Men's Hockey | 11/27/2019 8:22:00 AM

PITTSBURGH – In the wake of their first conference defeats in more than a month, the first-place Robert Morris University men's hockey team will jump back on the ice this holiday weekend, with a home-and-home series against Keystone State rival Mercyhurst on the docket.

[RV] ROBERT MORRIS (7-5-1, 7-2-1 AHA) 
vs. MERCYHURST (4-8-0, 2-4-0 AHA)

Friday, Nov. 29 at 7:05 p.m.
Mercyhurst Ice Center, Erie, Pa.
VIDEO on FloHockey ($)

Saturday, Nov. 30 at 7:05 p.m.
RMU Island Sports Center
VIDEO on FloHockey ($) 
RADIO on ESPN Pittsburgh
TICKETS via Ticketmaster

PROMOTION
Fans can get $1 admission to Saturday's game at the RMU Island Sports Center by bringing an unwrapped toy for contribution to Toys For Tots.

CATCHING UP
Although the Colonials maintained their perch atop the Atlantic Hockey standings and continue to receive votes in the USCHO national top-20 poll, they saw their four-game winning streak grounded by Air Force last weekend at the RMU Island Sports Center. After the surging Falcons shut out RMU, 2-0, on Friday night, they came from behind to win, 2-1, on Saturday in the first-ever three-on-three overtime for both programs.

Although RMU earned just one of a possible six points on the weekend, senior goalie Justin Kapelmaster continued his outstanding play. The Florida native denied 74 of 77 Air Force shots, lifting his season save percentage to an outstanding .950. Senior Michael Coyne scored RMU's lone goal, as the Colonials were held to one goal or fewer in back-to-back games for the first time since opening weekend.

HISTORY LESSON
RMU and Mercyhurst require no formal introduction, as the two programs have faced off 34 times; the Lakers are the Colonials' fifth-most frequent opponent in 16 seasons of NCAA Division I play. Robert Morris has won five straight against its I-79 rival, starting with a 5-4 overtime win in the 2018 AHA semifinal round in Rochester, New York.

The Colonials have averaged nearly five goals per game during this ongoing streak of success, including 19 goals in four games against the Lakers last season. After outscoring MU by a combined 10-2 score last November, RMU prevailed in a pair of one-goal games last March to clinch home-ice advantage in the first round of the AHA playoffs.

OPPOSITION RESEARCH
After winning two of its first three in non-conference play, Mercyhurst has lost seven of nine. Furthermore, the Lakers have earned both of their AHA wins -- over Bentley and American International -- in overtime. Those five-on-five sudden-death results have kept Rick Gotkin's team out of the league basement, although it should be noted the Lakers have played just six AHA games.

Two sophomores lead the Lakers in scoring: Steven Ipri has the most goals (six) and points (14), while Greensburg native Dalton Hunter is tops with nine assists. Classmate Josh McDougall is the top offensive defender, with two goals and seven total points, while redshirt senior Garrett Metcalf has the most starts (eight) and the best save percentage (.897) of Mercyhurst's goalie trio.

KNOW BOBBY MO
• RMU started its Atlantic Hockey schedule with seven wins in its first eight games, just the second time the program has accomplished that feat. The only team in Colonials hockey history to begin a season with a better eight-game league record was the 2014-15 edition, which started 7-0-1 in AHA play before going on to win RMU's first regular-season championship.

• Senior transfer Kapelmaster has been a revelation in his first 12 RMU games, boasting a .950 save percentage that ranks fourth among qualifying Division I goalies. Starting with three seasons at Ferris State University in Michigan, Kapelmaster has 57 games of NCAA experience, with a career save percentage of .924 that's 14th among active D-I goalies.

• After two of the program's top-20 scorers graduated, this year has featured a well-rounded attack. Eight players have at least six points, led by junior co-captain Prkusic, who leads the Colonials in goals (five), assists (seven) and total points (12) in just eight games played. Coleman and Addamo have eight points each, while Hebert has seven. On the blue line, Michaelian and senior Alex Robert have six apiece.

• The Colonials return 19 players from last year's squad, 10 of those sophomores. The leading returning scorer is Pittsburgh native Luke Lynch, whose 94 career points rank 13th in program history. Lynch shares the captaincy with fellow senior Daniel Mantenuto and junior Prkusic, marking the first time in more than a decade that three Colonials have worn the 'C.'

