Pittsburgh, Pa. - Robert Morris men's hockey enters this weekend in third place in the Atlantic Hockey conference standings, hosting Bentley University for a two-game set. The weekend's games are the second half of doubleheaders with the women's hockey team, who is hosting RIT Friday (2:05pm) and Saturday (1:05pm) as well.

GAME INFORMATION
Robert Morris vs. Bentley
FRIDAY  |  7:05pm at 84 Lumber Arena
Live Stats  |  ESPN Pittsburgh Radio 970 AM  |  Video Stream
SATURDAY  |  5:05pm at 84 Lumber Arena
Live Stats  |  Radio Online Only  |  Video Stream

DOUBLEHEADER
Both Friday and Saturday feature doubleheaders with the 8th ranked RMU women's hockey team during Pittsburgh's Women's Hockey Weekend. The women's team hosts RIT for a 2:05pm game Friday and a 1:05pm game Saturday. Tickets sold separately for men's and women's games. RMU alumna and Olympian Brianne McLaughlin and RMU director of women's hockey operations Kelley Steadman are both participating in the NWHL All-Star game this weekend in Pittsburgh as well. 

PROMOTIONS
FRIDAY  |  Playing for Pups wraps up as we welcome Western PA Humane Society. Stop by their table for a chance to donate! Free continuous shuttle for students between campus (Lexington & Concord Halls) and the Island Sports Center from 1:00-10:00pm.
SATURDAY  |  Scarf giveaway! First 800 fans will take home a Colonials scarf, presented by Fruehauf Manufacturing.

The Colonials are third in the league standings, with 26 points in 22 AHC games, trailing 2nd place Air Force (32 points, 22 GP) & first place Canisius (33 points, 23 GP). Just six points separate third and eighth place. Bentley enters the weekend with an 8-10-4 Atlantic Hockey record for 20 points. The Falcons are in 8th place, though the standings are tight with the top-five just four points away.

Robert Morris comes into the series with the top 3 scorers in Atlantic Hockey in Brady Ferguson (17G-27A-44P), Daniel Leavens (10G-25A-35P) & Alex Tonge (15G-19A-34P). Freshman goaltender Francis Marotte is third in the nation in save percentage with a .938 mark and ninth in goals against average (2.00 GAA). Eric Israel is the leading scoring defenseman in Atlantic Hockey (7G-18A-25P), tied for 4th among all NCAA defensemen.

The Falcons are led by senior forward Max French, a Hobey Baker Award nominee. French is has 131 career points, 5th most among active players in the NCAA. French is averaging a point per game this season, with 10 goals and 17 assists for 27 points. Junior forward Kyle Schmidt was named a semifinalist for the Walter Brown Award, given to the best American-born player in New England. Schmidt is 3rd in the conference in goals (16) and T-6th in points (26). Schmidt was named the AHC Player of the Month for January after a 9-4-13 scoring line in 8 games.

Goaltender Jayson Argue has played in 8 of the last ten games, making six starts. Argue has a 3.12 GAA and a .907 save percentage.

SERIES HISTORY
The Colonials lead the all-time series with Bentley 10-9-2. The Falcons last trip to Pittsburgh was for last season's AHC quarterfinal series, which RMU won two games to one. The Colonials have won six of the last nine meetings between the teams. 

RMU split the first two games of the regular season, on the weekend of Dec. 9. The Falcons won the first game 4-3, behind two 3rd period goals from Max French. Matthew Graham, Brady Ferguson and Alex Bontje scored, while Francis Marotte made 31 saves in the loss. The Colonials won Saturday's game 4-1. Daniel Leavens scored a pair of goals, both assisted by Ferguson and Tonge. Timmy Moore and Ben Robillard both scored as well. Andrew Pikul made 31 saves to earn the win.

TAKE IT OUTSIDE
Robert Morris will close the regular season with an outdoor game at Heinz Field against Niagara University at 7:05pm on Sunday, February 26. Admission to the game is free. More information here.

