Just the Facts
7:05 p.m. , Oct. 29/30, Ritter Arena / Dwyer Arena
TV : AmericaOne.com
Live Stats : RITAthletics.com / PurpleEagles.com
Opening Shots
- The Robert Morris had an off week this past weekend after posting the best start in school history with a 4-0-0 record.
- The Colonials lead the nation in winning percentage and are the only team nationally to play at least one game and not have a loss or a tie.
- Robert Morris enters the weekend holding the nation's second longest winning streak and the second longest winning streak in school history.
- Robert Morris earned the team's first national ranking last week with InsideCollegeHockey.com ranking the Colonials the 20th-best team in the country. Despite being idle this week, the Colonials moved up in those rankings and are now No. 19.
- In their first two weeks of action in the Atlantic Hockey Association, Robert Morris has earned two Player of Week honor from the AHA. Denny Urban picked up Co-Player of the Week honors and Brooks Ostergard tallied Goalie of the Week honors Oct. 18. Ostergard sits as one of just two goalies nationally to hold a 4-0-0 mark.
- The Colonials head to New York this weekend to take RIT Friday and Niagara Saturday. The Colonials hold a record of 1-0-1 all-time against the Tigers with their only meetings coming Pittsburgh, Pa. Niagara and Robert Morris have met many times as College Hockey America foes but Saturday marks the two teams first meeting as AHA rivals.
- The Tigers and the Colonials only pair of meetings came in Moon Township, Nov. 12-13, 2005. The Colonials skated to a 5-5 tie against the Tigers Nov.12, 2005 and RMU picked up a 4-2 win in the finale. The 2005-06 was the first for RIT as a division I program.
- Robert Morris holds a mark of 3-11-2 all-time against the Purple Eagles in Niagara, N.Y. All-time the Colonials hold a record of 8-20-6 against Niagara. Last season, the Colonials posted a record of 1-3-2 against Niagara and a mark of 1-1-1 at Dwyer Arena.
RMU Against
Niagara
All Time Series - 8-20-6
In Moon Township - 5-7-4
In Niagara - 3-11-2
Neutral Site - 0-2-0
2009-10 Record - 12-20- 4 (6-10- 2)
2009-10 Conference Finish - Tied for Third (College Hockey America)
Noting the Purple Eagles
Niagara fell to Alabama-Huntsville in the CHA championship game in overtime. The Purple Eagles ranked 26th in nation in scoring offense. Niagara has posted a winning record in four of its last five seasons.
RIT
All Time Series - 1-0-1
In Moon Township - 1-0-1
In Rochester - 0-0-0
Neutral Site - 0-0-0
2009-10 Record - 28-12- 1 (22- 5- 1)
2009-10 Conference Finish - First
Noting the Tigers
RIT claimed the regular and postseason Atlantic Hockey titles a season ago. The Tigers upset Denver and New Hampshire in the NCAA Tournament to head to the Frozen Four. RIT ranked in the Top 5 nationally in scoring offense, scoring defense, scoring margin and winning percentage a season ago.
Century Club
Nathan Longpre became the second Robert Morris men's ice hockey player to crack the 100-point barrier Oct. 17 against Air Force. Longpre sits just 35 points away from tying Chris Margott's school record. Fellow senior assistant Captain, Denny Urban is also looking to break past the 100 point mark this season. Urban enters the weekend with 77 career points and is looking to become the first defenseman in school history to record 100 career points.
Starting Slow and Finishing Strong
The Colonials have scored just four first-period goals this season and has failed to score in the first 10 minutes of regulation at any point in the 2010-11 season. The third period has been a different story with eight of the Colonials 17 goals coming in the third period and seven of those eight third period tallies have come in the final 10 minutes of regulation. In that same time frame of the third period the Colonials have only allowed one goal. Last season, Robert Morris only scored 18 goals in the final 10 minutes of regulation while allowing 23.
Classy Captain Kushneriuk
Chris Kushneriuk became the first member of the Robert Morris University men's ice hockey program to be named a semifinalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.
Kushneriuk, the captain of the 2010-11 Colonials, holds the top grade point average on the team and ranked second on the team a season ago in points with 29. The native of Ottawa, Ontario is an active member of the community in Pittsburgh and in his hometown.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
Kushneriuk joins fellow Colonial Amanda Graham, a nominee in the women's volleyball category, as Robert Morris athletes selected as semifinalist. Kushneriuk and Graham are the first pair of Colonials to be nominated for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in the same calendar year.
Ostergard Named Atlantic Hockey Goalie of the Week
Brooks Ostergard of the Robert Morris University men's ice hockey team earned Goalie of the Week honors from the Atlantic Hockey Association, Oct. 18.
Ostergard ranks as one of just two goalies nationally with a 4-0-0 record. He posted 64 saves, a 2.50 goal-against average and a .928 save percentage posting wins against Ohio State and Air Force. His 36 stops against Air Force were a season high and helped the Colonials to a 3-0-0 start in conference play. After allowing two first period goals Oct. 17, he did not allow a score over the final two periods as Robert Morris rallied from two goals down to defeat Air Force. Ostergard's four-game winning streak ties a career best. The Colonial net minder has been at his best with the game on-the-line - in the third period this season he has posted 37 saves and has allowed just one goal in the final 10 minutes of regulation.
