Scoreboard 

> VOLLEYBALL
The Colonials finished 11-5 in the NEC (14-20 overall) and earned their 11th consecutive berth in the conference tournament, losing to eventual champion Long Island in the quarterfinals. Junior middle blocker Amanda Graham made All-NEC First Team with an attack percentage of .332, third in the conference. Sophomore Alyssa Bennett made All-NEC Second Team with an average of 8.57 assists per set, third best in the circuit.

> WOMEN'S SOCCER
The team tied school records for both NEC and total victories, finishing 4-5-1 in league play and 8-9-1 overall. Sophomore forward Ayana Davis made All-NEC Second Team; she finished fifth in the conference with nine goals and sixth in points with 18, both team bests. Freshman goalkeeper Jessica Olin compiled a .795 save percentage and finished with seven shutouts for the year, a school record.

> MEN'S SOCCER
Despite a painful 0-10-1 start, RMU closed out the season at 3-3-2 – with each of the last three losses by one goal, including a double overtime game – and posted a 3-4-3 record in NEC games. Senior midfielder Sean Riley had four goals and four assists to lead RMU offensively, and freshman goalie Toba Bolaji posted a 0.91 goals-against average and five shutouts in 12 starts.

> FIELD HOCKEY
Sophomore goaltender Stephanie Seeley set an NCAA single-game record with 24 saves in a September match against Ohio. It was a bright spot in a trying year in which the team went 1-7 in the NEC and 2-13 overall. Sophomore forward Chantele Crow led the Colonials in scoring with four goals and a pair of assists.

> CROSS COUNTRY
The women placed seventh at the NEC championships in 2009, led by freshman Kristie Domis, who posted a time of 19:28.9 in the 5,000-meter race to finish 20th individually. Sophomore Brian Mitchell paced the men, crossing the finish line in the 8k race with a time of 27:31.4 to finish 23rd overall as the squad recorded a ninth-place finish.

> ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS
Three athletes, all juniors, were selected by College Sports Information Directors of America for the ESPN The Magazine District II Academic All-America.

> HALL OF FAME
The 19th class of inductees, named at halftime of the Oct. 17 home football game against Saint Francis, each left indelible marks in Colonials sports history.

Impressive finish spurs NCAA playoff dreams
When junior kicker Garrett Clawson split the uprights to give the Colonials a 13-10 last-second win at Albany, the victory meant more than just breaking the Great Danes’ long dominance on their home field. It also meant more than just helping Clawson tally a team record 14 field goals. With that kick, the Colonials got back to their winning ways.

The team finished 2009 with five straight victories, reversing a six-game losing streak. Their 5-3 Northeast Conference record (5-6 overall) raises hopes the team can contend for the NEC title next season – and the automatic Football Championship Subdivision playoff berth that will come with it.

“It could have been easy for this team to hang their heads after we started 0-6,” said coach Joe Walton. “To their credit, they decided that’s not what Robert Morris football was about. One game at a time, they took it upon themselves to improve, and it’s extremely gratifying to see us finish the way we did.”

The Colonials defense led the conference again by holding opponents to only 276.3 yards per game; they allowed just 36 points in the final five games while forcing 13 turnovers over that stretch. The team’s emotional leader, junior linebacker Alex DiMichele, was a finalist for NEC Defensive Player of the Year with 109 tackles, three sacks, two interceptions, and four fumble recoveries. Junior halfback Myles Russ had his second 1,000-yard season, and senior wide receiver Sherrod Evers set a new record for receptions with 47. Freshman Jeff Sinclair finished 5-2 as a starting quarterback, completing 78 of 145 passes for 828 yards and nine touchdowns against six interceptions.

“We certainly were up and down this season, but we finished the way we were supposed to,” DiMichele said. “I can’t wait for training camp. I realize that’s down the road a little bit, and we’re going to work hard in the offseason and in spring ball, but I can’t wait to put the pads on again when it means something.”

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