LAST TIME OUT
Robert Morris split a home series against RIT, falling 4-1 on Friday night and taking a 3-1 win on Saturday. Alex Tonge scored the lone goal in Friday's contest while Dalton Izyk took the loss in net. In Saturday's 3-1 win, all four goals were scored in the 3rd period. With RIT up 1-0, Timmy Moore scored the game-tying goal before Kyle Horsman notched the game-winner, deflecting a shot by Robert Powers. Brady Ferguson added an empty-netter. Francis Marotte made 25 saves in the win.

Last weekend, Bentley was swept by Air Force 6-1 and 5-1. Ryner Gorowsky scored both goals, one shorthanded and one on the power play.

DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS
Junior forward Brady Ferguson reached 100 career points in the Colonials 6-0 win at Holy Cross, January 28. The Lewisville, TX native became the fastest player to reach 100 points in Robert Morris history, reaching the 100-point mark in 99 games played. The previous mark for fastest to 100 was held by Chris Margott '09, in 102 games played. Ferguson is the NCAA's second highest junior in career scoring, behind only UMass Lowell's C.J. Smith.

POWER UP
RMU's power play is 6th in the nation & 1st in Atlantic Hockey (24.3 %). Robert Morris leads in the league in power play goals with 35, fifth in the NCAA, and is averaging 1.25 PPG per game. RMU's 35 power play goals account for 39.8% of the team's goals.

ONE-TWO PUNCH
Alex Tonge is tied for 6th in the NCAA in power play goals with 9, while Ferguson is tied for 8th with 8. Ferguson is also 3rd nationally in power play points with 23 and Tonge is tied for 7th with 19 power play points. Tonge is one goal shy of tying the Colonials single-season record of 10 power play goals (Chris Margott, 2008-09 season).

SECOND TO NONE
Robert Morris scores more goals in the second period than in the first or third, ranked 3rd in second period goals with 38. The Colonials have scored 43.2% of their total goals in the second frame. RMU is tied for 2nd in goals scored when trailing (35).

TOP TRIOS (Most Points in NCAA)
136 – Zach Aston-Reese, Dylan Sikura, Adam Gaudette (Northeastern)
123 – Mike Vecchione, Spencer Foo, Sebastian Vidmar (Union)
113  – Brady Ferguson, Alex Tonge, Daniel Leavens (Robert Morris)
104  – Tyler Kelleher, Patrick Grasso, Michael McNicholas (New Hampshire)

HE'S THE MANN
Senior defenseman Rob Mann is 10th in the NCAA, averaging 2.31 blocked shots per game, 7th among free agent defensemen. Mann is 13th overall making 60 blocks in 26 games played. 

THE KILLERS
RMU's penalty kill is 25th in the nation at 84.0%. After allowing 10 power play goals in the first 4 games of the season, the Colonials have only allowed 13 power play goals since. RMU has successfully killed 88.6% of penalties in the last 24 games (101-for-114), fourth-best in the NCAA. The Colonials have also tallied seven shorthanded goals, tied for fifth nationally. Bentley is 2nd in SHG with 8.

MAMA SAID SHUT YOU OUT
With Dalton Izyk's 6-0 shutout at Holy Cross, Robert Morris became the first team since the 2011-12 season to have three goaltenders each record a shutout in a single season. Freshman Francis Marotte posted two shutouts (Dec. 29 vs. Ferris State, Jan. 6 vs. AIC) and junior Andrew Pikul recorded his career first on November 26 vs. Dartmouth. RMU is just the 6th program since 2000 to have all three goalies record a shutout.

NATION'S TOP TENDIES
Atlantic Hockey is stacked with the nation's top goaltenders. Canisius senior Charles Williams leads the nation with a .946 save percentage, while RMU's Marotte is 3rd (.938) and Army West Point's Parker Gahagen is 5th (.936). The same trio is 4th-6th-8th in goals against average, Williams (1.80), Gahagen (1.88), Marotte (1.95).


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