Pittsburgh, Pa. - Robert Morris University men's hockey claims its third Three Rivers Classic title with a 5-2 victory over 14th ranked Quinnipiac. The win makes it back-to-back championships for the Colonials, who for the second straight year, beat a ranked opponent en route to hoisting the Confluence Cup.

Twelve Colonials players recorded a point in the contest, including a pair of two-point performances from junior forward Timmy Moore and senior defenseman, captain Rob Mann. Francis Marotte picked up the win in goal, his second of the weekend and ninth of his young college career (9-3-2).

Marotte earned the honor of Tournament MVP, making 43 saves in the championship game after a 32-save shutout, the first of his career, to open the Classic. Mann and fellow senior Daniel Leavens were also named to the all-tournament team, each contributing a goal and an assist over the course of the Classic.

2016 Three Rivers Classic All-Tournament Team
G - Francis Marotte, Robert Morris (MVP)
G - Justin Kapelmaster, Ferris State
D - Rob Mann, Robert Morris
D - Michael Kim, Boston College
D - Chase Priskie, Quinnipiac
F - Daniel Leavens

Quinnipiac opened the scoring early with a goal 2:27 into the game. Thomas Aldworth dropped a pass off to Chase Priskie who buried the shot past a screen Francis Marotte, giving the Bobcats a 1-0 lead. Marotte made 12 saves in the first period and held the Colonials steady heading into the second period.

Robert Morris leveled the game 6:11 into the second with a power play goal by Alex Tonge. Brady Ferguson connected with Daniel Leavens who spotted Tonge on the backside of the net and blasted home the goal, keeping Ferguson's scoring streak alive at 14 games with at least a point. Leavens added to his team-high total in the assists column with his 19th of the season as Tonge picked up his 11th goal of the season. Marotte continued to impress in the second as the Bobcats piled on the shots. With just over six minutes to play in the second, Aldworth broke up the ice with Elias Ghantous on his coattails and Aldworth's shot was stopped by Marotte and Ghantous.



In the final minute of the second, Rob Mann blasted a shot from the point past Bobcats goalie Chris Truehl for his second goal of the season, giving the Colonials a 2-1 lead with 46 seconds to go in the frame. Daniel Mantenuto won the faceoff back to Alex Bontje who passed across to Mann before he powered home the goal, his second in the last three games.

In the third period, Spencer Dorowicz scored another big-time goal, the fourth of his career against a ranked opponent. Luke Lynch and Brandon Watt picked up assists on the goal, that proved to be the eventual game-winner by Dorowicz. Three minutes later, Moore deflected a shot by Mann into the net, giving Mann his second point of the night. Junior Robert Powers set up Mann for the shot, earning Powers his first career assist.

Moore's second goal of the night came with the Quinnipiac net empty and the Colonials already shorthanded. Marotte played the puck away from the net and Moore was able to send it home into the empty net. Fitting for the Colonials to earn a reward with a shorthanded goal after a determined streak by the penalty kill. After going perfect through four games, RMU did allow one power play goal, going 6-for-7 against one of the best power plays in the nation, with the power play goal coming with just 38 seconds left.
 













"I'm really excited for our program to be able to come and beat two quality hockey teams," said head coach Derek Schooley. "I'm very appreciative of Boston College, Quinnipiac and Ferris State coming to the tournament this year."

Robert Morris needed to come from behind after giving up the early goal to the Bobcats.

"After the we talked in the room in the first intermission, we came out and knew we had to play our game and started taking it to them," Mann said. "Once we tied it up, we had it 1-1 and started to believe. You could see the energy."

Robert Morris (11-6-3, 7-5-2 AHC) will come off of the Three Rivers Classic championship and return to Atlantic Hockey conference play for the remainder of the season, starting with a home series against AIC on Friday and Saturday nights at the 84 Lumber Arena on Neville Island.


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