Box Score PHILADELPHIA – The Colonials used a seven-goal run to close the first quarter, dominate the second, and start the third as the Saint Joseph's men's lacrosse squad fell to Robert Morris, 13-7, in Northeast Conference action on Saturday afternoon on Sweeney Field. With the loss, the Hawks drop to 3-7 (0-2 NEC) while the Colonials improve to 7-3 (3-0 NEC).
Junior attackman Chris Blewitt registered a game-high five points on the day with a hat trick and two assists while junior attackman Jason Kelly contributed two goals and a helper.
"We need to find a way to generate momentum," said head coach Taylor Wray. "We see it in spurts. We'll do some great things on offense, but defensively, we have to get a stop, and we can't maintain the momentum. We have to find a way to keep the momentum sustained."
The Hawks opened the game on a 3-0 run as Blewitt (10:39, 6:45) and junior midfielder Hayes McGinley combined for SJU's trio of early scores.
However, the Colonials scored a pair of goals to close the first quarter (5:50, 0:10) and added four more in the second (13:20, 11:40, 8:26, 7:20) to take a 6-3 lead into the halftime break.
Robert Morris opened the second half with a goal (12:37) to extend its lead by four, but Blewitt's third of the day ended the Colonial's scoring run at the 9:36 mark of the third.
RMU would then score three of the final four goals of the third quarter (8:06, 2:26, 1:25), while Kelly netted his first of the day at the 4:23 mark to keep the Hawks to within five entering the final 15:00.
Junior midfielder Kyle Cain put away an EMO score on a dish from Blewitt (12:38) to open the fourth quarter and to pull the Hawks to within four, but the Colonials scored twice (9:09, 8:23), the second as a man-up goal, to double their advantage, 12-6.
Neither team would find the back of the net again until under the two minute mark, when Kelly got inside and fired off his team-leading 19th goal of the season with 1:52 to play.
RMU's Shane Majewski responded with his second of the afternoon (1:06) for the final 13-7 score.
For the game, Saint Joseph's owned a commanding 47-34 edge in shots, including 18 in the fourth quarter alone, and forced RMU goalkeeper Alex Heger to make 20 saves on the day.
The Colonials held a 34-28 advantage in ground balls, while despite going 0-for-6 in the first quarter, the Hawks finished the game with 13-of-24 wins from the face-off.
Senior face-off specialist Danny Manning went 12-of-21 from the X and recorded a career-high nine ground balls in the process. Senior defenseman Connor Kubikowski caused a team-best three turnovers on RMU's offensive unit, while Kubikowski and senior midfielder Anthony Joaquim teamed up for multiple caused turnover/ground ball plays.
Senior goalkeeper T.J. Jones (3-7, 0-2 NEC) made 11 saves - including quite a few point-blank stops - in the full 60:00. Five of those saves came in the first quarter alone.
RMU was 2-for-2 in EMOs, both in the final 23:06, while the Hawks went just 1-for-3.
Saint Joseph's returns home to host Hobart in NEC action next Saturday, April 8. Opening face-off is slated for 1:00 p.m. on Sweeney Field as part of Alumni and Family Day.
GAME NOTES: Junior attackman Chris Blewitt's five-point day puts him at 94 for his career... Junior defenseman Nick Buckley made his first career start.
Photos from today's game will be available for purchase at sjuhawksphotos.photoshelter.com.