Niagara University, N.Y. / Dwyer Arena - Following their team record five-game win streak, the Robert Morris University men's hockey team has now lost three straight games following a 7-3 loss at Niagara University in College Hockey America action Friday night. The Colonials, now 13-16-1 overall and 9-8-0 in the CHA, had won four straight conference games.
Niagara (18-11-4, 9-4-4 CHA) scored five goals over the final two periods to snap a 2-2 tie at Dwyer Arena. Ted Cook tallied his league-leading 30th goal on the power play 6:39 into the game. Playing during a delayed penalty just 1:24 later, Matt Carauna tallied his 14th of the season to quickly give the Purple Eagles a 2-0 lead. The goal, on Niagara's seventh shot, chased RMU senior goaltender Joe Tuset (Eagan, Minn. / Northern Michigan University) in favor of junior Christian Boucher (Orleans, Ontario / Cumberland Grads).
Sophomore forward Chris Margott (Thousand Oaks, Calif. / Bay State Breakers) put RMU on the board with their own power play goal at 10:26 with help from senior Doug Conley (East Amherst, N.Y. / Tri-City Storm) and junior Jake Sparks (Evergreen, Colo. / Central Texas Blackhawks). Conley then got in on the action picking up the team's fifth shorthanded goal of the season at 14:06 to tie the game, 2-2, on an assist from junior Rob Cowan (Calgary, Alberta / Olds Grizzlys).
The second period belonged to the host Purple Eagles. Niagara stretched their lead to 5-2 after 40 minutes of play on even-strength goals by Chris Moran, Nate Bostic and Egor Mironov in the first 10 minutes of the middle frame.
Colonials junior Sean Berkstresser (Apollo, Pa. / Pittsburgh Forge) picked up the team's second power play marker of the night at 13:42 of the second period to cut the lead to 5-3. His goal came on assists by senior Aaron Clarke (Peterborough, Ontario / Niagara University) and Margott.
Niagara, however, put the game out of reach as Moran scored his second of the night on an empty net at 19:21. The Purple Eagles added a even-strength score just 15 seconds later to cap the game at 7-3.
Tuset had five saves for RMU while Boucher took the loss allowing four goals while making 22 saves in 50:34 of work. Juliano Pagliero was the winning netminder with 32 saves, including 16 in the second period. The Colonials held a 35-34 advantage in shots while going 2-6 on the power play. Niagara was 1-6 with the man advantage.
These two teams meet again Saturday, February 24, at 7:05 p.m. at Dwyer Arena.
