University of Richmond Athletics
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Spiders Pull Away from Robert Morris for 17–7 Season-Opening Win
02/07/2026 | Men's Lacrosse
Richmond, Va. – Behind steady input from its veteran core and key contributions from its freshman class, the University of Richmond men's lacrosse team pulled away from Robert Morris for a 17–7 victory Saturday in its 2026 season opener.
After a slow opening stretch, the Spiders used extended scoring runs and sustained possession to earn its first season-opening win since 2017 when the Spiders opened the year with a 15–3 win over then-No. 20 Fairfield.
Nine different Spiders recorded points as Aidan O'Neil anchored the offense with a goal and five assists. Joe Sheridan finished with four goals, while Gavin Creo recorded the first hat trick of his career and added an assist. Lucas Littlejohn added a hat trick of his own on a team-high 10 shots, scoring all three goals in the first half, and freshman Tanner Huber also scored three times.
Charlie Packard and freshman Cole Hayden each chipped in two assists, Jack Ricciardi totaled a goal and an assist, and Daniel Picart and Brayden Penafeather-Stevenson each found the back of the cage once.
Robert Morris opened the scoring at 14:08 of the first quarter and built a 2–0 lead before Littlejohn's goal at 10:21 put Richmond on the board. The Colonials extended the margin to 3–1 at 6:03, but the Spiders began to gain control late in the quarter. Goals by Sheridan and Picart closed the opening period with the score tied, 3–3.
Richmond seized momentum and pulled away with a seven-goal run spanning more than 10 minutes of game time, beginning with Sheridan's goal at 4:59 of the first quarter and ending at 9:58 of the second. During that stretch, the Spiders won repeated faceoffs, limited Robert Morris to one shot on goal, and built an 8–3 advantage. Richmond went on to score seven goals in the second quarter alone to take a 10–4 lead into halftime.
The Spiders continued to separate in the third quarter, outscoring Robert Morris 3–1. Sheridan scored his fourth goal of the afternoon at 9:25, and Huber added a late goal with 10 seconds remaining to push the margin to 13–5. Richmond added four more goals in the fourth quarter, including back-to-back man-up scores from Sheridan and Huber, to close out the win.
Making his collegiate debut at the faceoff stripe, Vincent Gaylord played a central role in Richmond's possession advantage. The freshman went 15-for-24 on faceoffs and recorded streaks of five and three consecutive wins, helping fuel scoring runs. Gaylord also collected 10 ground balls as part of a 36–25 advantage for the Spiders.
Richmond outshot Robert Morris 54–25 and forced 15 turnovers, with Hunter Smith and Jack Pilling each causing two. Connor Knight made eight saves for the Spiders in his first game action since April 6, 2024 after redshirting the 2025 season.
Both teams were efficient in the clearing game, with Richmond finishing 24-of-27 and Robert Morris 9-of-12.
The Spiders host No. 13/14 Virginia next week on Feb. 14 during Red Out Robins. Game time is set for noon.
