Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Robert Morris University men's hockey team represented itself well on the opening weekend of the regular season, giving it another lift in the national polls.

Off to its first 2-0 start since 2010, RMU nearly doubled its vote total in the latest United States College Hockey Online (USCHO) poll, rising to 53 votes after getting 27 in the preseason. The Colonials are once again the highest-ranked team of three from the Atlantic Hockey Association (AHA), as Mercyhurst (16 votes) and Air Force (1) were also mentioned.

Robert Morris ranks as an unofficial 24th according to USCHO, with Michigan Tech (61), Notre Dame (77) and Vermont (107) standing between the Colonials and a spot in the top 20 of Division I hockey. RMU's highest-ever standing in the USCHO poll was No. 19 during the 2012-13 season.

RMU was also unofficially 24th in this week's USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine survey of coaches and journalists, tied with Notre Dame at nine votes each. Just like last week, when they collected four votes, the Colonials were the lone AHA squad to be recognized.

Although Robert Morris has never been ranked in the USA Hockey top 15, it reached No. 18 on several occasions in the now-defunct Inside College Hockey poll during the 2010-11 season. That was the first of four consecutive campaigns at .500 or above for head coach Derek Schooley's team.

After sweeping non-conference Lake Superior State last weekend, RMU (2-0-0) begins AHA play Friday against Niagara at home. The Colonials, who topped the Purple Eagles in last spring's AHA semifinal on their way to the conference championship, will travel to western New York on Saturday to complete the home-and-home series.

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