Pittsburgh sports media veteran and college hockey aficionado Mike Prisuta returns to RMUColonials.com to provide insights on the Colonials throughout the season.

The Colonials checked off a lot of boxes during their season-opening sweep of Lake Superior State last weekend.

The most emphatic mark was placed next to the "compete level" entry on RMU's initial 2014-15 to-do list.

"What makes it go in the beginning of the year is your compete level," head coach Derek Schooley observed. "If your compete level is high you're going to have success.

"Our compete level was outstanding."

No aspect of the operation was as consistent, as reliable or as noticeable as the Colonials' compete level was for starters. RMU had the prerequisite work ethic, energy and physicality throughout the vast majority of both games. More than enough, as it turned out, to compensate for the anticipated first- and second-game issues with execution, decision-making and puck management.

There were other encouraging signs in the Colonials' 3-1, 3-0 sweep, as well. Among those...

Goaltending: Terry Shafer returned from knee and hip injuries that ended his 2013-14 season early (he later required surgery) and was razor-sharp when he needed to be in winning the opener. And Dalton Izyk, last season's postseason replacement for Shafer, took the net in the second game and delivered a shutout.

Balanced scoring: Five Colonials found the net and 10 registered points in the two games. Contributions came from anticipated sources (the top line of captain Cody Wydo, Scott Jacklin and Zac Lynch combined for three goals and eight points) and from role players (fourth-line winger Ben Robillard also had a goal).

The freshmen showed up: Center Brady Ferguson and defensemen Alex Bontje and Robert Powers dressed for the opener and winger Spencer Dorowicz played on Saturday night (junior David Friedmann switched from wing to center to accommodate Dorowicz' presence). None of the first-year players looked out of place in their introduction to NCAA Division I hockey.

The Colonials finished the job: RMU took one-goal leads into both third periods (2-1 on Friday night and 1-0 on Saturday night) and protected both advantages by building on them. RMU blocked 11 third-period shots in the first game and six in the rematch and also managed to score a combined three third-period goals while allowing none.

Robert Morris saved its best hockey for the final 20 minutes in each game against the Lakers.

"Minimize the turnovers in the neutral zone and work in their end," Jacklin said of the plan in such situations. "That's a lot more fun than playing defense."

It all added up to a productive, satisfying and perhaps revealing weekend that generated plenty of momentum heading into this weekend's home-and-home series with Atlantic Hockey Association rival Niagara.

"We're thrilled," Shafer said of how the Colonials performed to open the season. "At the end of the day we're a bunch of names on paper. But we have a bunch of guys coming back, a bunch of experience.

"It's exciting coming back with this team that only lost a couple pieces to the puzzle from a championship team last year. And I think we have the guys who are going to step in and fill those roles."

A longtime member of the WDVE Morning Show, Prisuta also previously served as a reporter for the Beaver County Times and as a columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The Michigan State University graduate got his start in the profession covering the Spartan hockey program. Follow him on Twitter at @DVEMike.