COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Despite scoring early Saturday night at the Air Force Academy, the Robert Morris University men's hockey team couldn't manage another goal en route to absorbing a second consecutive 3-1 loss.

Jacob Coleman had RMU's lone goal, a power-play tally 4:55 into the game, but the hometown Falcons leveled the score before the first intermission and got the eventual game-winner in the final minute of the second at Cadet Ice Arena.

Despite getting several good looks against Air Force goalie Billy Christopolous -- capped by an extra-attacker power play within the final three minutes -- the Colonials (9-16-1, 8-11-1 Atlantic Hockey) had to fly home with a third defeat in a row. After winning three of its past four games at Air Force, RMU was swept at altitude for the third time in program history, but for the first time since 2013.

"It stings, because we gave the effort to be successful," head coach Derek Schooley said. "So that hurts. We had chance after chance but we didn't capitalize on those chances. Unfortunately, that's how it goes."

In a contrast to Friday night, when the Colonials mustered just 15 shots on goal and couldn't sustain an even-strength attack, they had plenty of jump in all facets of the game. They earned a pair of power plays in the opening few minutes, converting on the second when Coleman tipped Michael Louria's point shot over Christopolous' glove following Nick Prkusic's faceoff win.



Although Air Force (13-9-4, 11-6-3 AHA) tied the game at 13:51 of the first when Walker Sommer converted Brady Tomlak's cross-crease pass, RMU regained its balance with a complete shutdown effort during an extended penalty kill. Not only did the Colonials prevent a goal when Coleman was handed a major penalty for elbowing, they also kept the Falcons off the board when Alex Tonge was nabbed for hooking during that same time frame. 

That's right, a two-minute, two-man advantage yielded nothing for Air Force.

"Our penalty kill, minus the one little blunder (late in the second), was outstanding all weekend," Schooley said. "Unbelievable effort on the five-on-three, the five-minute major."

The one lapse Schooley alluded to was when RMU took some pressure off during the Falcons' fifth power play opportunity, allowing Tomlak the opportunity to bank a rebound off Francis Marotte and just barely over the goal line with 17 seconds left in the second. The moment belied another strong night from Marotte, who stopped at least three point-blank attempts among his 26 saves.

But it was difficult to point to Tomlak's odd game-winner as the primary turning point, since Tonge, Alex Robert and Daniel Mantenuto each had prime opportunities to tack on a second RMU goal before regulation expired.

The end result was no different, but the route taken at least had more attractions. The only similar detail between the two nights in Colorado: Air Force's Kyle Haak hit an empty net from center ice in the final minute of both.

"The first game, we didn't give it our all, and I think it showed," Robert said. "Tonight we came out with a better effort. ... We can control some things like getting pucks on net and our effort. Some things are out of our hands, like little bounces. We've just got to stay battling, competing every night for a full 60. That's all we can ask for."



Robert, who was stopped twice by Christopolous in quick succession midway through the third, praised the RMU special teams in particular. The penalty kill went 8 for 9 over the weekend, while the power play connected twice on eight combined chances against the No. 2-ranked PK in the entire nation.

Tangible offense was again hard to come by after an 11-goal outburst the previous weekend in Buffalo, but Robert maintained this was no Rocky Mountain low.

"We've just gotta bear down," he said. "We're in a little bit of a slump, but we've got to stay positive. If we keep shooting pucks and they're going to go in. We've just got to turn things around before the playoffs start."

The Colonials have eight games remaining until those Atlantic Hockey playoffs, with five of those games on the road. They'll host Sacred Heart next weekend at the RMU Island Sports Center, with the Pioneers just one point behind them for seventh place in the 11-team league.

Dropping nine of 11 hasn't made the Colonials' quest to challenge for another AHA postseason crown any easier, so keeping a productive mindset seems crucial now more than ever.

"The guys' spirits were good," Schooley said. "They stayed together. You could say the effort was great, but we still got the loss. We need that effort and a win.

"We give that effort, more often than not, we'll be happy with it. We'll win games with that effort."