PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Robert Morris University men's ice hockey team dropped just its second game in regulation in front of the largest home hockey crowd in school history to RIT, 4-3, Thursday in CONSOL Energy Center.
Trailing heading into the third period, Trevor Lewis (Lititz, Pa. / Syracuse Stars) found the net 24 seconds into the frame to tie the game at three. Tyler Brenner scored with just 1:19 left in the third to send the Tigers (10-7-2, 9-3-1) to their fourth consecutive win and end the Colonials (12-5-2, 7-5-2) six-game unbeaten streak.
RIT ran out to an early lead with goals from Cameron Burt and Tyler Brenner. Burt scored at the 4:57 mark and Brenner pushed the margin to two with his eighth goal of the season at the 11:28 mark of the period. Robert Morris rallied back as Furman South (Sewickley, Pa. / Bay State Breakers) slammed home a cross ice pass from James Lyle (Nepean, Ontario / Smiths Falls Bears) to cut the Tigers lead in half with 3:29 left in the first. Joseph Harcharik (Des Moines, Iowa / North Iowa Outlaws) tied the game at two with his second goal of the season. Harcharik tipped home a shot from Brock Meadows (White Rock, B.C. / Salmon Arm Silverbacks) with just 2:18 left in the second period.
Adam Mitchell gave the Tigers the lead in the second period with an even-strength goal at the 15:05 mark of the period. RIT goalie Shane Madolora posted 13 second-period saves while only four shots reach RMU netminder Brooks Ostergard (Chagrin Falls, Ohio / Bay State Breakers).
After the clock hit zero in the second period RIT's Cameron Burt picked up a minor for cross-checking, allowing the Colonials to start the third period on the power-play. Benner's goal sent the Colonials to their first and only loss of month ending RMU five-game win streak and six-game unbeaten streak.
The Robert Morris penalty kill posted a perfect 5-for-5 mark and only allowed one shot on net. The Colonial power-play unit went 2-of-6, it is the third game in their last six in which they have scored more than one power-play goal.
Robert Morris heads north to take on No. 3 North Dakota Jan. 7-8 in the Colonials final non-conference series of the season.
Game Notes
- The crowd of 6,957 is the largest home crowd for Robert Morris men's hockey game.
- Longpre's assist on Lewis' third-period goal moved his point streak to seven games, a career long.
- The loss is the first this season when Adam Brace records a point (10-1-1)
- Thursday's game was the first game this season in which a Robert Morris netminders has allowed more than three goals in a game.
- Cameron Burt's first period goal was the first even-strength allowed by the Colonials in 205:18.
