MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The RMU men's hockey team returns to non-conference action this weekend, hosting LIU for a two-game series at Clearview Arena. Game one is slated for Friday, November 7 at 7:00 PM, with the series finale on Saturday, November 8 at 7:00 PM. Both matchups will air live on FloHockey, featuring commentary from Tim Benz (pxp) and Mike Prisuta (analyst).
RMU LATELY
RMU (2-3-1, 2-0-0 AHA) enters the weekend riding momentum after sweeping Niagara to open Atlantic Hockey America play—marking the first time since the 2019-20 campaign that the Colonials have swept their opening conference opponent.
In the home opener,
Jackson Reineke scored his third goal of the season while
Cameron Garvey recorded his first. With the score knotted late,
Tanner Klimpke delivered the game-winning strike before adding an empty-net goal to cement a 4-2 victory. Goaltender
Charlie Schenkel earned his first collegiate win with 27 saves.
On the road at Niagara, RMU stormed out to a 3-0 lead behind goals from Klimpke,
Ryan Taylor, and
George Krotiris. Sophomore
Braden Rourke added the eventual game-winner in the third—his first of the season—off a feed from
Patrick Johnson. Schenkel backstopped the Colonials once again, stopping a career-high 39 shots to secure the sweep.
Through six games, Reineke and Klimpke share the team lead with three goals apiece. Senior defenseman
Greg Japchen owns a team-best +3 rating, while freshman blueliner
John Babcock has established himself defensively with 14 blocked shots. Between the pipes, Schenkel has collected two wins and carries a .889 save percentage.
MCDONALD'S EARLY IMPACT
Freshman forward
Bruce McDonald has quickly emerged as an offensive catalyst, registering at least one point in five of his first six collegiate games and entering the weekend on a five-game point streak. McDonald leads RMU in scoring with seven assists and seven points—figures that also rank first among all AHA skaters. No AHA freshman has more points or assists this season.
EARLY AND OFTEN
The Colonials have struck first in every game this year, scoring the opening goal in all six contests. Impressively, all six have come from different skaters:
Michael Felsing,
Ryan Taylor,
Dominic Elliott,
George Krotiris,
Jackson Reineke, and
Tanner Klimpke.
SCHOOLEY SET FOR 700TH
Saturday's matchup will mark Head Coach
Derek Schooley's 700th career game behind the RMU bench. Now in his 20th season guiding the program, Schooley enters the series with 298 career wins. Of those victories, 205 have come in conference play, 146 have been earned at Clearview Arena, 123 on the road, and 19 at neutral sites.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. LIU
This weekend marks just the second-ever meeting between the programs. RMU swept the inaugural series in the 2020-21 season, winning 4-0 and 4-1.
SCOUTING THE SHARKS
LIU (2-5-0) enters the series coming off a 5-2 road win over Merrimack before playing three exhibition contests—defeating Simon Fraser once and Maryville twice. Earlier this season, the Sharks pushed No. 6 Penn State to overtime before falling 5-4.
Forwards Dylan Kinch and Brett Rylance pace LIU offensively with eight points each (4G, 4A), with Kinch also holding a team-best +6 rating. Sophomore Sixten Jennersjö leads the Sharks with six assists, while senior defenseman Blake Dangos anchors the blue line with a team-leading 13 blocked shots. In goal, sophomore Daniel Duris has started six games, posting a .916 save percentage and both LIU victories.
COMMON OPPONENTS
Both RMU and LIU will face Army, Canisius, Sacred Heart, and Lindenwood over the course of the 2025-26 season.
UP NEXT
RMU continues its homestand next weekend when the Colonials resume AHA play against RIT. Game one is scheduled for Friday, November 14 at 7:00 PM, followed by game two on Saturday, November 15 at 7:00 PM. Both games will stream on FloHockey, with Saturday's contest also airing on SportsNet Pittsburgh.
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