MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The RMU men's hockey team earned two critical points in Atlantic Hockey America standings Saturday night, battling Bentley to a 3-3 tie before claiming a 1-0 shootout victory. The Colonials move to 7-16-3 overall and 7-9-2 in conference play.
 
FIRST PERIOD
After successfully killing off Bentley's opening power play, RMU struck first following the media timeout.
 
Luke van Why forced a turnover in the defensive zone and generated a high-danger chance, finding Michael Felsing streaking toward the net. Felsing made a slick move around the Bentley netminder and finished to give the Colonials an early 1-0 advantage.
 
SECOND PERIOD
RMU doubled its lead just 51 seconds into the middle frame. Bruce McDonald moved the puck back to Dominic Elliott along the right wall, where Elliott fired a slap shot that deflected off Jackson Reineke and into the net.
 
The Falcons responded quickly, as Jack Dalton capitalized on the power play less than a minute later to cut the deficit to one.
 
Undeterred, the Colonials regained their two-goal cushion under two minutes later. After the puck was tipped into the air, Connor Gourley – making a soccer type play - headed it toward the crease, where Patrick Johnson bashed it home. Lee Chiang earned the secondary assist on the play.
 
Bentley used the remainder of the period to swing momentum back in its favor, scoring twice over the final 15 minutes. Oskar Bakkevig netted a power-play goal before Peter Kramer scored at even strength, tying the game 3-3, heading into the second intermission.
 
THIRD PERIOD
Neither team was able to find the go-ahead goal in the third despite quality chances on both ends. Each side earned two power play opportunities in the period, with RMU's final chance coming late. The Colonials generated six shot attempts on the advantage but were unable to convert, sending the game to overtime.
 
OVERTIME
RMU carried its momentum into the 3-on-3 overtime session, outshooting Bentley 5-2. However, neither team found the decisive goal, forcing the contest to be settled in the shootout.
 
SHOOTOUT
Captain Cameron Garvey provided the lone goal of the shootout for RMU, while Bentley's final attempt by Jake Black rang off the post. The miss sealed the shootout victory and secured the extra point in the standings for the Colonials.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Bentley outshot RMU 38-23, with Felsing and Tanner Klimpke each recording five shots on goal.
• Lee Chiang, Gabriel Lunn, and Luke van Why finished with a team-best plus-two rating, while RMU dominated the faceoff circle, winning 35 of 58 draws (60.3 percent). Trent Wilson led the way with 12 wins.
• The Colonials blocked 30 shots defensively, paced by Lunn's career-high seven blocks.
• Bentley finished 2-for-6 on the power play, while RMU went 0-for-2.
• In net, freshman Charlie Schenkel turned aside 35 shots, marking his fifth career game with 30 or more saves.

 
CAN ALWAYS TRUST CAM
RMU has now gone to the shootout three times this season and emerged victorious in all three. A constant in those wins has been Garvey, who has scored in every shootout this year. The Colonials previously defeated Mercyhurst and Notre Dame in shootout fashion.
 
FIRST CAREER POINT
Forward Lee Chiang recorded his first career point with an assist on Johnson's goal. The Toronto, Ontario native has appeared in seven career games.
 
UP NEXT
RMU wraps up its six-game homestand next weekend with a pair of conference matchups against Canisius. Game one is set for Friday, February 6 at 7:00 PM, followed by the series finale on Saturday, February 7 at 7:00 PM. Both games will stream live on SportsNet Pittsburgh and FloHockey.
 
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