Pittsburgh, Pa. - Winners of four in a row, the
Robert Morris University men's hockey team has returned to the national top 20.
First-place Robert Morris (17-5-4, 14-3-3 Atlantic Hockey) reclaimed a spot in the USCHO weekly poll on Monday,
coming in at No. 20. This is the eighth time this season the Colonials have been ranked in the top 20, but the first time since Jan. 4, when they were listed in a program-best fourth consecutive poll.
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.
In each of the past three polls, RMU has received the most votes of any team outside the top 20. The Colonials' highest ranking this season is 17th, which they have reached twice.
In other Division I rankings, the Colonials are 22nd in the
PairWise and 23rd in 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.
Over the weekend, the conference-leading Colonials earned their first two-game road sweep of the season, downing Holy Cross in a pair of one-goal decisions. Junior forward
Zac Lynch, a Pittsburgh native, paced the team with three points (1g, 2a) against the Crusaders; senior Hobey Baker Award nominee
Cody Wydo (16g, 18a) scored two goals, as did freshman center
Brady Ferguson. Goalies
Terry Shafer (38 saves) and
Dalton Izyk (34) presided over a victory each.
RMU, which is seeking its first Atlantic Hockey regular-season title, remains four points clear of second-place Canisius with eight games to play. Now 6-1-3 on the road, the Colonials face a challenging two-game series this weekend at league rival Air Force, which has won six straight. Faceoff is set for 9:05 p.m. Eastern time on Friday and Saturday in Colorado Springs.
Robert Morris returns home to 84 Lumber Arena on Feb. 6-7 for two games against Canisius. For information on ticket availability and pricing, visit
RMUColonials.com or call 412-397-4949.
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