PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Robert Morris men's hockey team saw its season come to an end Sunday night at Clearview Arena, falling 2-1 to Niagara in game three of their quarterfinal series. 

Despite a 45-32 advantage in shots on goal, the Colonials could not solve Niagara keeper Chad Veltri until the dying second of the game as he made 44 saves in the win.  

Less than 24 hours after extending the series to a third game with with overtime winner in game two, Niagara's Jack Billings continued to be a thorn in RMU's side, beating Noah West with a quick shot off a rebound from the right circle 2:59 into the game Sunday to give the Purple Eagles a 1-0 lead for the third straight game. 

RMU nearly leveled things minutes later after Grant Hebert broke in on a two-on-one but a great post-to-post save from Veltri denied the junior his first goal of the series. 

Hebert had another glorious chance on a power play a few shifts later but put his effort just high of a wide open cage as the Colonials finished the first 0-2 on the man-advantage.  

Niagara pushed it to a 2-0 lead 3:51 into the middle frame when a harmless looking dump-in from NU's Walker Sommer at the blue line appeared to catch a piece of a Purple Eagle stick, deflecting up and over West's glove and in. 

Nick Lalonde crashed the net looking to get RMU on the board with a dirty goal but was denied on the doorstep once again as his effort somehow stayed out.   

Another close call saw Nick Prkusic nearly bury one at the side of the net after a chaotic battle for positioning in the crease, but the senior was not able to corral a bouncing puck with Veltri out of his crease. 

Hernandez finally solved Veltri with a re-direct in the crease with 11 seconds left on the clock, but it was too little, too late as RMU's season ends with a quarterfinal loss. 

SCORING PLAYS 

Billings, 2:59, 1st - Assists: Edgerton 

Sommer, 3:51, 2nd - Assists: Evingson 

Hernandez, 19:49, 3rd - Assists: Jenny, Michaelian 

QUICK HITS 

RMU ends the season at 15-9

QUOTABLES 

"First of all, congratulations to Niagara, they came in with a game plan and executed it well, and Veltri was outstanding in net. We had a lot of chances around the net, alot of loose pucks but they got a lead and then a bounce and that's how it went down." - Head Coach Derek Schooley