Pittsburgh, Pa. -  Robert Morris University men's hockey takes a win and a tie out of a two-game non-conference series with No. 11 Ohio State University after a 4-4 tie on Saturday night. The tie comes on the back end of the home-and-home weekend after the Colonials (3-3-2, 2-3-1 AHC) dealt the Buckeyes their first loss of the season, 6-2 in Columbus Friday.

THE BULLET

Daniel Leavens and Matthew Graham each recorded a goal while Luke Lynch scored twice.

RMU was awarded no power plays this evening while the Buckeyes saw six chances.

Without any man-advantage opportunities, the Colonials 7-game power play goal streak came to a close, but the game did have special teams in the form of a shorthanded goal by freshman forward Luke Lynch.

Lynch scored his first career goal in the second period after being award a penalty shot. Lynch's goal made it a 4-3 game entering the third period. He scored the game-tying goal on a shorthanded tally with 4:58 to play.

Junior Andrew Pikul made 37 saves to earn the third tie of his career.

Ohio State outshot the RMU Colonials 42-27. Robert Morris won the faceoff battle 33-27.

For the second time this weekend, the Colonials allowed the first goal but came back to earn the win and tie.
 

RECAP

First
RMU goaltender Dalton Izyk had to be helped off the ice after making a save less than two minutes into the first period in his third start of the season. Andrew Pikul took over in net for the Colonials 1:27 into the game.

Ohio State gets on the board first with a goal coming from Kevin Miller, scoring 2:59 into the period. Miller's second goal of the season was assisted by Josh Healey.

The Buckeyes score again 7:26 into the first on a 2-on-1 scoring drive by Ohio State's Dakota Joshua and Freddy Gerard in which Joshua capitalized for his first goal of the season.

The Colonials get on the board to make it a 2-1 game with a goal by senior forward Daniel Leavens 15:21 into the first period. The goal was assisted first by Brady Ferguson who took a between the legs feed from Alex Tonge. Leaven's goal was his first of the season and 27th career tally.

Second
Freshman forward Matthew Graham ties the game 2-2, 2:29 into the second period. This unassisted goal is his second of the season and career.

The Buckeyes score to take the 3-2 game lead once again with a goal by John Wiitala, assisted by Josh Healey, 5:47 into the second.

Timmy Moore had a shorthanded chance halfway through the period but Buckeye goaltender Matt Tomkins makes the save. The Buckeyes follow up on the RMU chance with a powerplay goal by John Wiitala. Assists on the goal go to Dakota Johnson and Mason Joshua at 10:52.

Lynch's shorthanded breakaway chance earned him a penalty shot that he was able to capitalize on. Lynch went down the middle and scored to narrow the Buckeyes lead to 4-3. The penalty shot goal was the first of the season and career for Lynch.

Third
Luke Lynch scored the only goal of the period, a shorthanded breakaway goal at 15:02 for his second of the game and season.
 

Overtime
Timmy Moore was given a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct for a hit from behind 33 seconds into the sudden death five-minute overtime period to put the Colonials at a 5-on-4 disadvantage.

The Colonials generated multiple shorthanded scoring chances and Buckeyes' Laczynski takes interference penalty to even the man power with a minute left in the 5 minute overtime.

Both goalies were able to hold off any additional scoring for the game to end in a 4-4 tie between the Colonials and Buckeyes. Pikul made several clutch saves in the overtime period including a terrific glove save on a Janik Moser slapshot with 56 seconds left.

TONIGHT'S MO-MENTUM

Luke Lynch's penalty shot goal in the second tightened the Buckeyes game lead to 4-3 but he wasn't finished there. Lynch lit the lamp again with a shorthanded breakaway goal in the third to tie the game at 4-4. The two goals were his first and second goals of the season and career and earned him the number one star of the game.

UP NEXT

The Robert Morris Colonials (3-3-2) will travel to Connecticut to face the Sacred Heart Pioneers (2-4-2) in their first meeting of the season next Saturday and Sunday, November 12th and 13th. Both games will feature afternoon puck drops at 3:05pm. The next home series for the Colonials will be against Dartmouth on Saturday, November 26 at 84 Lumber Arena and on Sunday, November 27th at the recently renamed PPG Paints Arena. Tickets for the game at PPG Paints Arena are available by clicking here.

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