Men's Hockey | 11/21/2018 10:26:00 PM

PITTSBURGH -- Following their first off week of the season, the Robert Morris University men's hockey team aims to end a three-game losing streak when they challenge in-state rival Mercyhurst in a home-and-home series.

RMU will play six consecutive games against Atlantic Hockey foes before the semester break, with three of those taking place at the Island Sports Center. Friday's home game faces off at 7:05 p.m., with the rematch taking place 24 hours later at the Mercyhurst Ice Center in Erie, Pa.

ROBERT MORRIS (3-6-1, 2-3-1 AHA)
vs. MERCYHURST (5-5-2, 3-2-1 AHA)

Friday, Nov. 23 @ RMU Island Sports Center (7:05 p.m.)
AUDIO | VIDEO ($) | STATS | TICKETS
Saturday, Nov. 24 @ Erie, Pa. (7:05 p.m.)
AUDIO | VIDEO ($) | STATS

LAST TIME OUT
In front of the third-largest home crowd in program history, Robert Morris set a new season standard for offense, but couldn't contain No. 8 Penn State in an 11-6 loss. Top returning scorer Alex Tonge broke out with his first career hat trick, part of a four-point game. RMU's special teams shifted into a higher gear as well; the power play went 3 for 6 and Luke Lynch scored the team's first shorthanded goal of the year.

HISTORY LESSON
The Colonials avenged a 2015 AHA semifinal loss to Mercyhurst by downing the favored Lakers 5-4 in the same round last spring. After Brady Ferguson completed a hat trick with a late tying goal, Michael Louria scored in overtime to send RMU to its third straight AHA title contest. Eleven of the last 20 matchups between RMU and Mercyhurst have gone to overtime, with only nine of those ending in ties.
 
OPPOSITION RESEARCH
Mercyhurst has rebounded from a 1-5-1 start by going unbeaten in its past five (4-0-1). After getting swept by Army West Point to finish October, the Lakers took three of four points from R.I.T., beat St. Lawrence on the road and then grabbed two wins at Sacred Heart.

Although it hasn't been to the NCAA tournament since 2005, Mercyhurst has finished first in the Atlantic Hockey regular- season standings in two of the past five years. Last year's squad edged Canisius by two points for the crown and swept Sacred Heart in the AHA quarterfinals, but lost to RMU for the first time in three all-time playoff meetings. The Lakers have dropped four of six in the all-time series.

TALE OF THE TAPE














SCHOOLEY FILE
The only head coach in program history, Derek Schooley returns for his 15th season behind the RMU bench. Under his guidance, the Colonials carry an overall record of 234-231-62 and a hard-earned reputation for championship-level success in Division I men's hockey.

Schooley led the Colonials to back-to-back Atlantic Hockey regular season titles in 2014-15 and 2015-16 and a postseason AHA title/NCAA tournament berth in 2013-14. Over the past six seasons, Schooley's Colonials have averaged 21 wins per year and have consistently placed 20-plus student-athletes on AHA all-academic teams.

THEY SAID IT
"I think when we play with speed and get pucks in, we can get on the other team's defensemen. When we do that, we generate a lot of offense." - Junior center Daniel Mantenuto on what the team has done well through 10 games.

Watch Mantenuto's full interview with Matt Gajtka:



"It's just a little more patience. You're going to make mistakes as freshmen. Not harping on mistakes as much as teaching." - Assistant coach Michael Gershon on instructing a young blue line 

Full interview:

 

KNOW BOBBY MO
• Through the first nine games of the season, the Colonials had an uncharacteristic zero in the shorthanded goal category. Across the previous three seasons, RMU had scored a total of 25 shorties. Junior Luke Lynch took care of that drought Nov. 9 vs. Penn State, scoring his fourth career SHG, tying him for fourth among active NCAA Division I players.

• Ten of RMU's 24 goals so far this season have been scored by underclassmen. Freshman Nick Lalonde and sophomore Nick Prkusic lead that group with three goals apiece, with first-year winger Justin Addamo chipping in two more. On the assist side of the ledger, freshman Kip Hoffmann is second on the club with four.

• Senior winger Alex Tonge became the 11th Colonial to reach 100 points for his career, scoring a goal and an assist in a win over Bowling Green. Tonge, who has 110 points entering the weekend, has risen to No. 8 on RMU's all-time scoring list, surpassing David Friedmann '16, Scott Jacklin '15 and Daniel Leavens '17 to climb into the top 10. Denny Urban '11 (112 points) is the next target for Tonge to pursue.

• This is the second straight season RMU has started 3-6-1. Last year's Colonials won just five of their first 17 games (5-11-1) before reeling off an 8-2-1 stretch through the middle of winter to get back to .500. 

15 YEARS OF HOCKEY
We celebrate our 15th season of Division I pucks with regular throwbacks to our 15 greatest moments. No. 14 is a two-pronged memory of our two outdoor games:



ON THE AIR
For the sixth straight season, all Colonials home games will be broadcast locally on 970 ESPN, or online at espnpgh.com. Tim Benz (play-by-play) and Mike Prisuta (analysis) return as the broadcast duo at Colonials Arena. Additionally, Matt Gajtka will have an audio play-by-play call for select road games on Facebook Live, with the RMU men's hockey Facebook page hosting those.

NEXT WEEK
The Colonials will play their first two-game road weekend of the season when they depart for a series at Sacred Heart.