BUFFALO, N.Y. -- With seven players recording at least a point, the Robert Morris University men's hockey team pulled away for a 4-2 Atlantic Hockey Association win against Canisius on Friday night at LECOM HarborCenter.

Behind a three-goal second period, the Colonials (4-4-0, 4-1-0 AHA) kept up their best league start in five years with their second road victory in four tries. Junior forward Nick Prkusic and sophomore defender Brendon Michaelian each had a goal and an assist, but the story was a diverse attack for RMU, with defenders Michaelian and Nick Jenny joining Prkusic and Jacob Coleman on the goal-scoring parade.

In winning for the fourth time in five AHA games, the Colonials matched a season-high for goals while handing Canisius a defeat in its first league game of the season.

"A good road win," head coach Derek Schooley assessed. "A good first period, but an even better second period. We scored different ways. We did all the things we wanted our guys to do. We had bodies in front and made it difficult on their goaltender."

RMU senior goalie Justin Kapelmaster stopped 39 shots to raise his save percentage in five conference games to an eye-popping .966. He held his ground admirably in the third period as Canisius threw 21 shots on goal in a desperate attempt to climb back in the game.

The Golden Griffins (1-5-0, 0-1-0 AHA) managed to score twice in the third to cut their 40-minute deficit in half, but the Colonials' second-period push drained much of the drama from the evening. In a span of two minutes, RMU boosted its lead from one goal to four, with Coleman, Jenny and Prkusic each lighting the lamp in a different game state.

For a team that spent its bye week trying to liven up an attack that produced just 13 goals in its first seven games, it was a welcome outburst.

"We knew we needed to get some more pucks to the net," Prkusic said. "Our 'D' did a great job getting pucks through and allowing the forwards to have a chance at the rebounds."

The game-clinching flurry started when the Moon Township native Coleman led a short-handed charge down the right wing eight minutes into the second, cutting inside and whipping a shot off the right post and behind Canisius goalie Matt Ladd. Coleman's second goal of his senior season created some breathing room, but the visitors were far from done.

Just 1 1/2 minutes later, the junior Jenny notched his third goal of the year, looking off a teammate during a burst into the zone and snapping the puck over Ladd's glove. The four-on-four strike marked RMU's second goal from a defenseman in the game, as Michaelian had scored on a power-play wrister from the point eight minutes into the first period.

Co-captain Prkusic capped the Colonials' offensive efforts midway through the second, taking the team's solo goal-scoring lead with a long-range power-play shot that zipped through Justin Addamo's screen and jumped into the net off Ladd. 

"We mostly played in our zone in the first period, so after that we talked about sustaining some offensive-zone pressure," said Prkusic, who has three goals and three assists in six games. "Jake had a great goal on the penalty kill that really got the rest of us going."

From there it was about defending the lead and securing the three AHA standings points that now result from a regulation win. RMU is now tied with Sacred Heart for first in the league, as both teams are level on 12 points.

Canisius broke up Kapelmaster's bid for a third RMU shutout 4:20 into the third, with Blake Wareham floating a screened shot into the top-left corner. But the Colonials' transfer goalie kept things from getting too crazy a couple of minutes later, snagging a sharp-angle shot while seated in his crease to keep the margin at three goals.

"Pretty complete effort for most of the game," Schooley said. "We knew they'd take a lot of chances in the third, but we responded well in the final 10 minutes or so."

A late Griffins power-play marker by Simon Gravel made the final score look different, but it didn't affect the outcome. RMU will aim for its second AHA sweep of the young season Saturday night at the RMU Island Sports Center, as this home-and-home series concludes. 

Also, Saturday's game is Hockey For Heroes Night, with active military, veterans and first responders getting free admission for the 7:05 p.m. rematch with Canisius. Click here for more details, including a post-game Skate With The Colonials event.