Game Information | |
|---|---|
| Saturday | April 1 @ 1 PM | |
| Farmers National Bank Field | Youngstown, Ohio | |
| Visitor's Guide | |
| Live Coverage | |
|---|---|
| Youtube | @YSUsports | |
| Live Stats | YSUsports.com | |
| Live Tweets | @YSUwlax | |
The Youngstown State women's lacrosse team will open Mid-American Conference play as they host Robert Morris at Farmers National Bank Field on Saturday.
First draw against the Colonials is set for 1 p.m with live coverage available on the YSUsports YouTube channel.
Scouting Robert Morris
The Colonials are currently 2-6 overall. They have earned wins over Gardner-Webb and Queens but were defeated by Ohio State, Cincinnati, Bucknell, UMBC, Canisius, and UC Davis. Robert Morris was slated to finish first in the MAC preseason poll with 46 points and four first-place votes.
In the series history between Youngstown State and Robert Morris, the Colonials own a 4-1 advantage. Last season, the teams split their regular season matchups. YSU defeated Robert Morris 19-17 on April 30 to earn a share of the 2022 MAC regular season title after the Colonials earned a victory earlier in the season. The teams also faced off in the MAC tournament last season in which Robert Morris earned a 22-14 win over the Penguins.
Robert Morris' 2023 scoring effort has been led by Chelsea Coleman who has scored 14 goals on the season while Colleen Tifft has also scored in double digits with 10 and leads the team in assists with six.
Starting goalkeeper Jamie Keller has made 57 saves on 206 shots faced across almost 400 minutes in the net this season. Keller has given up 90 goals for a .388 save percentage on the year.
The Colonials are led by Katrina Silva, who is in her sixth season as head coach and 12th with the team. She led the Colonials to a MAC Championship in 2021 after a perfect record in league play. In 2022, Robert Morris finished the season with a 9-9 overall record and an 8-2 conference mark to earn a share of the regular season league title. They earned a spot in their second-consecutive MAC Championship game in which Central Michigan was victorious.
By the Numbers
- Natalie Calandra-Ryan leads the Penguins in goals scored (31), assists (13), points (44), draw controls (61), and caused turnovers (14). She also leads the Mid-American Conference in goals per game (3.44), points per game (4.89), and draw controls per game (6.78). She is second in the conference in assists per game (1.44), shots per game (8.00), and caused turnovers per game (1.56).
- Calandra-Ryan's 4.89 average points per game ranks 13th across all NCAA Division 1 players. She also rounds out the top 15 in both goals per game (3.44) and draw controls per game (6.78). With 6.00 shots-on-goal per game, she impressively ranks sixth in NCAA Division 1.
- Erin Clark (16), Sydney Bumstead (12), Ali Korin (12), and Ally Garrett (10) have also scored in double digits for the Penguins. Clark is second on the team in assists (9), points (25), and draw controls (25).
- Jordan Miller (7), Abby Yesko (5), Molly Sheridan (2), Shannyn Cullen (2), and Tristen Chang (2) have also found the back of the net multiple times in 2023.
- Goalkeeper Mikaela Staranko has started all nine games for the Penguins in 2023, playing over 400 minutes in the net. She has made 73 saves on 249 shots-faced while giving up 121 goals for a .376 save percentage.
- Redshirt-freshman goalie Jacqueline Cornell has played over 125 minutes across the Penguins' last four games, making 22 saves on 69 shots-faced. She's given up 33 goals for a .400 save percentage.
- Youngstown State leads the MAC in shots-on-goal per game with 19.89 while ranking second in goals per game (11.22) and points per game (15.78).
- Calandra-Ryan has scored 99 career goals, landing her just one score away from reaching the 100-goal milestone in just her second season. As a freshman, Calandra-Ryan scored a MAC-leading 68 goals in the 2022 season and has scored 31 so far in 2023.
Offensive Awards
Two Penguins have been named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week in 2023: Erin Clark and Natalie Calandra-Ryan.
Calandra-Ryan earned the award on March 7 after impressive performances against Niagara and No. 3 Northwestern, scoring four goals, netting nine draw controls, and grabbing two ground balls across both games.
Clark earned this season's first Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Week for her all-around impressive offensive performance against Butler in the Guins' season-opener, delivering a seven-point performance and scoring the game-winning goal.
Last Time Out
The Penguins last competed against Pittsburgh on Tuesday. YSU scored four goals to close out the game but was unable to mount a comeback attempt in its 13-9 loss to the Panthers.
Natalie Calandra-Ryan led the Penguins with four goals to deliver her sixth hat trick of the season and 99th career score. Calandra-Ryan also tallied a game-high six draw controls and made an assist.
Abby Yesko found the back of the net twice for the Guins and added an assist. Ali Korin, Jade Shearer, and Tristen Chang each scored a goal apiece. Korin added two assists while Chang and Erin Clark each made one. Shearer, a freshman, scored her first career goal in the contest.
Goalkeeper Mikaela Staranko delivered an impressive first half as she made nine saves on 15 shots-on-goal. After five Pittsburgh goals in the third quarter, she finished the day with a .450 save percentage when redshirt-freshman Jacqueline Cornell came in for the final quarter. Cornell made five saves while only giving up two goals for a .741 save percentage in 15 minutes of play.
Penguins Picked Fourth
YSU was selected fourth in the 2023 Mid-American Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, receiving 31 points.
1. Robert Morris (4) – 46 points
2. Central Michigan (3) – 43 points
3. Kent State – 32 points
4. Youngstown State – 31 points
5. Akron – 18 points
T6. Eastern Michigan – 13 points
T6. Detroit Mercy – 13 points
Up Next
The Penguins will continue their conference schedule on the road as they face Akron on Wednesday. First draw is set for 5 p.m. on Summa Field at InfoCision Stadium.
For news and updates throughout the 2023 women's lacrosse season, follow @YSUwlax on Twitter.
