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Robert Morris University Athletics

Men's Hockey

Colonials Set to Face Rival Niagara in AHA Semifinals


Game #40
Robert Morris vs. Niagara
Blue Cross Arena
Rochester, N.Y.
Friday, March 21, 2014 - 7:05 p.m.

Video:  www.americaonesports.com
Radio: 970 AM ESPN
Audio: Penguins Radio 24/7
ABOUT ROBERT MORRIS
- Two familiar foes will meet again in the AHA semifinals when Robert Morris takes on Niagara at
the AHA semifinals on Friday evening.
- This will be the first trip to the AHA Final Four in program history and it only took the Colonials
four seasons in the league to earn their first semifinal berth.
- Last weekend, RMU knocked off Connecticut in the quarterfinals of the AHA Playoffs, sweeping
the Huskes with a 3-0 shutout and a 3-2 victory the following night.
- The Colonials finished the regular season with an overall record of 13-16-5 while going 13-9-5 in
AHA action.
- Junior forward Cody Wydo leads Robert Morris with 26 goals and 47 points while playing in each of
RMU's 39 contests.
- Sophomore forward Zac Lynch paces Robert Morris with 23 assists during the 2013/14 campaign.
- Sophomore goaltender Terry Shafer has seen action in all but two of Robert Morris' 37 games this
season, making 31 starts while earning a record of 14-15-5 with a 3.02 goals-against average and
a .911 save percentage.

AGAINST NIAGARA
- RMU and the Purple Eagles split the season series between the two squads, 1-1-1, with each team
earning a victory on its home ice.
- This will be the 51st meeting between the two teams and the sixth time that the two squads
have met in postseason action.
- When going up against the Purple Eagles, senior forward Colin South has six goals in his career
against Niagara.
- Sophomore goaltender Terry Shafer has played in four games against the Huskies, going 1-2-1
with one shutout to go along with a 2.46 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage.

SCOUTING THE PURPLE EAGLES
- Niagara has an overall record of 15-19-5 and a conference record of 11-11-5 after earning a trip to
the semifinals with a series victory against Air Force.
- Sophomore forward Hugo Turcotte leads the Purple Eagles with 16 assists and 27 points.
- Junior forward Isaac Kohls paces Niagara with 12 goals this season.
- Freshman goaltender Jackson Teichroeb has started 25 of Niagara's 39 games this season, earning
a record of 9-13-3 with a 2.65 goals-against average and an .910 save percentage.
- Freshman goaltender Adrian Ignagni has earned six wins for the Purple Eagles in 14 starts, compiling
a record of 6-6-2 with a 3.11 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage.

IZYK EARNS FIRST AHA AWARD
Freshman goaltender Dalton Izyk picked up the AHA Goaltender of the Week award after leading
the Colonials to a sweep of Connecticut in the quarterfinals of the 2014 AHA playoffs. In the two
games, Izyk allowed just two goals while stopping 69 of the 71 shots he faced.

REGULAR SEASON AHA HONORS
Announced by the conference last Thursday, two Colonials earned regular season honors from the
AHA. Junior forward Cody Wydo was named to the All-AHA First Team while sophomore goaltender
Terry Shafer was named to the All-AHA Third Team.

JACKLIN THE FIRST ROUND PLAYER OF THE WEEK
After a series in which he led Robert Morris with three goals and five points, junior forward Scott
Jacklin was named the AHA Player of the Week as RMU survived a three-game series against Army
and moved on to face Connecticut in the quarterfinals.

IZYK IS CLUTCH
Replacing Terry Shafer in the decisive third game of the AHA First Round, freshman goaltender
Dalton Izyk stopped all 15 shots he faced in his first home appearance to earn his first NCAA victory
that allowed the Colonials to advance to the AHA Quarterfinals.

WYDO BREAKS PROGRAM RECORD
With his goal on March 1 in the 5-2 loss against Mercyhurst, junior forward Cody Wydo set a new
single-season record for goals scored with his 23rd marker of the season. Wydo surpassed the old
mark of 22 set by Ryan Cruthers during the 2007-08 season and is the only player in the ten-year
program history to have multiple 20+-goal seasons (21 goals in the 2012-13 campaign as a sophomore).
Wydo has improved his record, now having scored 26 goals this season.

JACKLIN THRIVES SINCE FEBRUARY
Since the month of February, junior forward Scott Jacklin led Robert Morris with 18 points in 12
games. Jacklin's 18 points ranked him tied for first in Atlantic Hockey with linemate Cody Wydo and
tied for the most in the NCAA since the second month of the year.

