Pittsburgh, Pa. – Baseball season is over, but the Robert Morris University men's hockey team could give MLB's best closers a few tips before spring training next year.

Powered by another strong finish, the Colonials kept their unbeaten start rolling Saturday night at 84 Lumber Arena, defeating RIT 4-2 to sweep the weekend series against their conference foe. Now 7-0-1 on the season, RMU has outscored its opponents 31-12 overall and 24-8 after the first period.

The Colonials had a 3-1 advantage in the final 40 minutes Saturday, keyed by a dominant second frame that featured 25 RMU shots on goal and a mere two for RIT. The Colonials improved to 6-0-1 when leading after two periods, stretching their unbeaten streak to eight – one shy of the team record established while they sprinted through the second half of last season.

"In the second and third period we were very good," said head coach Derek Schooley after collecting his 150th victory with RMU. "We played the game the right way. We played the game hard, got pucks behind their 'D.' That's how we need to play. If that isn't proven by 25 to two in shots (in the second period), I don't know what would prove it.

"We've done a great job of closing games out. We're (former Yankees closer) Mariano Rivera right now."

Junior forward Zac Lynch played hero Saturday, recording his first two goals of the season. Cody Wydo continued his high-flying start with two third-period assists, boosting him atop the national scoring list with 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in eight games.

Scott Jacklin also had a couple of assists, and freshmen Brady Ferguson and Timmy Moore scored a goal each. For Moore, it was his first goal in just his second NCAA game, while Ferguson notched his fourth tally in his past six matches.

"We have a lot of firepower," said redshirt junior defenseman Tyson Wilson, who played in back-to-back games for the first time since offseason hip surgery.  "Once the boys get going, it's tough to skate with us. The puck support was really good tonight. We're communicating with each other, getting pucks deep and not turning it over in the neutral zone."

RMU goalie Dalton Izyk denied 31 shots for his fourth consecutive win to begin the season; the sophomore boasts a nation-best .977 save percentage and 0.75 goals-against average. As a team, the Colonials have allowed a stingy 1.5 goals per game.

Since Jan. 4, Robert Morris is 24-6-4, a run which includes an Atlantic Hockey championship and a trip to the NCAA tournament, both of which were firsts for the 11th-year program. RMU continues to chart new territory this fall, as seven wins in eight games is easily the finest start since Division I hockey came to the Island Sports Center in 2004. The Colonials (5-0-1 AHC) will have next weekend off before hosting league rival Air Force on Nov. 14-15.

"It's a good time to take a little break and give our guys a chance to reflect," Schooley said. "But we have to get right back to work. When you're at the top, you have a target on your back. So far we've done a good job not getting hit by any bullets."



The Colonials got outshot 18-12 in the first period, marking the second consecutive night they spun their wheels a bit to start. But that all changed in the second, when they broke a 1-1 tie to grab the lead for good.

It wasn't easy, though. RMU generated 11 of their 25 second-period shots during a trio of power plays, but RIT goalie Jordan Ruby stood up to the challenge, at times sprawling out along the ice to keep rebounds from trickling behind him. Wydo thought he'd put the Colonials ahead during an extended 4-on-3 advantage, but his apparent goal from the right circle was waved off because the net was off the moorings.

Nevertheless, RMU kept pushing and eventually broke through after a dominant even-strength shift in the RIT zone. While the Colonials executed a line change on the fly, Alex Bontje dumped the puck behind the net to Daniel Leavens, who dished to Ferguson for a wraparound that careened in and out of the top of the net. A brief video review confirmed the goal at 16:18 of the second.

RMU kept the pedal down in the third, creating two goals off turnovers. The first came when Wydo made a steal in the left corner of the offensive zone, turned and found Lynch striding down the slot for a quick release and his second goal of the night at 4:42.

That made it 3-1, and Moore popped in the rebound of a Wydo shot with 7:54 remaining to increase the advantage to three. The play began when Jacklin intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and passed to Wydo on the left wing. RMU's leading scorer went to the net for a jam shot that Ruby somehow held out, but Moore went to the blue paint to clean up the loose puck.

RIT's Danny Smith tacked on a late goal during a 4-on-4 situation to cut the margin to two, but it wasn't nearly enough to spoil the party on the Island, where RMU is 5-0 this season. Although the visiting Tigers (2-5-0, 1-3-0 AHC) fired 13 of their 33 shots in the third period, the Colonials never appeared to weaken their grip on win No. 7.

"I thought that, besides the one goal they had, the third period was our shutdown period of the year," Lynch said. "The first period was a bit of a wake-up call, but when we get down to it, we keep it simple and our skill takes over."

Just like Friday night's 6-3 Colonials win, the first period yielded two goals, with one going to each side. Unlike Friday, RMU scored first when Lynch took a center-ice relay from Jacklin and drove the net hard during a 2-on-1 rush with Wydo. Lynch elected to shoot, and it was a good decision as his first of the season zoomed into the goal under Ruby at 7:11.

"I've been a little frustrated because I've had chances," said Lynch, who scored 19 goals last season. "It feels good to contribute to the team in that way."

Lynch gave the Colonials the opening strike for the sixth time in eight games, but RIT had a quick response at 9:53. With four RMU players trapped in the offensive zone, Garrett McMullen took a sharp lead pass from Josh Mitchell and beat Izyk from near the left dot.