PITTSBURGH -- The winner takes it all in college hockey overtime, so when RIT's Gabe Valenzuela popped the puck into the net with 23 seconds left in the extra period Saturday night, the Robert Morris University men's hockey team had to accept a 1-1 weekend.

But while the result at the RMU Island Sports Center was familiar -- the Colonials have gone winless in the second games of their first three weekend series -- how they arrived at their destination in this 2-1 sudden defeat had them looking for the bright side.

"We put in a really good effort tonight," said freshman winger Nick Lalonde, whose first collegiate goal tied the score in the third period. "It's unfortunate that we get no points out of it, but it's good that we showed we can play back-to-back nights at a high level. Just unfortunate we couldn't get two points tonight."

After grinding out a 3-0 win in the series opener against RIT, Robert Morris (2-3-1, 1-2-1 Atlantic Hockey) trailed for more than 40 minutes Saturday before Lalonde steered in the end-board rebound of Kip Hoffmann's errant shot. That put the Colonials in position to grab at least a point, but Justin Addamo's tripping penalty late in the overtime gave RIT (3-2-0, 1-1-0 AHA) the opening it needed to avoid a winless weekend on Neville Island.

Afterward, RMU head coach Derek Schooley lamented the number of penalties his team took, and the resulting loss of rhythm that accompanied those six RIT power plays. But Schooley also reminded that there were two worthy teams on the ice.

"It was a really good college hockey game," Schooley summed up. "Both teams played hard. Both teams laid it on the line. Both teams gave it all they had. It's hard. There was no easy ice out there. They made one more play than us. Both teams are exhausted."

The way the game ended was tough to take for RMU. Moments before Valenzuela shiftily fired a backhand off goalie Francis Marotte's body for the winner, junior Colonials defenseman Alex Robert had laid out to block a Valenzuela chance from the left circle that seemed destined to end the game. But RMU couldn't clear the puck after that, giving RIT time to regroup with its top scorers all on the ice.

Considering how the first two series-ending games had gone this season -- losses to Bowling Green and Army by a combined 11-2 score -- the Colonials could at least look to their toe-to-toe performance against one of Atlantic Hockey's more storied programs as an encouragement ... even if they thought they let this one get away.

"RIT's a good hockey team," Lalonde said. "We put a good effort in. We knew coming into the third that we were gonna have to win a period, but unfortunately we couldn't get it done in the end."
 

Both teams likely left the weekend scratching their heads about their inability to produce more offense. RMU's Marotte (28 saves) and RIT's Logan Drackett (33 saves) put on a bona fide goaltending display Saturday, but both were plenty strong on Friday, too.

On the RMU side, expect its future focus to be on even-strength scoring as they prepare for a visit from Niagara next weekend. In six games, the Colonials have netted just five five-on-five goals.

"I think we've got to generate some more at five on five," Schooley said. "You're not gonna be able to win if you don't score more than that. It puts pressure on your goalie and your defense. You score a few more, and it opens some things up."

It didn't take long for RIT to get its offense back in gear after Friday's blanking, with Abbott Girduckis tipping in a power-play goal just 2:29 into the game. The older brother of RMU's freshman defenseman Aidan got his stick on Adam Brubacher's point drive for his third tally of the young season.

Robert Morris came close to tying the score late in the first, when first-year winger Hoffmann soared down left wing and deked to his backhand, but nudged the puck just wide of the right post. It was the first of two partial breakaways for the fleet-footed Hoffmann and just the start of an effective night for the line featuring him and Lalonde on junior Daniel Mantenuto's wings.

"I think for Kip and I, we just have to get used to the speed," said Lalonde, who finished with two points on the weekend. "We're getting used to it and we're holding onto the puck a little bit longer, making better plays. I think that's what's contributing to it, getting used to the speed of college hockey."

The game evolved into an out-and-out goalie duel in the second period, with 24 combined shots on goal, but nothing behind either Drackett or Marotte.

Although they had to navigate three minor penalties in the second period, the Colonials managed to generate 11 shots on target in the frame. Included in those were golden rush opportunities for junior defenseman Sean Giles and freshman center Grant Hebert. They were denied by Drackett's glove and blocker, respectively. Senior Alex Tonge also had a good look after a slick cross-rink slap pass from Luke Lynch, but Drackett got the shaft of his stick on Tonge's snap shot.

As for RIT, its prime chance fell on the stick of Valenzuela during a Tigers power play late in the second. Marotte closed down Valenzuela's five-foot forehand to keep RMU within a goal entering the third. Drackett would have the last word in this battle, though, denying Hoffmann's clean chance in the third and then getting in front of chances from Addamo and Nick Prkusic in overtime.

The game didn't go their way, but the Colonials seem to have found a consistency to their level of engagement that had been missing over the first two weeks of the season. With seven freshmen skaters dressing Saturday, that'll continue to be a checkpoint.

"I like our compete level tonight," Schooley said. "I liked our work ethic. You just deal with the results. You'll take that (loss) over the ones we've had before."

The Colonials will wrap up their six-game homestand next Friday and Saturday on the Island against longtime conference rival Niagara. Faceoff is set for 7:05 on both nights.