NEW HAVEN, Conn. --
Jacob Coleman and
Kip Hoffmann scored in the third period, but a three-goal first period for Sacred Heart was too steep to overcome for the
Robert Morris University men's hockey team, which lost 4-2 on Sunday evening at Ingalls Rink.
For the first time this season in an Atlantic Hockey series, the Colonials (7-7-2, 7-4-2 AHA) suffered a weekend sweep, leveling their road record at 4-4.
But considering RMU's current health situation, with five players out due to injury and goalie
Justin Kapelmaster fighting illness throughout the weekend, head coach
Derek Schooley advised not to take the results to heart.
"We'll be better for battling through this now," Schooley said. "I'm proud of our guys for not quitting when it was 3-0 in the first. We're battling some adversity and the start wasn't what we wanted, but we played to the end and gave ourselves a chance."
Despite allowing three goals over the first nine minutes, the Colonials did well to keep their footing. Especially after a 6-0 loss Saturday night across the state in Bridgeport, the team's resilience under adverse circumstances stood out. (Sacred Heart's usual home arena was unavailable Sunday, so the two sides played their rematch on the campus of Yale University.)
Junior goalie
Dyllan Lubbesmeyer relieved the ailing Kapelmaster for the second straight night, making 22 saves to aid the comeback effort. Nonetheless, Sacred Heart's Jason Cotton completed his hat trick with 14 minutes gone in the second, making it 4-0 on a counterattack rush.
That final Pioneers goal came just after RMU junior
Nick Prkusic was interfered with while trying to slam
Luke Lynch's rebound into an open net, so the turnabout had every right to sting. Instead, the Colonials responded with their best period of the series in the third.
First, the senior Moon Township native Coleman broke the shutout with a wrister from the right wing that zipped past SHU goalie Josh Benson's glove at 5:44. Coleman's fifth goal of the year matched his career single-season best, set last year.
Then, in the final minute with an extra attacker on the ice, Colonials sophomore Hoffmann redirected classmate
Nolan Schaeffer's point shot into the goal. Hoffmann's second career NCAA goal was also RMU's first six-on-five goal of the season.
"Our energy was good," Schooley assessed afterward. "We competed. We worked hard. We've just got to find a way to put it all together. When our 'D' is playing well, we have to find a way to score more. When our forwards are playing well, we have to be better on defense."
As for Sacred Heart, the Pioneers (11-6-1, 10-4-0 AHA) have won five in a row and eight of nine to take over solo first place in Atlantic Hockey. In addition to Cotton's hat trick, fellow first-liner Matt Tugnutt had a goal and an assist in the first period.
The Colonials will have to wait for the postseason for a possible rematch with the PIoneers, but as for now, they'll return home to the RMU Island Sports Center next weekend to wrap up the fall semester with a two-game set against Army West Point.
Despite the results this weekend and with the likes of
Daniel Mantenuto,
Grant Hebert and
Nick Jenny on the shelf, RMU still sits in third place in the 11-team league and is just three points behind Army for second place.
"We can't use injuries as an excuse," Schooley reminded. "No one's going to feel sorry for us. Everyone has to go through adversity during the season, so we'll battle through this and be better next week and into the second half."
Faceoffs next weekend at the Island are set for 5:05 p.m. Saturday and 1:05 p.m. Sunday.
In a first-of-its-kind partnership at the NCAA level, the Colonials are teaming with the American Cancer Society to present their inaugural Hockey Fights Cancer Weekend, which will feature a series-long silent auction for specialty jerseys and ceremonial moments throughout Saturday's game. More details to come on RMUColonials.com!
