Pittsburgh, Pa. - A convincing weekend sweep wasn't enough to boost the
Robert Morris University men's hockey team back into the top 20, but it did keep the Colonials in the national conversation.
Robert Morris (15-5-4, 12-3-3 Atlantic Hockey) was the last team left out in the
latest United States College Hockey Online (USCHO) national poll released on Monday. The Colonials, who have been ranked by USCHO seven times this season, earned 45 points this week to make them the
de facto No. 21 team in Division I.
Published by the Associated Press, the USCHO poll consists of 50 voters, including coaches, beat writers and other sports professionals from across the country. Teams receive 20 points for a first-place vote, 19 for a second-place vote, and so on.
Last Monday, after a two-game split with Bentley, RMU fell out of the USCHO poll for the first time since late November.In other relevant rankings, the Colonials are 25th in both the
PairWise and the
Ratings Percentage Index (RPI). PairWise attempts to mimic the NCAA's tournament selection process, while RPI is one of the metrics used to set the 16-team postseason field. Also, RMU was one of six teams in the "others receiving votes" section of the
USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine top 15.
The first-place Colonials broke out of an offensive lull in emphatic fashion last weekend, scoring 14 goals while earning a pair of wins against conference foe American International. Following a 5-3 victory on Friday night, RMU exploded for six goals in the third period of Saturday's game to cap off a 9-4 rout.
The Colonials' top forward line of
Cody Wydo,
Scott Jacklin and
Zac Lynch erupted against AIC, combining for 19 points to power the team's biggest offensive weekend of the season. Wydo, a senior winger from Southgate, Mich., became the most prolific scorer in program history with a record-tying five points (3g, 2a) Saturday. He now has 139 points (79g, 60a) in his collegiate career, one more than alumnus Nathan Longpre (2007-11).
With 10 regular-season games to go, RMU holds a four-point lead over second-place Canisius for the top spot in the
Atlantic Hockey standings. The Colonials, who are seeking their first regular-season league crown, start a four-game road swing with a pair against Holy Cross (8-10-5, 7-5-5 AHC) this Friday and Saturday in Worcester, Mass.
Robert Morris returns home to 84 Lumber Arena on Feb. 6-7 for two games against Canisius. The Colonials entertained
a sellout crowd on Saturday for Military Appreciation Night; they have just three regular-season home games remaining this season.
For information on ticket availability and pricing, visit
RMUColonials.com or call 412-397-4949.
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