SHAFER WINNING OVER THE NEW YEAR
In 2014, sophomore goaltender Terry Shafer leads Atlantic Hockey with 12 victories. Shafer holds a
12-5-3 record with a 2.66 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage in the second half of
the season.

100 FOR JACKLIN AS A JUNIOR
Junior forward Scott Jacklin skated in his 100th game as a Colonial in Saturday night's contest
against Army. In his 100th game, Jacklin recorded a pair of goals and now has 33 goals and 36 assists
for 69 points in 103 career games.

SCORING IN THE NEW YEAR
Since 2014 began, RMU has scored 86 goals in 23 games, the highest goal total in the NCAA during
that timeframe. The Colonials also hold the top spots in assists (148), points (234), plus/minus
(+33), and shots on goal (843) during the calendar year.

WINNING WITH THE PENALTY KILL
In its 15 victories this season, Robert Morris has allowed just six power-play goals to its opponents.
The Colonials have killed off 57 of the 63 (90.5 percent) penalties they have committed. The
Colonials have won just one game in which they have allowed multiple power-play goals to their
opponent.

A SHOT DIFFERENCE
Outshooting the opponent has been a key component for victories this season for Robert Morris. In
their 15 victories, the Colonials have outshot their opponents by an average of 6.94 shots per game.
In its 17 losses, RMU has been outshot by an average of 3.00 shots per game by its opponents.

30-30 FOR JACKLIN
With his goal on Feb. 22 against Canisius, junior forward Scott Jacklin joined the 30-30 club at Robert
Morris. Jacklin now has 33 career goals and 36 assists, becoming the ninth Colonial to join the
club that includes senior forward Colin South and junior forward Cody Wydo.

TEAMING UP WITH JACKLIN AND WYDO
Scott Jacklin and Cody Wydo make two-thirds of a line, but it does not matter who joins them to
finalize the trio. When Jacklin and Wydo have been paired together on a line, their grouping has
combined for 48 goals and 54 assists for 102 points in 33 games. The duo has been paired together
for each of the Colonials' 17 wins this season. Their most common linemate has been Zac Lynch
who has skated in 27 games with them. The trio of Wydo, Jacklin, and Lynch combined for eight
goals and nine assists in the AHA Playoffs.

UNDER FIRE
Sophomore goaltender Terry Shafer is one of 12 goalies in the NCAA to have faced at least 1,000
shots this season. Shafer has seen 1,066 shots, the sixth-highest total in the country and third in
the AHA. Shafer's 971 saves this season rank him sixth in the NCAA and third in the AHA.

FRIDAY IS FOR SCORING
Cody Wydo leads the NCAA in goals scored on Friday with 18 goals in 16 games played, an average of
1.12 goals per game.

FINDING FIFTY
Junior forward Cody Wydo became just the second Colonial in Robert Morris program history to
record 50 career goals. Wydo, currently with 60 goals, has the second-most career goals in Robert
Morris program history - Chris Margott (2005/06-2008-09) holds the record with 64 career goals.

72 WINS AND COUNTING
This year's graduating class of six seniors - Andrew Blazek, Jimmy Geerin, Evan Renwick, Mac Roy,
Colin South, and John Walton - set the program record with 66 wins after a victory over RIT on Feb.
8. This year's class surpassed the class of 2013 who had 65 victories.

FIRING SQUAD
Robert Morris is currently averaging 35.38 shots per game this season, ranking the Colonials second
in the NCAA and first in Atlantic Hockey.

SACRIFICING THE BODY FOR THE GOOD OF THE TEAM
Redshirt-senior defenseman Andrew Blazek has blocked 82 shots this season, ranking the defenseman
seventh in the NCAA and first in Atlantic Hockey for the 2013-14 campaign.

BLUELINE ASSISTANCE IN 2014
Since the new year, Robert Morris defensemen have contributed 55 points, the highest total in the
NCAA in 2014. The group has also recorded 47 assists in that time, a number that ranks them first
in the nation. As a unit, the defensive corps has blocked an 209 shots in 2014.

AHA GOALTENDING
In the 32 games against conference opponents this season, RMU goaltenders have combined for
a 2.75 goals-against average while the trio combined for a 3.71 goals-against average in seven
non-conference games, all losses. The .914 save percentage put up by the group in AHA contests
bests the .906 save percentage in the non-conference matches.

EVERY MONTH THERY'RE SCORING
Five Colonials - David Friedmann, Greg Gibson, Scott Jacklin, Zac Lynch, and Cody Wydo - have found
the back of the net in each of the six months during the 2013-14 season.

NOT GETTING SHUT OUT
Robert Morris has not been shutout this season and the Colonials have gone 53 games since last
suffering a shutout, a 2-0 loss at Air Force on Jan. 25, 2013.

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