Two weeks before the season-opening game for the Robert Morris men’s lacrosse team, the Colonials were selected to finish third in the newly joined ASUN Conference.

Coaches from the ASUN Conference expected Utah and Air Force to duel it out for the top seed in the conference by season’s end. While Utah undoubtedly controlled the standings, Air Force fell to third in the standings with a 3-2 conference record.

Instead, it was Robert Morris who solidified the second spot in the conference heading into the postseason tournament.

Throughout the year, there have been two versions of the Colonials team: First, a team that has gotten off to slow starts which eventually cost them victories in the end. Secondly, a team that has all the firepower in the world to take down Utah and claim a conference championship.

When the Colonials square up against the Air Force Falcons, they hope for a better version of themselves. The Colonials had key non-conference wins against Marquette and Drexel as well as quality conference victories against Bellarmine and Air Force which showed the team’s ability to secure significant victories.

Recently, the Colonials have had their way with Air Force after winning last season in a snow-filled game and then defeating the Falcons at Joe Walton Stadium this season, 11-10.

In the inaugural ASUN Conference season for Robert Morris, the Colonials finished with a 4-1 conference record.

Under first-year head coach Craig McDonald, RMU has found a balance between offense and defense.

The Colonials were led offensively by Taggart Clark and Corson Kealey. Clark was a trigger man for the men’s lacrosse team as he finished 12th in the nation with 43 goals. Kealey remains “Mr. Consistent” as he ended the regular season with a 22-game goal-scoring streak.

Also, the Colonials were met with a very strong midfield game as Jake Boudreau carried the load for RMU, earning him Midfielder of the Year honors.

Stability has been key on the back end for Robert Morris as the defensive unit has been one of the more impressive improvements in McDonald’s first year. The Colonials average 9.54 caused turnovers per game, which was 11th in the nation, along with a .884 clearing percentage, placing them 13th in the country.

To top it off, freshman goalkeeper Nate Randall has had a tremendous rookie campaign while Ben Savick has done an excellent job supplementing the young netminder in the second half of games.

Air Force finished the season with two conference losses against the number one and two seeds, respectively. At Joe Walton Stadium on April 22, the Falcons led RMU for the entirety of the game until 2:06 left in the fourth quarter as the Colonials pulled off an 11-10 comeback win.

Revenge will certainly be on the minds of the Falcons as the two squads are set to battle it out in the semifinals of the ASUN Conference tournament. Game time is set for 5:00 p.m. ET.