Pittsburgh, Pa. ? Oct. 5, 2008 ? The Robert Morris University men's hockey team, led by fifth-year head coach Derek Schooley opened up the 2008-09 season with a crushing, 9-0 triumph in an exhibition game against the Ryerson Rams. In the win, three players earned multiple goals with senior forward Jason Towsley (LaSalle, Ontario / Leamington Flyers) leading the way with a hat trick. Freshman Trevor Lewis (Lititz, Pa. / Syracuse Stars) and sophomore Chris Kushneriuk (Ottawa, Ontario / Orleans Blues) each added a pair of goals. Six of the Colonial's nine goals occurred during a power-play.
Towsley gave the Colonials the early lead, putting in the first goal on a power-play opportunity eight minutes into action. Nathan Longpre (Peterborough, Ontario / Mahoning Valley Phantoms) and Denny Urban (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Ohio Blue Jackets) added the assist. At 13:57 the Colonials took advantage of another power-play with Cody Crichton (Palgrave, Ontario / Brampton Capitals) taking the puck from Towsley and Rafael Rodriguez (Oceanside, Calif. / Santa Fe Roadrunners), and beating Ryerson goalie Pierre Beaulieu to give Robert Morris the two goal cushion.
Robert Morris entered the second period and played even harder, doubling their goal input from period one and making the score 6-0. Kushneriuk set the pace for the Colonials, as he was able to find the net just two minutes into action to make the score 3-0 off a pass from Lewis and Rodriquez. Lewis quickly followed with a goal of his own during another power-play at 5:16, with the assist by senior forward Chris Margott (Thousdan Oaks, Calif. / Bay State Breakers) and Urban.
The Colonials continued to dominate the second period, with the puck being blasted at the Ryerson net for the majority of the time. Their effort paid off, and at 16:23 Towsley tallied his second goal of the game, with the duo of Margott and Urban contributing their second consecutive assist. Two minutes later Lewis scored his second goal of the period off a pass from Jake Obermeyer (Chanhassen, Minn. / Tri-City Storm) and Furman South (Sewickley, Pa. / Bay State Breakers).
RMU did not let down its energy or intensity in the third period, taking the team only six and a half minutes to score its seventh goal of the game when Towsley, faced one-on-one with the goalie, shot the puck into upper left corner of the net.
Kushneriuk gathered his second goal at 8:09 off an assist from Furman and Scott Kobialko (Spruce Grove, Alberta / Camrose Kodiaks). Kobialko wrapped the game up adding his own goal at 17:11 and finished off Robert Morris's collection of nine goals.
Robert Morris outshot Ryerson 47-12, connected on six of its 10 power-play opportunities and was able to hold off the Rams in three of its five on four situations.
Furman, Urban and Rodriguez each added a trio of assists to the win, while goalies Wes Russell (Springfield, Ill. / Quinnipiac University) and Jim Patterson (Kamloops, B.C. / Canmore Eagles) earned seven and five saves, respectively. Ryerson's Beaulieu and George Louie put up 26 and 12 saves, respectively.
Robert Morris starts its regular season against Merrimack on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 7:00 p.m.
