West Point, N.Y. - The Robert Morris University men's hockey team didn't have its best Saturday night, but goal-scoring prowess can be an equalizer.

Senior winger Cody Wydo proved that yet again at Tate Rink, netting three goals to help the Colonials gain a 3-3 tie against Army. Although RMU saw its five-game winning streak come to an end, its unbeaten run has reached six games to start the season.

In addition to Wydo's fourth career hat trick, junior goalie Terry Shafer was just as critical to the result, making 37 saves in his latest superb effort. The Colonials (5-0-1, 3-0-1 AHC) built three one-goal leads, but the late Army push threatened to hand RMU its first defeat of the season.

"We were off on some things, but we were able to steal a point," said head coach Derek Schooley. "Shafer was outstanding and saved us in a few spots."

Wydo capped his big night with a 5-on-3 goal late in the second period to put RMU on top 3-2, but Army defenseman Ryan Nick scored with 7:19 to play in regulation to pull Army even. Neither team could score in the five-minute sudden-death overtime period, so Shafer had to split the decision with Army counterpart Parker Gahagen (27 saves). It was RMU's first draw since Feb. 28 against Mercyhurst, a span of 15 games.

"Army is a strong physical team with no quit," Shafer said. "They came out hard today and never really took their foot off the gas. Any time you play a military academy they are going to be tough."

With the tie, RMU remained two points ahead of Army (2-3-1, 2-3-1 AHC) for first place in the Atlantic Hockey Conference standings. The Colonials continue league play next weekend when they host RIT for a pair at 84 Lumber Arena.

Saturday night's result may not have been what they wanted, but the Colonials have largely carried over last season's team success, and Wydo has done likewise on an individual basis. He has scored at least a point in every game so far, accumulating a team-best 10. Last year Wydo paced RMU with 54 points, the fourth-highest total in the nation. 

Making Wydo's three-goal performance even more remarkable? He was a game-time decision with an injury sustained late in Friday's 3-0 victory.

"Cody showed a lot of character and guts to play through it," Schooley said. "He was opportunistic tonight."

Wydo got rolling at 8:24 of the first period, burying his fourth goal of the season after linemate Zac Lynch stole the puck and recorded his first of two assists on the night. Army's Maurice Alvarez tied the game with a power-play slap shot 3:18 into the second, but Wydo struck again four minutes later, intercepting a pass and beating Gahagen with a backhand deke.

"I wasn't even sure if I was going to play until after warm-ups, so being able to produce like that was nice," said Wydo, who has now played in 119 consecutive games dating back to the first month of his freshman season.

The Black Knights struck back with five minutes to go in the second when Josh Richards wired a shot through a screen that Shafer never saw. The Colonials power play got the goal right back during a two-man advantage, with John Rey putting the puck in Wydo's wheelhouse for a blistering one-timer at 17:52.

Still, the tie tempered Wydo's enthusiasm, as he lamented the missed opportunity for RMU to set a program record for consecutive wins.

"I thought they outplayed us for most of the game," he said. "We were lucky to come away with a point."

The Colonials will have five days to sharpen their game before RIT comes to town. Faceoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.