PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The #19 Robert Morris Colonials took down Long Island University Thursday night at Clearview Arena, 5-1.
Junior Nick Lalonde scored twice and finished with a career-best three points while Dyllan Lubbesmeyer earned his fifth win of the year in goal for RMU.
The Sharks found their legs early Tuesday at Clearview, getting the jump on the Colonials with some solid zone time and a few early looks on Dyllan Lubbesmeyer.
The Colonials found their footing after the initial LIU push to kick things off, slowly turning up the pressure on Sharks net minder Vinnie Purpura.
Matt Guerra's rip from the high slot beat Purpura glove side but just glanced off the iron and out before Prkusic collected the rebound and fired a dangerous looking chance of his own, however the senior put it wide of the cage.
Lalonde finally capped off the pressure with his fifth goal of the year, re-directing Grant Hebert's shot in the slot on the power play to set RMU up with a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes of play.
A fortunate bounce for LIU got the Sharks back in the game in the second after Jack Quinn's pass attempt from behind the net caromed off of an RMU stick, skipping high up over the back of the net and falling into the cage behind Lubbesmeyer to make it a 1-1 despite RMU leading in shots on goal 15-6.
After surviving an ensuing LIU power-play Grant Hebert put RMU back on top, taking a feed near the blue line from Lalonde and letting go of a perfectly placed wrister that beat Purpura high glove side to, 2-1.
They nearly made it 3-1 after a loose puck died in the slot with Purpura out of position, however there was no one there to poke it home as the Colonials settled for a one-goal lead.
Lalonde banged home another on the doorstep midway through the frame for his third point of the night before Santeri Hartikainen added a fourth to seal the win for RMU.
SCORING PLAYS
Lalonde, 18:23, 1st (PP) - Assists: G. Hebert
Quinn, 5:55, 2nd - Unassisted
G. Hebert, 9:41, 2nd - Assists: Lalonde, Kramer
Lalonde, 9:41, 3rd - Assists: Michaelian, Addamo
Hartikainen, 12:07, 3rd - Assists: Hernandez, Jenny
QUICK HITS
Career-high three points (2G, 1A) for Lalonde…Lubbesmeyer earns his fifth win in goal…Brendon Michaelian fired twelve shots….First ever program win vs. LIU
QUOTABLES
"That's a very well-coached hockey team. They play their system very well and their structure is good. You have to be very patient when you play them, you can't play a one-on-one game with them in the neutral zone, and I though our guys were good in the neutral zone, competitively patient which is a key against these guys." - head coach Derek Schooley
NEXT UP
RMU closes out the series tomorrow against LIU at 3:00 p.m. at Clearview Arena.
