Colonials’ dominant win bittersweet after serious injury

RMU dominated on the field, despite losing a key player in the first half.

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Colin Wilson

The Colonials fell to the hands of the Cardinals Sunday on the road.

Collin Wilson, Staff Reporter

As the sun set Friday evening at Joe Walton Stadium, Robert Morris (4-5) capped off a lopsided 18-4 victory over the visiting Delaware State Hornets (2-9).

Junior midfielder Katie Breeze and senior twins Corey and Jessica Karwacki led the way for the Colonials, each contributing three goals.

Despite the overpowering performance by RMU, a major downfall occurred when senior midfielder Brittany Byerly collapsed to the ground clinging to her ankle, just moments after recording her seventh assist of the season in the fifth minute. Fans and players watched in shambles as Byerly was taken off the field by an ambulance, more than likely ending her Colonial career.

“Brittany has put a lot of heart and soul into this team. She’s a leader on and off the field,” said Robert Morris head coach Katy Phillips.

As for moving forward after a massive loss, Phillips sees her squad dipping into the bench and utilizing underclassmen.

The injury may find itself to be a massive focal point on how the rest of the season plays out, but it sure did not hold RMU back from anything Friday. An already early 3-0 lead built its way up to a 14-1 advantage for the Colonials at halftime.

The Robert Morris win pushes them into conference play with hopes of an Northeast Conference title. RMU was projected to finish fourth this pre-season. Phillips added, “I think we needed a little bit of a confidence boost going into conference. Obviously we have a lot of changes to make over the week.”

The Colonials are set to host conference foe LIU Brooklyn next Friday, April 8 at 3 p.m.