• Six freshmen join from across the hockey world, from western Canadians Garrett Clegg (Alberta) and Bradley Stonnell (British Columbia), to Ontario-born Darcy Walsh and Cameron Hebert, to Finnish forward Santeri Hartikainen, to Pittsburgh's own Roman Kraemer. Each of the six has played in at least six games and all have at least one point; Hartikainen leads the way with three (2g, 1a).

• RMU sports 16 underclassmen on the roster, the fifth-most in D-I. Winger Nick Lalonde led all freshman scorers last year with 16 total points, while Addamo paced the class with eight goals. Spellacy (11 points) and Grant Hebert (10) also chimed in up front, while defenders Nolan Schaeffer (37 games), Michaelian (28) and Geoff Lawson (23) got plenty of experience.

• Led by seniors Lynch and Jacob Coleman (Moon Township), the Colonials continue to showcase local talent. Sophomore Aiden Beck (Coraopolis) returns, joined by freshman Kraemer, who played for Serra Catholic before developing his talent at the Predators and Penguins Elite club programs. Kraemer co-starred with Cam Hebert in Johnstown, Pa., with the NAHL's Tomahawks.

• In addition to the 28-game AHA slate, the Colonals' six non-league games will be highlighted by another home-and-home against Penn State, with RMU hosting the Big Ten's Nittany Lions at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday, Jan. 11. Also, Robert Morris will travel to the Valley of the Sun to face Arizona State's fifth-year program on Jan. 31-Feb. 1. Both Penn State and Arizona State made the NCAA tournament last spring.

• Familiar faces return behind the bench, led by 16th-year bench boss Derek Schooley, the only head coach the program has known. Michael Gershon is back for his fourth as an assistant coach, while RMU captain and leading scorer Ryan Cruthers '08 re-joins the team as an assistant following stints in America's top two junior leagues. Cruthers' 1.26 points per game remains the best mark in RMU history.

• The Colonials have added two-time U.S. Olympian and former RMU star Brianne McLaughlin-Bittle to the staff as a volunteer assistant. A Cleveland native, McLaughlin-Bittle runs her goaltending school and camps out of the RMU Island Sports Center and has been coaching at USA Hockey camps for multiple years. She is believed to be the first woman to coach an NCAA men's hockey team, regardless of division.

• According to a preseason coaches' poll, the Colonials were picked to finish seventh in the 11-team AHA. RMU has finished fifth or better six times in nine previous AHA seasons, headlined by back-to-back banner years in 2014-15 and 2015-16. The top five teams at the end of the season receive first-round playoff byes.

• Program alums Brandon Blandina and Furman South (Sewickley) have both refereed National Hockey League games in recent seasons. South made his NHL officiating debut two seasons ago and has reached the 40-game plateau, while Blandina first stepped on NHL ice last spring. Both members of the Class of 2012 officiate American Hockey League games as well.

THE SCHOOLEY FILE
One of the longest-tenured coaches at RMU, Schooley is entering his 16th season at the Robert Morris helm in 2019-20, carrying an overall record of 247-247-63 into the season, plus a record of championship success in Division I men's hockey. The native of St. Louis 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 2014. In the seven-season span from 2012-19, Schooley's Colonials have averaged 20 wins per season and have consistently placed 20-plus student-athletes on the AHA All-Academic team.

Schooley has spent the past two decades coaching college players, starting with assistant roles at Cornell and the Air Force Academy. During his time at Robert Morris, Schooley has had 70 players go on to play professionally, from the AHL and ECHL to various leagues across Europe. Nine former Colonials have participated in NHL training camps, with the most recent being all-time top RMU scorer Brady Ferguson at the past two Toronto Maple Leafs camps. On top of that, 19 RMU alums have taken part in NHL development/rookie camps.

HONOR ROLL
The following players have been honored by Atlantic Hockey for their performance this season ...
Justin Kapelmaster - Goaltender of the Week (Oct. 15)
Brendon Michaelian – Defensive Player of the Week (Nov. 12)

MARCH WITH THE COLONIALS
In addition to reports and videos on RMUColonials.com, check out Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for news and updates throughout the season.

NEXT UP
The Colonials return to the road for their final away series of the fall semester, taking on Sacred Heart in Bridgeport, Connecticut on Dec. 6-7.