College hockey connoisseur and Colonials radio analyst Mike Prisuta contributes regular commentary to RMUColonials.com.
The first order of business this week at Robert Morris was the team picture, and what was captured for posterity was resplendent. The players in their blue road jerseys, the coaches in red, the ice a traditional milky white and the championship banners in the background celebrating all the program has achieved.
Better still, it'll look the same next week.
Getting the Colonials' game to resemble what it needs to on a regular basis this season has proven to be a lot more challenging than smiling for the camera.
The sweep endured last weekend at home at the hands of AIC was representative of what RMU can be and what it hasn't yet become.
"We out-played them 5-on-5 the whole weekend," head coach Derek Schooley maintained.
And yet the Yellow Jackets were able to bus back to Springfield, Mass., with 4-3 and 4-1 victories stowed among their gear.
On Friday night, AIC power-play goals at 12:42, 13:06 and 15:29 of the second period, two of which were netted during a five-minute major assessed to RMU sophomore defenseman Nolan Schaeffer, broke open a 1-1 tie.
On Saturday night, power-play goals at 4:26 and 12:35 of the third, and the Colonials' subsequent failure to cash in on a five-minute major whistled against AIC defenseman Brennan Kapcheck, ultimately tilted what had been another 1-1 tie in visitor's favor.
It wasn't all special teams. But AIC's 5-for-12 performance with the man-advantage and RMU's 0-for-9 effort on the power play were too much to overcome, particularly given the inconsistencies that continue to periodically plague the Colonials.
AIC jumped into first place in the Atlantic Hockey Association via its sweep of RMU (Sacred Heart also has 40 points but has played 20 AHA games to AIC's 19).
Army is third with 37 points through 20 games.
RMU, Air Force and RIT are tied for fourth with 31 points (RIT has played 18 games, two fewer than RMU and Air Force).
The Colonials have 10 regular-season games remaining, eight in Atlantic Hockey and this weekend's visit to No. 12 Arizona State, to gain some traction and to achieve the desired spot in the standings (a top-four finish ensures a first-round bye and home ice in the second round of the AHA postseason tournament; coming in fifth secures the first-round bye).
The lineup changed (again) before and during the AIC series (out of necessity and by design).
The schemes had already been tweaked.
And this week, the Colonials' agenda included more than posing for photos.
"We set a standard," Schooley explained. "If you win two, you get Monday off. If you split, come to work. Lose two, you come to work and there will be a little bit of a skate at the end."
Schooley characterized what transpired at the end of Monday's practice as "a conditioning skate to remind ourselves that losing two games is unacceptable."
"It was only for about 10 minutes, but it wasn't easy," he added.
There's also been an emphasis on skill development, on getting to the net and on finishing at the net.
And the players this week have been individually tasked with shooting 200 pucks fed from the RapidShot Hockey Training System available to them at the Island Sports Center (normally an off-season or optional in-season alternative).
"We gotta get some set lines, gotta get some guys we feel can play better together," Schooley said. "One night you get guys going, the next game they're not going. Until you get consistency from your lineup, you're gonna continue to make changes.
"This team has shown that we can do it. Now, we have to go out and do it on a consist basis. We're searching for consistency in all aspects of our game, systems, the power play, penalty-killing, goaltending, players in the lineup. If we get it, we'll achieve our goal of a first-round bye."
Even if a photo finish is required.
