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Megan Gianforte has robbed a few potential scorers in four years as starting goalie for Richmond.

Last summer she also robbed a bank.

The bank was fake, as was the gun in her back pocket, all part of a simulation in her second summer interning for the FBI. Gianforte’s role had her trying to escape from a distracted agent and SWAT team.

“I took off in a sprint and I hurdled the railing of the porch and sprinted behind the building,” Gianforte said. “And then they shot me in the back very quickly.”

Afterward, the agents and SWAT team invited the interns to assess the outcome as a group. It reminded Gianforte of the defensive huddles she commands after an opponent scores a goal, a connection between playing lacrosse and her future goal of working for the FBI.

“I feel like it is an athletic job,” said Gianforte, whose main focus during her internship was on white-collar financial crime. “You have to stay calm in all those stressful situations.”

Gianforte earned her undergraduate degree in accounting and is earning her master’s in non-profit studies after feeling obligated to return for her fifth year of lacrosse, one of two Richmond seniors to do so. Two other redshirt seniors missed prior seasons with injuries.

“It dates back to when I committed to Richmond,” Gianforte said. “We were in the 50s in national ranking. Coming into a program like that and being a part of building it into the program it is today, seeing that development, I know how much more it can build with just this one season.”

Richmond has won the last two Atlantic 10 championships, its most successful run since winning three straight from 2005-2007. Gianforte’s return could help the Spiders to the next step — their first NCAA tournament win.

“Megan is a really optimistic person and carries herself in a way that gives a lot of reassurance to everybody that everything is OK,” Richmond coach Allison Kwolek said.

Richmond climbed the national rankings consistently during Gianforte’s career, setting a new program record of 17 wins in 2019 and getting off to a 7-0 start in 2020 that included a 13-12 overtime win over then-No. 6 Virginia.

“When I was a freshman, when we would play UMass and UVA every year, it was not a mentality that we would go into games knowing we would win,” said Gianforte, who allowed just 7.69 goals per game last year. “Last spring, I know it sounds cocky, but I knew that we were going to win and were supposed to win.”

The Spiders return their top six scorers, draw control wonder Arden Tierney and a formidable defense anchored by Gianforte and senior Brittney Wright.

“We didn’t graduate a lot from our defensive end. We’ve been able to pick up from where we left off last year,” Kwolek said. “We’ve been progressing better than we have in previous years bringing new people into our defensive set. I’m really encouraged by the way we played this fall.”

TOP RETURNERS

Sophia DiCenso, M, So.

The U.S. U19 standout led Richmond in ground balls (13) and caused turnovers (9), was third in draw controls (16) and scored nine points as a freshman.

Sam Geiersbach, A, R-Sr.

Geiersbach became a more balanced attacker with 22 goals but also a team-high 23 assists.

Arden Tierney, A, So.

Tierney ranked fifth nationally with 8.57 draw controls per game and was Richmond’s top goal scorer (23) as a freshman.

KEY ADDITION

Marymargaret Quinn, A, Fr.

Quinn showed in the fall an ability to play X, an option that makes the Richmond attack more flexibile and dynamic.

ENEMY LINES

“They’re disciplined and they don’t get easily rattled. They have a couple total studs who can put the ball away. I don’t think they have too many holes.”

NUMBERS GAME

68

Career starts for Megan Gianforte, the only starter the Spiders have had in goal since May 8, 2016.