WALTHAM, Mass. -- The Robert Morris University men's hockey team is bound for Buffalo after freshman Justin Addamo's overtime goal delivered a 3-2 sudden victory over host Bentley in Game 3 of an Atlantic Hockey quarterfinal series Sunday evening.

After a neutral-zone faceoff with about 16 minutes elapsed in overtime, RMU's first-year French winger tipped a loose puck into the offensive zone and let rip a low wrister that beat Bentley goalie Aidan Pelino between the legs, touching off a jubilant celebration on the ice.

With their second consecutive elimination-game win, the Colonials advanced to the program's sixth consecutive AHA semifinal, tying a league record. RMU (16-21-2) has now won six of its past seven, all by exactly one goal, to continue the team's tradition of success in the springtime. 

"It's an amazing feeling," said Addamo, whose eighth NCAA goal was also his first in five playoff games. "I poked the puck away and I just shot it between his legs. It happened really quick. It's been a couple weeks since our coach has been telling us to shoot all the time and not pass up shots. I just took it and it went in."

The Colonials were actually outshot 34-27 for the game, but they had the edge 6-5 in overtime, not counting a handful of open looks that missed the net by inches. RMU was relentless in sudden death, including a glorious chance for freshman Nick Lalonde that Pelino made a miraculous stretching save on; Addamo set that one up after Luke Lynch helped pry the puck loose in the slot.

But the tightest series in recent memory -- the teams were tied for roughly 146 of the 196 minutes over three games -- ended on a determined solo mission from the 6-foot-7 Addamo, who is also the first Colonial to ever be born and trained in Europe.

"We kept playing and got pucks to the net," head coach Derek Schooley said. "You knew it was going to be an ugly goal. Addamo just rips it, and he can really shoot the puck. And now we're going to Buffalo."

Starting with its historic AHA playoff championship in 2014, RMU has won nine straight best-of-three series and has qualified for the last three AHA finals. Getting back to the league's final four seemed unlikely just one month ago, when the Colonials dropped to 10th place in the 11-team AHA with two regular-season games to play.

Then, a tight two-game sweep of rival Mercyhurst clinched home-ice advantage in the first round. The eighth-seeded Colonials swept ninth-seeded Holy Cross in two hotly-contested games at the RMU Island Sports Center last weekend, followed by this weekend's upset of No. 2 seed Bentley. Not only did RMU drop Game 1 on Friday on a late regulation goal, the hometown Falcons scored first in each of the three games. 

In short, this is the most improbable of RMU's string of semifinal berths, which for the first time results in a trip to Buffalo, not Rochester.



"I just think we kept believing," said junior goalie Francis Marotte, who stopped 32 shots Sunday and 84 for the series. "It didn't mean anything, the season. We kept believing and we got hot at the right time. That's what we keep repeating, but it's true. Guys are having fun and that's what makes all the difference.

"I think even the teams (in years) before, we were close going into the last weekend, but this team has been through a lot, a lot more than the previous years. I think we have the advantage of that going into the last weekend."

If these Colonials are anything, they are battle-tested. Playing 11 straight games that came down to the final two minutes will do that. Their next opponent, regular-season champion American International in Friday's AHA semifinals, will provide their stiffest challenge, but it's hard to say that -- after rallying three times for playoff road victories -- they won't be prepared.

"The boys deserved that," Addamo said just outside a euphoric visiting locker room at new Bentley Arena. "Franky was amazing. Forwards did their job. PK was really good. It was just a reward for the work we've been putting in this season. I'm really proud for the team.

"I think everyone was ready and knew we could do it. All the lines were rolling and everyone was really sticking to the process and believing. We were really good in the overtime."

They were also solid on special teams. Lynch's second-period goal arrived just seconds after the end of a four-on-three, but practically speaking the Colonials scored a power-play goal in each of the three games at Bentley. They killed off 10 of 11 power-play chances against, including all three Sunday.

That's enough to make the winningest goalie in RMU history very happy, especially since his reliable backstopping -- Marotte has a .946 save percentage in these playoffs -- was a huge part of that PK success.