Urban Named Co-Atlantic Hockey Player of the Week
Denny Urban of the Robert Morris University men's ice hockey team earned Co-Player of the Week for the Atlantic Hockey Association, Oct. 11.
Urban racked up a total of five points against American International, more than any other defenseman in the country in college hockey's opening weekend. The senior assistant captain also set a career-best Oct. 10 handing out three assists. Urban currently leads all active AHA defenseman in career points with 77 and sits just 23 points shy of becoming the first Colonial defenseman to earn 100 career points.
The Pittsburgh, Pa. native became the first Colonial hockey player to earn an AHA weekly award, picking up the honor in Robert Morris' first weekend in Atlantic Hockey action.
Colonials Earn First National Ranking
The 4-0-0 start rates as the best in school history and ranks tied as the longest winning streak in the nation. The Colonials rallied from two goals down Oct. 17 to knock off Air Force to open the season a perfect 3-0-0 in conference play. The four-game winning streak is the longest since the Colonials won four in a row last season from Jan. 8- Jan. 16. That streak was highlighted with two wins against then-No. 1 Miami (Ohio). Robert Morris' longest winning streak in school history is five games set Jan. 29 - Feb. 10, 2007.
Last Time Out
The Robert Morris University men's hockey team pushed its record to 4-0-0 Oct. 17, rallying from two-goals down to knock off Air Force, 3-2, inside CONSOL Energy Center in the RMU Hockey Showcase.
After falling behind two scores in the first period, the Colonials scored late in the first and on the power-play in the second to even the score. Nathan Longpre capped the rally with the game-winning goal late in the third period.
Longpre scored with 2:11 second remaining in the third period to keep Robert Morris' record unblemished. Longpre also hit a personal milestone Sunday becoming just the second player in Colonials history to record 100 career points. The senior assistant captain hit the mark in the second period picking up the second assist on Chris Kushneriuk's game-tying goal.
Robert Morris started slow falling behind in the first period after Mike Walsh scored 6:09 into the game. George Michalke stretched the lead to 2-0 at the 18:28 mark with the Falcons second even-strength goal of the period. The period looked like it would end with Air Force holding a two-goal advantage until Ron Cramer fired a shot behind the Falcon net. Cody Crichton dug the puck out and launched a shot on net and Air Force goalkeeper Jason Torf could not control the rebound, in scramble for the puck Trevor Lewis cut the lead in half with one second remaining in the first period.
For the second consecutive game the Robert Morris power-play came through in a big way with Kushneriuk picking up a goal to even the score at 17:30 mark of the second period.
Oh Captain My Captain
Chris Kushneriuk serves as captain with Denny Urban and Nathan Longpre working as assistant captains at home, while Scott Kobialko and Brock Meadows will work as assistant captains on the road.
Colonials and Tigers to meet in Classic
The Colonials will take on RIT, Dec. 30, inside the CONSOL Energy Center as part of the Pittsburgh Penguins lead up to the 2011 Bridgestone Winter Classic.
The day will feature a doubleheader with Robert Morris taking on RIT at 3:00 p.m. followed by the Pittsburgh Penguins American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, meeting rival Hershey, the Washington Capitals AHL affiliate at 7:30 p.m. The double dip is part of the Penguins' weeklong celebration of hockey leading up to the Penguins taking on the Capitals in the Bridgestone Winter Classic on New Year's Day at Heinz Field.
The Dec. 30 matchup with RIT marks the second game Robert Morris will play inside the Penguins new arena. The Colonials first hit the ice in the CONSOL Energy Center Oct. 17 as part of a tripleheader in the RMU Hockey Showcase.
Robert Morris posted a solid record a season ago against the nation's top teams with a mark of 3-1-1 against teams ranked in the Top 5 nationally, headlined by a weekend sweep of then-No. 1 Miami, Jan. 8 and 10. RIT claimed the Atlantic Hockey regular season and tournament titles a season ago and finished the season ranked No. 10 after upsetting Denver and New Hampshire to earn a trip to the Frozen Four.
One ticket will allow fans to attend both games of the doubleheader. Ticket pricing and an on-sale date will be announced in the near future.
The Frozen Four Comes to Pittsburgh in 2013
The NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Committee has chosen the city of Pittsburgh as the site of the 2013 NCAA Frozen Four.
Robert Morris University, in conjunction with VisitPittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL), will serve as host of the event at the CONSOL Energy Center, the new home of the Penguins set to open this fall.
The 2013 NCAA Men's Frozen Four at the CONSOL Energy Center will take place April 11 and 13, 2013, and will be the first NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship event held in the state of Pennsylvania. In addition, it will be the first major team sport in NCAA history to conduct its national championship in the city of Pittsburgh.
The NCAA Frozen Four has sold out every year since 1993, and over 72,000 attended the event at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich., last April. In the 2010 NCAA championship game between Wisconsin and eventual national champion Boston College, an indoor ice hockey record of 37,592 attended the contest.
On the Horizon
Robert Morris returns to action at 7:05 p.m. Friday Nov. 5, when the Colonials travel to Worcester, Mass. to take on Holy Cross.
