Pittsburgh, Pa. / Island Sports Center - Alabama-Huntsville head coach Doug Ross picked up his 500th career win as the Chargers beat the Robert Morris University men's ice hockey team, 7-2, Saturday night at the RMU Island Sports Center. Robert Morris falls to 4-6-0 on the season and 3-3-0 in College Hockey America action. Huntsville improves to 3-8-1 and 2-4-0 in the conference.
Alabama-Huntsville had a 15-5 advantage in shots on goal and took a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes of play. Robert Morris opened the scoring, however, when senior Aaron Clarke (Peterborough, Ontario / Niagara University) took the puck the length of the ice, dragged it across the slot and beat Jordan Erickson who had sprawled across the net in an effort to make the save. Senior Doug Conley (East Amherst, N.Y. / Tri-City Storm) deflected a centering pass in front of the Colonials net that sprung Clarke on the one-on-two break at 8:57.
Huntsville tied the game in a four-on-four situation at 17:14. David Nimmo won a face-off in the RMU end playing the puck back to the left point to Shaun Arvai. Arvai teed the puck up and his slap shot went through four players in front of the net and beat junior Christian Boucher (Orleans, Ontario / Cumberland Grads) five-hole.
The Chargers took the lead just seconds after the Colonials killed off a tripping penalty on Clarke. Mike Salekin played the puck across the high slot Brandon Roshko who fired a quick wrist shot that beat Boucher to the stick side with 48 seconds left in the opening frame.
Junior Ryan Cruthers (Farmingdale, N.Y. / Army) tied the game 2:30 into the second period with a power play goal. His slapshot from above the left circle deflected off a UAH defender and found the back of the net. Clarke and junior defenseman Chris Kaufman (Gig Harbor, Wash. / Helena Bighorns) earned the assists working the puck across the blueline. The goal chased Erickson from the net in favor of senior Marc Narduzzi.
Huntsville would answer with two power play goals of their own. Salekin and Grant Selinger worked the puck back and forth on the left boards. Selinger wheeled around and fed the puck back to the high slot to Salekin who beat Boucher high on the glove side at 4:27 to make it a 3-2 game.
Kevin Morrison scored his second goal of the season on a power play wrist shot off the right post and in at 10:03. Arvai paid the price for his 10th assist of the year, carrying the puck through the neutral zone and getting leveled just as he found Brett McConnachie at the blueline. McConnachie tipped a pass to Morrison who was streaking between the circles for the goal. That goal forced Boucher from the net with 18 saves and four goals allowed.
Huntsville ran away with the game in the third period scoring three times including a second power play marker. Roshko got his second of the night at 8:45 as his shot found Tuset's five-hole with help from Matt Sweazey and Dominik Rozman. Steve Canter added to the lead at 17:52 with help from Salekin and Sweazey. David Nimmo capped the scoring at 7-2 as he finished off a beautiful passing play from McConnachie and Arvai at 18:08.
Play diminished in the final minutes as the teams accounted for seven penalties and 36 minutes in the last 1:06. Huntsville had a 36-27 advantage in shots and went 2-6 on the power play. RMU was 1-6 on the power play.
Robert Morris hosts the U.S. National Under-18 team tomorrow, Sunday, November 19, at 4:05 p.m.
