Storrs, Conn. – The Robert Morris
University men's hockey team took to the road for a quarterfinal series of the
Atlantic Hockey playoffs as the Colonials traveled to Connecticut to take on
the Huskies. In the first game of the
best-of-three series, RMU would let the game's first goal go to waste by
allowing four unanswered goals in a 4-1 loss at the hands of the Huskies.
Unlike the two regular-season
meetings between the teams, Robert Morris would be the first to get on the
board as the Colonials jumped out to a 1-0 lead eleven minutes in to the first
period. On the second power play of the
period for RMU, Cody Wydo (Southgate, Mich. / Motor City Metal Jackets) would
carry the puck from the far boards to the front of the cage. As he worked his way towards the cage, Wydo
deked around the Connecticut goaltender and tucked the puck in between the
skate of the goaltender and the post for his 20th goal of the season.
The lead would not last for the
Colonials as Connecticut would tie the game a little more than three minutes
later with a power-play goal of its own.
After a shot from the point was blocked by a Robert Morris defender, the
puck bounced in to the slot where the Huskies got off a shot that snuck through
traffic in the crease and behind goaltender Eric Levine (Wheeling, Ill. /
Pembroke Lumber Kings) who started his 34th game this season for the Colonials.
Connecticut would take the lead
in the second period as the Huskies held the puck in the defensive zone of
Robert Morris for an extended period of time before capitalizing on a tired
defensive pairing. As the puck made its
way to center ice, the forwards for RMU went off for a line change allowing
Connecticut to re-enter the zone and get off a backhanded shot that fluttered
by Levine's glove and in to the cage for a 2-1 lead.
Less than a minute later, 50
seconds to be exact, the Huskies would take a two-goal advantage. A pass to a Connecticut defender would allow
a slap shot to come from the point position and travel through a screen set up
in front of Levine for the 3-1 lead as both Connecticut goals would come in the
first six minutes of the second period.
Despite maintaining pressure and
presence in the attacking zone for the majority of the third period, the
Colonials were unable to find a second goal in the game. With time winding down, Levine was pulled for
an extra attacker and Connecticut would seal the victory with an empty-net goal
to make the final score 4-1.
Levine would finish the game with
20 saves while Wydo's goal extended his point streak to nine games. After suffering a loss this season, the
Colonials are 10-2-0. The two teams will
meet again tomorrow night for the second game of the series. It is win or go home for Robert Morris when
the puck drops at 7:05 p.m.