Throughout the 2013-14 season, Prisuta will serve up weekly stories surrounding Colonial hockey as well as the latest notes and news around college hockey.

Prisuta on Pucks: A Class Act

The legacy of the Class of 2014 that will be recognized on Saturday night at the Island Sports Center is best represented in the standings.

The last four seasons' worth.  

"They've never known anything but winning here" head coach Derek Schooley noted. "It says a lot about the consistency of the class. That's good to pass down.

"This is the first class we can say hasn't had a losing season yet, and we still have an opportunity to have a winning season this season."

The streak achieved by the Class of 2014 is three non-losing seasons in succession and counting.

It includes the first winning season in Robert Morris hockey history (18-12-5 in 2010-11) and a program-record 20 wins last season (20-14-4) sandwiched around a .500 campaign in 2011-12 (17-17-5).

That's 68 wins and counting, the program record for an RMU graduating class.

At 13-15-4 overall this season there's still work to be done if the streak is to be maintained.

But at 11-3-2 since Jan. 1 there is as much belief among the Colonials in what they might yet achieve as there is appreciation of the team's seniors.

Senior captain Colin South is among those most responsible for the turnaround.

"He did a good job as a leader keeping this season together," Schooley said, recalling only momentarily the Colonials' 2-12-2 start.

"He's really matured over four years and he has the ability to score goals. He's scored over 30 in four years (33) and he's scored a lot of big goals."

Senior defenseman Evan Renwick has scored 32 fewer goals at RMU than South. But Renwick went over 100 career games played (101) in last weekend's home-and-home split with Canisius.

"A big, strong defensive defenseman," Schooley assessed. "He's done a really good job of killing penalties and, as his career has progressed, assuming a shut-down role. He plays the body well and he competes hard."

Senior defensemen Andrew Blazek beat those two to campus by one season, arriving as a walk-on forward - "A true walk-on, not a recruited walk-on," Schooley remembered - before switching to defense as a freshman and never looking back.

"He impressed with his ability to learn a new position while playing at a high level," Schooley said. "He's done a very good job at being a good defensive defenseman and continuing to be a good puck-mover."

Senior defenseman John Walton has only played in two exhibition games during his RMU tenure, but he's never stopped preparing himself and his teammates.

"John will do whatever is asked of him and he'll compete hard," Schooley said. "If he's on the mock-penalty kill he'll block shots. If he's on the mock-power play he'll do exactly what the other team does. He's a great kid who doesn't get any recognition but comes to practice and workouts every day and gives it his best."

Those four will be joined by three teammates whose on-ice careers ended prior to Senior Night.

Senior forward Mac Roy transferred from Alabama-Huntsville prior to last season but saw his participation this season ended by hip surgery.

"I don't think we ever got to see the healthy Mac Roy that Huntsville got to see," Schooley said. "It's a shame because he was such a good skater and contributed so much offensively down there."

Senior defenseman Jimmy Geerin "gave everything he could until his body couldn't give any more," Schooley said. "He tried to play through so much pain (prior to undergoing back surgery). He had a good shot and he was a good puck-mover, a solid defenseman."

Goaltender Eric Ferber's playing days ended after last season (four career games, 24 career minutes). He graduated in December and moved back home to Arizona after spending this season's first semester as a student coach. He's scheduled to return to 84 Lumber Arena for Senior Night.

"He got stuck behind Brooks Ostergard and then Eric Levine," Schooley said. "And then he battled through hip surgery and played until his hips couldn't take it. He's another one who tried to play through injury and gave his all."

Atlantic Hockey Association-leading Mercyhurst (18-12-6 overall) will be in town to help celebrate the occasion.

The Lakers have clinched the AHA regular-season championship (16-4-5, 37 points).

RMU enters the final regular-season weekend having matched last season's AHA win total of 13 (at 13-8-4) and having surpassed last season's AHA point total of 29. But the Colonials' 30 points still trail second-place Bentley by two (32) and third-place Air Force and Connecticut by one point apiece (31).

The top four finishers receive a bye in the first round of the AHA playoffs.

The Colonials will be without second-line center David Friedmann for Friday night's game at Mercyhurst. Friedmann picked up his third game-misconduct of the season last Saturday night at Canisius and has been suspend for one game by the NCAA.

"We need to worry about ourselves," Schooley said. "Come Saturday night we may need to be worried about what other teams are doing but right now our focus has to be on Friday night."