| Game Information |
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Wednesday | April 12 @ 12 PM |
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Joe Walton Stadium | Moon Township, Pa. |
The Youngstown State women's lacrosse team is slated to face Robert Morris for their second regular season matchup with the Colonials on Wednesday in Moon Township, Pa.
First draw against the Colonials is set for noon at Joe Walton Stadium.
Scouting Robert Morris
The Colonials are currently 4-7 overall and 2-1 in MAC play. In conference play, they most recently defeated Detroit Mercy, 18-10, but lost to Kent State, 13-10. Robert Morris defeated the Penguins in their first regular season matchup of the season, 12-10, when the Colonials visited YSU on April 1.
Robert Morris' 2023 scoring effort has been led by Chelsea Coleman who has scored 21 goals on the season while Colleen Tifft has scored 19 goals and leads the team in assists (7) and points (26).
Starting goalkeeper Jamie Keller has made 73 saves on 252 shots faced. Keller has given up 112 goals for a .395 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.
Penguins vs. Colonials Series History
In the series history between Youngstown State and Robert Morris, the Colonials own a 5-1 advantage after beating the Penguins in their first regular season matchup of 2023, 12-10.
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.
By the Numbers
- Natalie Calandra-Ryan leads the Penguins in goals scored (34), points (48), and draw controls (66). She ranks second in assists (13) and caused turnovers (14).
- Erin Clark leads active Penguins in scoring with 23 goals and 37 points on the year. Clark leads the team in assists with 14 and is also second in draw controls with 36.
- Ali Korin ranks third overall in scoring with 22 goals and 9 assists for 31 points on the season.
- Jordan Miller now ranks fourth overall in goals with 18 which was boosted by an incredible game against Eastern Michigan on Saturday. She scored a career-high seven goals which more than doubled her previous career-high of three goals.
- Freshman Ally Garrett has scored 13 goals on the season to round out the top-5 Penguin scorers.
- Abby Yesko (7), Tristen Chang (4), Taylor Bumstead (4), Molly Sheridan (2), Shannyn Cullen (2), Dany Emler (2), and Jade Shearer (2) have also found the back of the net multiple times in 2023.
- Goalkeeper Mikaela Staranko has started all 12 games for the Penguins. She has made 98 saves on 312 shots faced while giving up 148 goals for a .398 save percentage.
Conference Comparisons
- Youngstown State impressively leads the MAC in goals per game (12.17), shots-on-goal per game (20.67), and draw controls per game (14.25). The Penguins also rank second in assists per game (4.92) and points per game (17.08)
- Sophomore Natalie Calandra-Ryan ranks first in the conference in goals per game (3.18), points per game (4.36), and draw controls per game (6.00).
- Erin Clark also ranks in the top 10 in several statistical categories as she sits fifth in assists per game (1.17), seventh in points per game (3.08), and seventh in draw controls per game (3.00).
- Defender Aryss Lindsey ranks fourth in caused turnovers per game, averaging 1.42. Midfielder Molly Sheridan ranks ninth in caused turnovers, averaging 1.10 per game.
- Goalkeeper Mikaela Staranko ranks fourth in saves per game with an 8.17 average.
Last Time Out
The Youngstown State women's lacrosse team defeated Eastern Michigan 17-15 on Saturday at Farmers National Bank Field to earn their second-straight Mid-American Conference victory.
This win improved the Penguins' record to 4-8 overall and 2-1 in MAC play.
Jordan Miller scored a career-high seven goals which are tied for the second-most goals in a single game in program history.
Erin Clark delivered an impressive stat line scoring five goals and making an assist for six points while also tallying seven draw controls, three ground balls, and a caused turnover.
Abby Yesko scored a career-high four points with two goals and two assists. Yesko also led the team in draw controls with eight.
Tristen Chang delivered three points on the day, scoring a goal and making two assists. Ali Korin and Ally Garrett also found the back of the net with a goal apiece.
Defensively, Aryss Lindsey impressed with two caused turnovers and three ground balls.
In the cage, Mikaela Staranko played the majority of the game making six saves on 28 Eagles' shots. She allowed 12 goals for a .333 save percentage. Staranko grabbed three ground balls on the day.
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.
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
Youngstown State will host Akron on Saturday, April 15 in their second regular season matchup with the Zips after defeating them, 18-7, on April 5. First draw is set for 1 p.m. at Farmers National Bank Field.
For news and updates throughout the 2023 women's lacrosse season, follow @YSUwlax on Twitter.
