No. 19 ROBERT MORRIS (11-2-3, 9-2-3 AHC) vs. No. 20 PENN STATE (9-4-2, 3-1-0 Big 10)
Monday, Dec. 29 at 7:35 p.m. | CONSOL Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Radio: WPIT-AM 730 or www.wpitam.com | Play-by-play - Steve Kolbe | Analysis - Mike Prisuta

THE MATCHUP
Following a historic 11-win fall semester, the No. 19 Robert Morris University men's hockey team enters the Three Rivers Classic as one of three ranked teams in the annual tournament. The Colonials face No. 20 Penn State in the first all-ranked matchup between the programs, with the two Pennsylvania schools facing off to close the first day. No. 17 Colgate and Western Michigan square off at 4:35 p.m. to start the event.

ABOUT ROBERT MORRIS
-  Robert Morris is 2-2 in Three Rivers Classic games, including wins over Penn State and Miami on its way to the tournament title two years ago. The Colonials are 3-3 all-time at CONSOL Energy Center, which opened in 2010.
- Although RMU was blanked Dec. 14 to end a 73-game streak without a shutout, the Colonials remain the highest-scoring team in Division I at 4.12 goals per game. Robert Morris has netted at least three goals in 14 of 16 games.
- In the wake of his fourth career four-point game Dec. 13 at Mercyhurst, senior winger Cody Wydo once again leads RMU in scoring with 25 points (11g, 14a). The Hobey Baker Award hopeful is third on the nationwide scoring list and six points shy of Nathan Longpre (2007-11) for the program's career record of 138 points.
- RMU's diverse attack features seven players boasting 14 points or more. Junior Pittsburgh native Zac Lynch and freshman Brady Ferguson each have 16 points, while David Friedmann (8g) and Daniel Leavens (10a) are second on the team in goals and assists.
- The Colonials haven't skimped on defense and goaltending, either. RMU is allowing nearly a goal fewer per game (2.31) compared to last season, with sophomore Dalton Izyk (.931 SV%) junior Terry Shafer (.919 SV%) splitting the netminding duties down the middle.
- Off to their best start in program history, the Colonials have compiled win streaks of five and four games, in addition to unbeaten runs of nine (7-0-2) and five (4-0-1).
- FUN FACT: The Colonials are nine wins ahead of last year's pace, when they entered the Three Rivers Classic at 2-10-2.

SCOUTING PENN STATE
- These are heady times for the Nittany Lions, who are nationally ranked for the first time in their three seasons of Division I hockey. Penn State is also in first place in the Big 10.
- Penn State won't be out of its element in a high-scoring game, as the Lions have buried the seventh-most goals in D-I at 3.47 per contest. They also launch the most shots on goal at 39.6 per game (RMU is second at 37.6).
- A pair of upperclassmen pace Penn State in scoring, as senior Taylor Holstrom (4g, 14a) and junior Casey Bailey (8g, 10a) have 18 points apiece. Sophomore David Goodwin (6g, 8a) is the Lions' only other double-digit scorer.
- A special-teams game may lead to big offense, with PSU's power play ranked fifth in D-I (26.7%) and RMU's at No. 9 (22.4%).
- Senior defenseman Patrick Koudys (Washington, 2011) is one of four NHL draft picks on the Penn State roster. The Ontario native, who is the only Lions blueliner to have played all 15 games, leads the team in blocked shots with 28 and has a plus-5 rating.
- Junior goalie Matt Skoff - from nearby McKees Rocks - continues to hold the top spot in the Penn State crease. He has a .919 save percentage and has presided over six of the Lions' nine victories, plus both ties.
- This is Guy Gadowski's fourth season coaching Penn State. He previously led D-I programs at Princeton (7 seasons) and Alaska (5) before taking over the Nittany Lions.

COLONIALS IN THE MEDIA
Web Story: Colonials stay in top 20 entering holiday break
Prisuta on Pucks: No complacency for RMU in stellar first half
The Hockey Writers: College hockey's elite prepare for Pittsburgh showdown
USCHO.com: RMU's continued success a huge first-half story in college hockey
Trib Live Radio: Coach Schooley joins Ken Laird to discuss first half
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Colonials enter Classic on a high note
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Three ranked teams highlight strong tourney field
City of Champions: Three Rivers Classic presents big opportunity for RMU

A Banner Year: The calendar year 2014 has seen the Colonials rise from the bottom of the Atlantic Hockey Conference to a league title and NCAA Tournament appearance, followed by a historic start to the 2014-15 season. Since beating Sacred Heart 2-1 on Jan. 3, RMU is 28-8-6 for a .738 points percentage. The Colonials have also been the highest-scoring program in the nation over that span, netting 167 goals in 42 games for a potent 3.98 goals-per-game average.

Borrowing the Penguins' Ice: Since 2007, RMU has been a willing and welcoming host to some of the NCAA's premier programs, whether it be at Mellon Arena or CONSOL Energy Center. The Colonials are 4-6-1 on the Penguins' home ice, including a pair of wins over nationally-ranked Miami. The latter of those two came in the first Three Rivers Classic championship game Dec. 29, 2012. RMU has also defeated Penn State and Air Force on the Pens' sheet, in addition to a tie against Ohio State.

Winning the Possession Battle: Thus far this season, RMU has launched 51 percent of the shot attempts in its games, a measurement known as Corsi. The Colonials fare even better in Fenwick, which factors out blocked shots, at 53 percent. In terms of shots on goal, RMU has owned 55 percent of those.

VIDEO PREVIEW 
Matt Gajtka sat down with head coach Derek Schooley to sum up the season's first half - including huge success on and off the ice - then look forward to what promises to be an exciting Three Rivers Classic:


GAME NOTES