Huntsville, Ala. / Von Braun Center - Another College Hockey America series and another two-game split as the Robert Morris University men's hockey team lost 4-3 at Alabama-Huntsville Sunday afternoon following a 5-4 victory at the Von Braun Center Saturday night. The Colonials, now 5-9-0 and 4-4-0 in conference play, have split all four of the conference series this season winning the first game and dropping the rematch in each occasion.
Sunday, junior defensmen Chris Kaufman (Gig Harbor, Wash. / Helena Bighorns) had a career-best three points coming via two goals and an assist. He opened the game scoring at 7:07 of the first period with a power play goal on assists from junior Ryan Cruthers (Farmingdale, N.Y. / Army) and senior Aaron Clarke (Peterborough, Ontario / Niagara University). A Huntsville power play goal by Steve Canter sent the game into the first intermission in a 1-1 deadlock.
The combination of Kaufman, Cruthers and Clarke put the Colonials ahead once again in the second period, this time with Cruthers notching the score, his fourth of the year. Clarke and Kaufman had the assists.
A three-goal third period for UAH (5-10-1, 3-5-0 CHA) sealed the RMU fate however. Grant Selinger put in an unassisted shorthanded goal at 8:19, shifting the momentum and tying the game at 2-2. Just 1:52 later, David Nimmo scored a power play goal giving the Chargers their first lead of the game with 9:50 left in regulation. Kevin Morrison put in a empty net goal at 18:43 that looked to ice the game.
The Colonials continued to fight with Kaufman getting his second score of the game with 38 seconds left and the extra attacker on the ice. Huntsville, however, won the ensuing faceoff and Robert Morris did not get another shot off as time ran out on a 4-3 Colonial loss.
Robert Morris junior goaltender Christian Boucher (Orleans, Ontario / Cumberland Grads) made 33 saves in the losing effort, including 16 in the second period keeping UAH off the board. Marc Narduzzi also had 33 saves for the win as the Chargers held a slim 37-36 advantage in shots. RMU was 1-6 while UAH took advantage of two of their eight power play chances.
The Colonials do not return to the ice until December 29 when they host Merrimack in a 8:05 p.m. non-conference tilt at the RMU Island Sports Center.
