BUFFALO, N.Y. – February 22, 2014 – After collecting a win last night, the Robert Morris University men's ice hockey team looked for a sweep of the Canisius Golden Griffins on Saturday evening.  In the second game of the home-and-home series, the Colonials suffered a 6-3 defeat at the claws of the Golden Griffins as positioning in the Atlantic Hockey standings grew tighter heading into the final weekend of regular season play.

Special teams would play a key role in the rematch, as Robert Morris (13-15-4, 13-8-4 AHA) committed two major penalties and was on the penalty kill seven times in the contest, allowing three goals while a man down.  While on the man advantage, the Colonials scored once on their three power-play opportunities.

An even-strength goal would open the scoring in the game as it took Canisius (12-17-3, 11-11-3 AHA) just 20 seconds to find the back of the net in the first period.  Matthew Grazen carried the puck from behind the net and threw on shot on net that found its way over the shoulder of RMU starting goaltender Terry Shafer (Penfield, N.Y. / New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs) to give the Golden Griffins an early 1-0 lead.

The Colonials would respond at the 11:15 mark of the period when Jeff Jones (Revelstoke, British Columbia, Merritt Centennials) pounced on a rebound left by Canisius goaltender Tony Capobianco and tied the game, 1-1.

A pair of power-play goals would vault the Golden Griffins into the lead by the end of the first period.

The first of the two goals came during a major penalty for charging committed by Robert Morris.  A shot from the point from a Canisius defender was deflected in the slot by Taylor Law and past Shafer to give the Golden Griffins a 2-1 advantage with seven minutes remaining in the opening frame.

Six seconds after the expiration of the major penalty, the Colonials would head back to the penalty kill after a minor infraction for roughing.  It would be on this power-play that the Golden Griffins would take a 3-1 lead with another deflection in the slot of a shot from the point that found its way past Shafer.  Ralph Cuddemi was credited with the goal for Canisius as RMU headed to the locker room down two goals after 20 minutes of play.

The three goals scored by Canisius in the opening frame matched a season-high allowed by Robert Morris in the first period.

Coming out for the second period, the Colonials needed just 33 seconds to put the puck behind Capobianco and pull within a goal, 3-2.  Greg Gibson (Burlington, Ontario / Amarillo Bulls) fired a wristshot that rocketed over the goaltender's glove for RMU's second goal of the game.

Canisius responded with three goals by the time that the horn signaling the end of the second period had sounded.

Two minutes after Gibson's goal, the Golden Griffins answered with a goal from Cody Freeman that found a piece of Shafer but continued past the goaltender to put Canisius ahead, 4-2.

The fifth goal of the game for Canisius would chase Shafer from the net, and that goal came at the 8:30 mark of the middle frame.  Doug Jessey walked in from the right point and carried the puck around Shafer before tucking it past Shafer's right pad to give the Golden Griffins a 5-2 lead.

Dalton Izyk (Oswego, N.Y. / Indiana Ice) would replace Shafer between the pipes for Robert Morris after Jessey's goal.

It would take Canisius 11 minutes to get one past Izyk, and with just 18 seconds remaining in the second period the Golden Griffins took a 6-2 advantage.  On the power play, Mitch McCrank let go of a shot from the left-wing circle that beat Izyk to put RMU down four goals after two periods.

Robert Morris would net the only goal of the third period as Scott Jacklin (Kimberley, British Columbia / Trail Smoke Eaters) picked up a power-play goal.  Five minutes into the period, Jacklin got off a shot from the center of the offensive zone that slid past Capobianco to make the score 6-3.

Jacklin's goal made him the ninth member of RMU's 30 goal-30 assist club, joining teammates Colin South (Sewickley, Pa. / Bay State Breakers) and Cody Wydo (Southgate, Mich. / Motor City Metal Jackets).  Jacklin now has 30 goals and 32 assists for 62 career points in 96 games played at Robert Morris.

Wydo's eight-game point streak came to an end in the contest after he was unable to find his way on the scoresheet while being held to just two shots on goal in the game by the Canisius defense.

Tyson Wilson (Brockville, Ontario / Brockville Braves) recorded the first multi-assist game of his career after picking up helpers on the goals by Gibson and Jacklin.  The feat also came as Wilson's second multi-point contest this season and third of his career.

Shafer falls to 13-13-4 this season after suffering his first-career loss to Canisius.  Heading into the contest on Saturday, Shafer had allowed just two goals to the Golden Griffins.  Tonight, Shafer would stop 18 shots while allowing the five goals that raised his goals-against average to 2.81 while lowering his save percentage to .919.

In relief, Izyk turned away 14 of the 15 stops he faced in his first action since Jan. 9 in a game when he replaced Shafer after eight minutes of play against Connecticut.

The loss snapped a five-game winning streak that Robert Morris had over the Golden Griffins, a streak that dated back to the 2011-12 season.  All five of those previous wins came against Capobianco, but the tables were turned tonight as Capobianco recorded 33 saves while defeating the Colonials for just the third time in nine games during his career.

With the loss, the Colonials drop to fifth place in Atlantic Hockey and are just one point out of the top four spots in the league that carry a first-round bye in the league's playoffs.

Robert Morris closes out regular-season action with in-state rival Mercyhurst on Friday, Feb. 28 and Saturday, March 1 in a home-and-home series.  RMU will travel to take on the Lakers in the first game before hosting them on the following evening at 84 Lumber Arena for Senior Night.