PITTSBURGH -- Things are a little different in the Atlantic Hockey Association this year.
For the first time in nearly two decades of existence, the AHA will use three-on-three overtime and shootouts to determine winners and losers in every league game. Because of this, regulation victories will be worth three points, while wins via the new extra-time alternatives will be worth two.
So when the
Robert Morris University men's hockey team cashed in a second consecutive three-goal victory over league rival Bentley, winning 4-1 Saturday evening at the RMU Island Sports Center, the results were more significant than ever before, even though it's just the second weekend of October.
"You'll take six points on the weekend all the time," head coach
Derek Schooley said. "You have to get used to saying six points (instead of four). That's a good result. You put a number up and now teams have to go out and try to chase you."
Indeed, with twin victories over the Falcons to start their 28-game league schedule, the Colonials (2-2-0, 2-0-0 AHA) have an early jump on the competition. RMU-Bentley was the lone AHA series of the weekend, as the rest of their league brethren took on non-conference opponents.
Saturday's game was more of the same from Friday night, with RMU building an early lead, connecting twice on the power play -- both by sophomore
Aidan Spellacy -- and holding Bentley off the board on their own man-up chances. The PK went 9 for 9 to help clinch a series sweep, almost overshadowing a four-goal outburst by an improving attack.
"I just think our structure was really good," said senior defender
Sean Giles, a regular penalty-killer for multiple years. "We have a lot of guys returning who have killed in previous years. We did a good job talking. They were getting a little frustrated."
Bentley (0-2-0, 0-2-0 AHA) had good reason to feel jinxed after coming up empty on 13 power plays over the weekend. RMU senior goalie
Justin Kapelmaster continued his sterling play in his first season on the Island, denying 45 shots. The Florida-born netminder has stopped 109 of 112 shots in his three starts since transferring from Ferris State.
Kapelmaster's performance was especially critical in an 18-save second period, when Bentley was successful in generating several odd-man rushes and scrambles around the RMU net. With the exception of Jakov Novak's perfect top-shelf wrister late in the first period, Kapelmaster was equal to whatever the Falcons threw his way.
"He made some saves I was scratching my head at," Spellacy said. "He battles his butt off. The guy's a stud. He kept us in it a couple of times."
A three-goal first period provided Kapelmaster some serious cushion, starting with junior defender
Nick Jenny's blue-line blast that zipped past Bentley starter Aidan Pelino's glove at 2:13. Spellacy earned an assist on that bomb, then the Cleveland native pounced on a power-play rebound of
Alex Robert's point shot at 15:09, making for his first NCAA multi-point game.
Another first -- Finnish freshman
Santeri Hartikainen's opening tally in the college ranks -- arrived 25 seconds later. That dart from the right dot chased senior Pelino for freshman Jason Grande and put the Colonials firmly in command.
"We're trying to throw some new things in offensively," Schooley said. "To get experience for our freshmen while they get points is big."
Spellacy chipped in another PPG just 2 1/2 minutes into the second, pounding in the carom of
Justin Addamo's one-timer.
Luke Lynch earned his second assist of the game by whipping a cross-slot pass to Addamo on the doorstep. Grande made the initial save, only to watch Spellacy successfully crash the crease yet again.
"I think everyone stepped up in some form or fashion," Spellacy said. "To contribute feels good. We try to play in front. To get the first one was huge. To keep it on them was even bigger."
From there, the Colonials' biggest complaint was how much time they spent short-handed. The Falcons received four power plays in the second and three more in the first half of the third, but RMU seemed to have its frequent playoff foe under wraps even while down a man.
"Our puck management got a little lax at times," Schooley said, referring to even-strength play. "But our penalty killing was doing such a good job, I was never really concerned. It seemed a lot more stable than a typical three-goal lead."
Added Giles about defending 20 Bentley power-play shots: "That's not something we want to get into a habit of doing, but it feels good to get the job done."
At least the final 10 minutes were uneventful, allowing Schooley to roll four forward lines and three defense pairs in a regular rhythm. His Colonials won by three or more just three times during the entire 2018-19 season, but now they've done it twice in a row at the outset of 2019-20.
Regardless of margin, that's a solid rebound from a challenging opening series against non-conference Michigan Tech, which consisted of an overtime loss and a 7-0 defeat.
"Getting two wins after how last weekend went was big for our psyche," Schooley said.
Next up is a two-game set at Army West Point next weekend, starting a three-week stretch in which the Colonials will play just three times, all on the road.
