Pittsburgh, Pa. / Island Sports Center - Miami (Ohio) ended a six-game home unbeaten streak for the Robert Morris University men's hockey team with a 5-3 win against the Colonials at the RMU Island Sports Center Saturday night. A record crowd of 1,203 watched the RedHawks beat the Colonials at home for just the third time this season and the first time since November 18, 2006. RMU was 4-0-2 in their previous six home games.
Junior forward David Boguslawski (Cottage Grove, Minn. / Tri-City Storm) put the Colonials up 1-0 with his third shorthanded score of the season. The junior won a face-off in the defensive zone and carried the puck the length of the ice down the right wing. Jeff Zatkoff stopped his first shot, but Boguslawski picked up his own rebound and went high over the shoulder to put RMU up at 8:15 of the first period.
Miami tied the game 40 seconds into the third period with a four-on-four goal. Junior goaltender Christian Boucher (Orleans, Ontario / Cumberland Grads) stopped a shot from the right point by Ryan Jones. Kevin Roeder tipped it across the slot where Nathan Davis easily scored while Boucher was on the ice.
A 5-on-3 power play goal by Jones gave Miami their first lead of the game at 11:14 of the second period. Jones tipped in a shot from the left point by Marty Guerin for the score.
The third period took on entirely different personality with five goals coming in the final 11:44. Justin Mercier put the RedHawks up 3-1 when Guerin forced a turnover in the RMU zone. Guerin was stoned by Boucher, but Mercier jumped on the loss puck in front for his 10th of the season. Miami looked to put the game away on a controversial goal by Joe Cooper at 13:41. Again, Boucher made the initial stop on a shot by Bill Loupee with Cooper putting home the rebound. However, the goal appeared to be off the moorings as the puck went in, but the goal was allowed.
Robert Morris mounted a furious comeback in the final 4:42. Senior forward Aaron Clarke (Peterborough, Ontario / Niagara University) scored on a incredible solo effort. Clarke carried the puck through the neutral zone, beat one defender just inside the blue line and beat Zatkoff shortside as he was falling to the ice at 15:18.
Junior Ryan Cruthers (Farmingdale, N.Y. / Army), who assisted on Clarke's goal, scored 1:52 later on the power play. The junior forward tipped a pass from the left point by freshman Kyle Frieday (Burlington, Ontario / Oakville Blades) high over Zatkoff to make it a 4-3 game.
The Colonials pulled Boucher with 1:21 left in the game and had four shots with the extra attacker, but couldn't find the net. Jones finished his two-goal, one-assist night with an empty goal and 16 seconds left in the game.
Boucher finished with 35 saves for Robert Morris and Zatkoff made 23 for the win. Each team had one power play goal, Miami on seven chances and Robert Morris on six tries. Miami improves to 22-10-4 while Robert Morris falls to 13-15-1.
The Colonials return to College Hockey America action when they travel to Niagara for a 7:05 p.m. game February 23.
