Kent State University
Robert Morris
Kent State Lacrosse Set to Make Home Debut Saturday
2/15/2019 1:15:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
KENT, Ohio – The Kent State lacrosse team is set to make its home debut at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 16 at Dix Stadium against Robert Morris.
"There is going to be a great crowd of people who have contributed to the addition of this program and the success of our student-athletes," said Golden Flashes Head Coach Brianne Tierney. "This team is so grateful for the chance to compete and represent our wonderful university at home for the first time."
The program kicked off the 2019 season at Cincinnati, where they fell to the Bearcats, 19-8. Abby Jones recorded the first goal in program history early in the first half, while Kelli Bailey notched the first assist in Kent State lacrosse history. Jones finished with three goals for the Flashes.
Team captain Grace Merrill was impressive in goal for the Flashes, racking up 14 saves. Merrill is currently tied for fourth in the country in saves per game. Fellow team captain, Megan Kozar, scored two goals and added an assist in the opener. Lluna Katz fired home two goals for the Flashes, while Graceyn Dean tallied a goal as well.
The Flashes' roster consists of 24 freshmen, including all three team captains as well as all 12 starters from the opening game.Â
Scouting Robert Morris
Robert Morris is coming off a 2018 campaign in which it finished 9-9 overall, including 5-2 in Northeast Conference play. Katrina Silva returns for her second season at the helm for the Colonials.
Silva was the head coach at Colgate University for seven years, where she coached Tierney and won back-to-back Patriot League titles in 2004 and 2005.
"I'm excited to face off against my former college coach," said Tierney.Â
The Colonials were picked to finish fourth in the NEC this season, which would mean a NEC tournament bid for the seventh time in the last nine years.
The 2019 Colonials return 19 players from a season ago and are led by senior attacker Shannon Lynch. Lynch recorded 24 goals and 49 points in 2018 and was a member of the All-NEC first team. Junior Kelly Colegrove was also a member of the All-NEC first team a year ago, while fellow junior Katelyn Miller works in goal for RMU and owns the best goals-against average (10.06) in program history. Junior attacker Melanie Gandy averages 2.92 points per game, which ranks third in RMU history.
Up Next
The Flashes will head to Indiana for a two-game road trip that includes a matchup with Butler on Friday, Feb. 22 before facing Notre Dame on Sunday, Feb. 24.
Follow the Flashes
Be sure to follow the Kent State lacrosse team on Twitter and Instagram for news and updates about the team throughout the season. Fans can watch the game against Robert Morris here and live stats will be available during the game.
