MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The RMU men's hockey team closes out the 2025-26 regular season this weekend with a pivotal home-and-home series against Mercyhurst. The series opener at Clearview Arena is scheduled for 7:00 PM on Friday, February 27, before the regular season finale shifts to Erie, Pa., at the Mercyhurst Ice Center on Saturday, February 28 at 5:00 PM.
 
Both games will stream live on FloHockey. Tim Benz and Jacob Lassner will have the call from Clearview Arena, while Colton DeBiase will provide commentary in Erie.
 
RMU LATELY
RMU (11-18-3, 11-11-2 AHA) enters the final weekend following a series split at Canisius. The Colonials earned a convincing 4-1 victory in the opener before dropping the finale, 7-0.
 
In the series-opening win, Jackson Reineke and Tanner Klimpke each delivered dominant performances with four points apiece. Reineke recorded two goals and two assists for a new career high, while Klimpke finished with a goal and three assists, tying his career best. Cameron Garvey added a goal and an assist, while defensemen Gabriel Lunn and Rasmus Larsson each contributed helpers. In net, Charlie Schenkel turned aside 24 shots to earn his sixth victory of the season.
 
FINDING HIS STRIDE
Junior forward Tanner Klimpke has caught fire at the perfect time as the postseason approaches. Over his last five games, he has totaled two goals and six assists for eight points.
 
Klimpke leads the Colonials in every major offensive category this season, pacing the team with 12 goals, 12 assists, and 24 points. Over his career, Klimpke has appeared in 95 games, recording 37 goals and 36 assists for 73 points.
 
ALL-TIME VS. MERCYHURST
Since RMU's inaugural season in 2004, the Colonials hold a 21-16-12 record against Mercyhurst. Their 12 ties against the Lakers are the most against any opponent in program history.
 
RMU has found success both home and away in the series, posting a 10-7-6 record at Clearview Arena and a 9-8-6 mark in Erie. Over the last 10 meetings, the Colonials are 5-2-3.
 
Earlier this season, RMU captured five of a possible six points against Mercyhurst. The Colonials earned a 3-1 victory before skating to a 1-1 tie and securing the extra conference point with a 3-2 shootout win. Defenseman Michael Craig has found success against the Lakers this season, recording two goals and one assist in the series. In his career, Craig has totaled two goals and seven assists against Mercyhurst.
 
SCOUTING THE LAKERS
Mercyhurst (5-24-3, 5-16-3 AHA) enters the weekend in 10th place in the conference standings. Despite a difficult start that saw them go winless through their first 18 games, the Lakers have shown improvement down the stretch, earning five wins and two ties over their last 14 contests.
 
Offensively, sophomore forward Dominik Bartecko and freshman defenseman Jacob LeBlanc lead the team with 14 points each. LeBlanc's 14 assists pace the team, while freshman forward Will Schumacher leads Mercyhurst with eight goals. Graduate defenseman Caleb Price anchors the defensive unit with 52 blocked shots.
 
In goal, Charles-Edward Gravel has handled the majority of the workload, recording two wins and two shutouts along with a .899 save percentage. Salvatore Evola has also contributed, posting three wins and a .908 save percentage in 10 appearances.
 
PLAYOFF OUTLOOK
RMU enters the final weekend tied for fourth place in the AHA standings with 39 conference points, even with Holy Cross. However, the Colonials hold the tiebreaker advantage after sweeping the Crusaders earlier this season at Clearview Arena.
 
Bentley has already secured the regular season championship with 53 conference points. The Colonials' final positioning remains highly fluid, as they could finish as high as second place or fall as low as seventh depending on this weekend's results across the conference. RMU has tiebreakers over Holy Cross, Canisius and Air Force.
 
All 10 Atlantic Hockey teams will qualify for the postseason, which begins with the First Round on Tuesday, March 3. The No. 7 seed will host the No. 10 seed, while the No. 8 seed will host the No. 9 seed in single-elimination games.
 
The Quarterfinal Round, scheduled for March 6–8, will be a best-of-three series. The lowest remaining seed will face No. 1 Bentley, while the second-lowest remaining seed will play the No. 2 seed. The No. 3 seed will host the No. 6 seed, and the No. 4 seed will host the No. 5 seed.
 
With a top four finish, RMU would secure a first-round bye and host a quarterfinal series at Clearview Arena.
 
Follow The Colonials: Facebook | X | Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn | RMU Athletics Gameday App