BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- Luke Lynch scored a tying shorthanded goal and Francis Marotte made 27 saves, but Sacred Heart pulled out a 2-1 decision over the Robert Morris University men's hockey team Friday at Webster Bank Arena.

Austin Magera scored the decisive power-play goal with 4:14 left in the third period, chopping a loose puck into the net from the lip of the crease to cut down RMU's win streak at two. Magera's winning goal ended a streak of 16 consecutive penalties killed for the Colonials, who dropped back to .500 in Atlantic Hockey play.

"There wasn't a lot of free ice," head coach Derek Schooley said. "They had a lot of pushback. It was just a tough game."

Lynch's shorthanded breakaway had tied the game in the opening minute of the third, giving the junior forward two shorties on the season and five for his career. The Pittsburgh native picked off a free puck and burst in alone on Pioneers goalie Josh Benson before firing a wrister high to the glove side.

Lynch's classmate Marotte allowed two goals or fewer for the eighth time in 13 starts, mixing in more than a handful of solid stops to keep the Colonials (5-7-1, 4-4-1 AHA) in position to collect their second consecutive road win. Marotte's best denial came on Pioneers defenseman Mike Lee early in the second, when the netminder reached back with his right toe to take away what looked to be a backdoor tap-in.

The Colonials had their opportunities to break the ice before Sacred Heart's Matt Tugnutt popped in Austin McIlmurray's behind-the-back pass for a 1-0 lead with 3:20 to go in the second. But Pioneers freshman goalie Benson was on his game, too, shutting off the handful of odd-man rushes RMU generated at the second-year home of Sacred Heart hockey. 

"We had plenty of opportunities to take control of the game and turn the momentum and we did not," said Lynch, who now has three goals and 11 points on the season.

On the SHU game-winner, Marotte made the initial save on McIlmurray's one-time blast, but Magera crept in behind to clean up the garbage and make Alex Robert's roughing penalty sting.

"When you're in a tight game and you take an undisciplined penalty, that's what can happen," Schooley stated. "We've been talking about that for a few weeks."

Lynch nearly played hero again late in the third with Marotte on the bench for an extra attacker, finding freshman defenseman Brendon Michaelian open at the right dot with a cross-rink pass. Benson got his arm on the ensuing shot, squelching RMU's last best chance and effectively clinching Sacred Heart's first-ever win against the Colonials in the 24th meeting between the two programs.

With the nip-and-tuck result, the Pioneers (3-7-2, 3-5-1 AHA) ended a five-game winless streak and handed the Colonials their first loss in five all-time games at Webster Bank Arena.

"We beat ourselves tonight," said Lynch. "Too many unforced errors, penalty trouble and getting away from our team identity, which lead to us not being able to sustain pressure long enough to produce offensively."

Robert Morris started the game just fine, testing Sacred Heart goalie Josh Benson a few times after the puck dropped at the home of the American Hockey League's Sound Tigers franchise. Back-to-back RMU penalties switched the flow in favor of the Pioneers, though, forcing Marotte to step to the forefront.

The Colonials' junior netminder did just that, making a handful of strong saves with RMU down a man. SHU's Jason Cotton was the victim of Marotte's best first-period stop, one of 12 he made before the first intermission.

The Colonials then tilted the ice in the second period, firing 10 of their 22 shots in the middle frame. Michael Louria ended up with a terrific opportunity off a pass from Justin Addamo, only to have Benson spring over to knock it away. Not long after that, Tugnutt connected from close range to put the Pioneers ahead.

"Second period was probably our best," Schooley said. "It was anybody's hockey game. Give them credit, they pushed us back."

Robert Morris will have a quick opportunity to make amends for the rare Friday loss, as Saturday's rematch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. The Colonials will try to improve upon a 1-3-0 road record and earn their third AHA series split of the season. Senior leading scorer Alex Tonge and freshman defenseman Geoff Lawson are expected back in the lineup after serving one-game suspensions.

"We couldn't completely get into the game," Schooley said, "so we'll have to respond tomorrow."