West Point, N.Y. - The Robert Morris University men's hockey team is making a habit out of making history.

Sophomore goalie Dalton Izyk made 36 saves in his second shutout of the young season, and junior forward Matt Cope had a goal and an assist as the Colonials improved to 5-0 with a 3-0 victory over league foe Army on Friday night.

It's the first time in 11 years of Division I hockey that RMU has won the first five games of a season, surpassing the previous mark of four straight out of the gate set by the 2010-11 team. This impressive streak comes as a follow-up to the Colonials' first-ever conference championship and NCAA tournament appearance at the end of last season.

"We're confident in what we're doing," head coach Derek Schooley said. "We played hard tonight and didn't let anything rattle us."

Robert Morris can establish a program record for consecutive wins in Saturday's series finale at Tate Rink. The Colonials have never won six in a row, although this is the fifth time they're reached five. Last season's squad matched that mark twice, including a five-game run in the Atlantic Hockey Conference tournament.

Friday's shutout continues a remarkable run of defensive hockey by this year's Colonials, who have allowed just four total goals in five games. RMU (3-0 AHC) also leapt over Army (2-3, 2-3 AHC) for first place in the early league standings.

"I think we're just keeping it simple and playing calm in the defensive zone," said sophomore defenseman Rob Mann, who scored the Colonials' second goal. "The forwards' backchecking efforts have been unbelievable and that makes it easy on us D-men. The amount of pucks we're blocking has been huge as well.

"Everyone's buying in."

After stepping in for the injured Terry Shafer last spring to help RMU to the AHC title, Izyk has continued his strong play this fall. The New York native has allowed only one goal on 97 shots against in three starts this season, combining with Shafer to backstop the team's hot start.

"All I try to do is give my team a chance to win," Izyk said. "I wanted to help the team accomplish something that they haven't before."

Izyk saved his best stop Friday for midway through the third period, denying dynamic Army freshman Tyler Pham on a one-timer from right in front of the net.

"I was told years ago from a coach to make the saves I'm supposed to make, and once in a while make a great one," said Izyk, who won the conference's goalie of the week honors with a shutout of Lake Superior State on Oct. 11. "I'm focusing on always being ready. I'm working on getting quicker and reaction time and it seems to help tons."

The Colonials' offense hasn't been slacking, either, with 18 goals in five games. RMU fired 41 shots at reigning AHC goalie of the week Parker Gahagen, with Cope, Mann and Brady Ferguson finding ways to beat the skilled sophomore netminder.

"We had to work for our goals tonight," Schooley said. "We had some quality chances but Gahagen was very good. He kept them in the game."

Cope netted the lone goal RMU would need 1:40 into the second period when he snapped a high shot past Gahagen with the Colonials shorthanded. The unassisted goal was Cope's second four-on-five tally in two games; moments later, Ferguson nearly made it 2-0 on a great scoring chance.

The towering Mann eventually raised the visitors' lead to two at 12:24 of the second, when he picked up his first goal in his 15th NCAA game. After getting his initial attempt blocked from the right point, Mann regathered the loose puck and gunned a shot through a screen that found twine behind Gahagen. Cope and Greg Gibson earned helpers on the play.

"It was definitely an exciting moment," said Mann, an Ontario native. "It had been a while since I buried a goal and it was nice to get that first one out of the way."

Robert Morris put the game further out of reach seven minutes into the third period, with Army's Joe Kozlak sent to the dressing room for a boarding major. Ferguson took a lead pass from Zac Lynch and put a nice breakaway move on Gahagen before depositing his second goal in three games. The freshman Ferguson will carry a three-game point streak into Saturday night, as will Gibson.

Meanwhile, senior sniper Cody Wydo (three goals, four assists on the season) has earned at least a point in each of the first five games, as he grabbed the secondary helper on Ferguson's goal. That tally was RMU's fifth power-play goal on 23 opportunities this season, good for a 22 percent conversion rate.

Holding that 3-0 lead, the Colonials withstood a determined Army attack in the third, with Izyk stopping 13 shots and several of his teammates making key blocks to protect the goal.

"It gives the team a lift when you see guys blocking shots," said Schooley, who mentioned efforts by Mann and David Friedmann in particular. Junior defenseman Chase Golightly led the way with five of RMU's 22 blocks. "Our work ethic and our backchecking were there again."

The Colonials will seek to further extend their unbeaten start - and put more space between them and the Black Knights - at 7:05 p.m. Saturday.