"It was fun," Marotte said of the series in general. "We played great and everyone stepped up. In all three games, everyone came to play. That's what made the difference in the end."

With emotions high, the two teams traded goals in the opening 2:10 of the third. Bentley's Brendan Hamblet one-timed Drew Callin's behind-the-net pass for a 2-1 lead 99 seconds into the frame, but RMU freshman Aidan Spellacy jammed his own rebound under Pelino just a half-minute later to restore equilibrium.

Spellacy's sixth goal, assisted by Jacob Coleman and Nick Prkusic, not only gave RMU four freshmen with 10 points, it was a triumph for an 'energy line' that has been together for the past eight games, with Prkusic and Coleman capably manning Spellacy's wings over that stretch.

Bentley had the only power play of the third, with Marotte denying the go-ahead goal via a hard push on Will Garin's rebound look.

Play settled into a tighter pattern for much of the final regulation frame, with little room to skate in the neutral zone. But RMU created one final rush chance before overtime, ending with Tonge spinning to shoot from the slot with five seconds left.

Pelino made the stop, though, setting up the Colonials' first playoff overtime since last spring's AHA semifinal against Mercyhurst. When Addamo connected, RMU improved to 12-7 in AHA elimination games, and 4-1 in its past five dating back to last March.

"I don't think we wanted to be denied," Schooley said. "We wanted it. I know Bentley wanted it and it was a really good series. Someone had to lose and I'm glad it wasn't us. We just went after it and I think a lot of it had to do with that we played four lines in overtime. We just kept coming."
 

Bentley struck first early in the second, making RMU play from behind for the third consecutive game. Jakov Novak stashed a rebound behind Marotte from the right post at 3:05, capitalizing on a faceoff win.

Then, things grew controversial. During four-on-four play midway through the second, Bentley's Jonathan Desbiens was called for goalie interference when he bumped Marotte out of the net while following through on his shot.

The Falcons thought they scored on the rebound, but instead they were short-handed for the second time. RMU didn't score on the ensuing four-on-three chance, but Lynch deflected Prkusic's pass in just after it expired, tying the score at 12:22. Alex Tonge's secondary assist was his 136th college point, tying him with Chris Margott '09 for fifth in program history.

For the junior Lynch, that was his 15th point in 16 career playoff games; he would add his 16th with an assist on Addamo's winner.

The 1-1 score held up through the end of the second period as tempers heated up. Senior defenseman Eric Israel — who was helped to the locker room with a leg injury earlier in the second — was involved in a give-and-take with Bentley co-captain Ryner Gorowsky, then Lynch and Falcons defenseman Alexey Solovyev exchanged clean collisions on the same shift.

The first period played out in interesting fashion. While RMU had more attack-zone time, Bentley had two of the better scoring chances.

The first of those arrived just a few minutes into the game, with Luke Santerno taking a pass behind the RMU defense and trying a backhand deke that Marotte stretched to kick away.

In the final minute of the first, Bentley had another significant push, getting three shots off during a scramble situation in front of the Colonials' net. Several RMU skaters sprawled around the crease, with Nick Prkusic ending up on his knees behind Marotte as the goalie froze Hamblet's rebound opportunity.

"Our guys found ways to get the job done," Schooley said. "Got good goaltending. We were positive and played the game the right way."

Lalonde ended up with three shots on goal in the opening 20 minutes, none better than a rip from the right dot to cap a three-on-two counterattack rush. But Pelino snatched the puck away from the top-right corner.

About 2 1/2 hours later, another first-year Colonial would hit for one of the most important goals in 15 seasons of RMU Division I men's hockey. This resilient group is now two wins away from replicating that memorable March run five years ago.

"Just look at what we've done," Schooley said. "What valuable experience we've gotten for our younger guys. Our older guys have stepped up and we're continuing to play. It's coming together at the right time."

Purchase tickets for Friday's AHA semifinal here. Tim Benz and Mike Prisuta will once again have the radio call on ESPN Pittsburgh.