Worcester, Mass. - Robert Morris University men's hockey used a six-goal first period to run past Holy Cross with a 6-0 win Saturday night at the Hart Center. Senior goaltender Dalton Izyk shined in his first start since November 5th, 2016, making 25 saves to earn his sixth career shutout. Junior forward Brady Ferguson surpassed 100 points for his career with a four-point performance that included a shorthanded goal and three assists.

Freshman Luke Lynch scored first for the Colonials for the second consecutive night, picking up his sixth goal of the season just 2:25 into the game, off assists from defensemen Alex Bontje and Sean Giles. Robert Morris' top line collaborated for the next goal at the 6:13 mark when Alex Tonge scored a power play goal, with Ferguson and Daniel Leavens picking up assists.

Ferguson's assist was career point number 99, and on the next shift, he cashed in for number 100. The Crusaders won a faceoff during a Colonials penalty kill and Ferguson jumped into the play, knocking the puck off the stick of a Holy Cross player and going from blue line to the goal. Ferguson's shorthanded tally marked his 100th career point, making him the ninth Colonials player to ever reach that milestone and giving Robert Morris a 3-0 lead less than seven minutes into the game.
 

VIDEO | Junior forward @bradyferguson94 surpasses 100 career points with this shorthanded goal in Saturday's 6-0 win over Holy Cross. pic.twitter.com/q5JzoVG55N

— RMU Hockey (@RMUMHockey) January 29, 2017

Less than four minutes later, Leavens took his turn lighting the lamp with another shorthanded goal, this one assisted by Ferguson and Bontje. Two shorthanded goals in a game ties an RMU record for the most shorthanded goals in a single-game (4 previous times; at Quinnipiac 10/14/12, at Niagara 12/9/11, vs. Union 1/3/16, at Air Force 2/19/16).

Just 1:07 after the Colonials took a 4-0 lead, junior forward Timmy Moore scored the first of his two goals to give Robert Morris a 5-0 advantage. Freshman Matthew Graham and junior Spencer Dorowicz recorded assists on the goal. With 4:53 left in the first period, Moore scored his second goal of the game to put the Colonials up 6-0. Moore's second goal came on the power play for the second game in a row. Tonge and Ferguson chipped in the assists, giving Ferguson four points on the night. For Moore, the two-goal game marked the fourth time this season the junior has recorded a multi-goal game. 
 

The six-goal first period ties a program record for most goals in a period, done two other times, on Jan. 17, 2015 against AIC and against Army West Point on March 7, 2014. Robert Morris totaled 16 points in the first period on six goals and ten assists, the same amount in the game against AIC and one-point shy of the record of 17 points posted in a single period in the game against Army.

While the Colonials didn't score the rest of the way and put just eight shots on goal the rest of the game, the Crusaders didn't score either. Robert Morris blocked 16 shots, led by senior defenseman Rob Mann with five, and Izyk made a total of 25 saves in the shutout.



The Colonials went 2-for-5 on the power play, improving the team's 4th ranked power play to a .250 conversion rate. RMU's penalty kill was a perfect 7-for-7, the eleventh time this season the penalty killers have kept an opponent off the board on the power play.

Robert Morris (15-8-3, 11-7-2 AHC) sits in third place in the Atlantic Hockey conference standings following the 6-0 victory, with 24 points, behind Air Force and Canisius who are tied for first place with 28 points. The Colonials return home to face RIT next Friday and Saturday nights at 7:05pm at 84 Lumber Arena in Pittsburgh. For tickets, call 412-397-4949 or visit RMUtickets.com


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