NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – February 13, 2014 – With just three weeks remaining in the regular season, the Robert Morris University men's ice hockey team traveled north to take on the Niagara Purple Eagles for the Thursday night contest in the NCAA that featured two rivals dating back to the now-defunct CHA.  Three goals in the second period were not enough for the Colonials, falling by a score of 5-3 to snap a nine-game unbeaten streak.

Niagara (10-15-4, 10-8-4 AHA) would get on the board first just 66 seconds after the opening faceoff when TJ Sarcona gave the Purple Eagles a 1-0 lead.  Sarcona beat RMU netminder Terry Shafer (Penfield N.Y. / New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs) with a shot from the left-wing circle that went past Shafer's outstretched pad.

Robert Morris (11-14-4, 11-7-4 AHA) would tie the game in the second period with a goal from Brandon Denham (Milton, Ontario / Oakville Blades).  Four minutes into the frame, Denham slammed home a loose puck in the crease behind Niagara goaltender Adrian Ignagni for his seventh goal of the season to make the score 1-1.

Four minutes after RMU would tie the game, Niagara would retake the lead with a goal from Brock Edwards.  Edwards put the Purple Eagles up 2-1 after his shot from the top of the left-wing circle found its way through traffic in front of Shafer and past the goaltender.

With eight minutes remaining in the second period, Colin South (Sewickley, Pa. / Bay State Breakers) pulled Robert Morris even, 2-2.  South's fifth goal of the season came as the captain capitalized on a cross-crease pass and fired home a shot past Ignagni while positioned at the right post.

RMU would take its first lead of the game with just over four minutes remaining in the middle frame.  Greg Gibson (Burlington, Ontario / Amarillo Bulls) notched his eighth goal of the season with a shot from the left-wing boards that got past Ignagni to give the Colonials a 3-2 advantage.

With less than eight minutes remaining in the third period, Niagara would tie the game, 3-3.  A slapshot from the right point by Kevin Ryan found its way past bodies piled up in front of Shafer and past the goaltender.

With just 2:25 remaining in the final frame, Stephen Pietrobon gave Niagara a 4-3 lead with a shorthanded goal.  After Shafer made the initial save on a breakaway, Pietrobon followed up the shot and put home the rebound for the game-winning goal.

With 40 seconds remaining, the Purple Eagles would make the score 5-3 with an empty-net goal by Ryan Rashid.

Shafer would finish the contest with 34 saves while suffering the loss and seeing his record fall to 11-12-4 this season.

The two teams will meet again on Saturday evening at 84 Lumber Arena to conclude the home-and-home series.  The game will be part of Military Appreciation Night in which the Colonials will don special jerseys that will be auctioned off to support the RMU Veterans' Emergency Fund and other military-themed events will take place throughout the game.