It’s been a whirlwind week for the Robert Morris University men’s hockey team. In seven days, they played four games in three different cities across two states and in three different arenas – and one of them wasn’t even an arena. Over 15,000 people attended a Colonials game in that span.
On Dec. 29 and 30, they hosted the Penn State Nittany Lions, Colgate Raiders, and Western Michigan Broncos for the third-annual Three Rivers Classic at the home of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Consol Energy Center
“Anytime you can play on a large stage like Consol Energy Center, with some high-level teams and ranked opponents, it’s great for your school, the hockey program, and Robert Morris University, so the event is a success,” said Colonials head coach Derek Schooley
The two-day event brought in 11,328 people, and although Robert Morris lost in the finals to Colgate, Schooley is still pleased with the tournament as a whole.
“We finished 1-1,” he said. “Obviously, every tournament you go into, you want to win a championship, but I thought we played really well against Penn State and were a little flat against Colgate, but the event definitely was a success because it brings a lot of notoriety to college hockey.”
After wrapping up their hometown tournament, the Colonials had only three days to prepare for another adventure: an outdoor game at Winterfest in Toledo, Ohio. The ten-day hockey festival was held in at Fifth Third Field, whose baseball diamond is usually home to the Toledo Mud Hens in the summer.
From Dec. 26 to Jan. 4, the outdoor rink hosted the minor-league Toledo Walleye, high school hockey, old-timers games, youth hockey, open skates, and a college hockey game featuring the Colonials and the Bowling Green Falcons.
“It was a neat event,” said Schooley. “I think one of the highlights was the practice on the day before the game where our guys got to go out and have fun. We got a good skate in, but we also got to experience a change in weather. It went from sunlight to dark. It went from a little hotter to a little cooler, and the guys just had a lot of fun with it. That was a neat experience.”
During the game, the Colonials not only had to deal with the elements, but a talented Bowling Green squad that took a 2-0 lead into the third period. Undeterred, Colonials were able to fight back.
“Our guys handled it well,” said Schooley. “They stayed focused, continued to play hard, didn’t let the deficit get them down, and we continued to stick with our game.”
The Colonials came back strong in the third period and earned a tie with goals from Greg Gibson and Brady Ferguson. Ferguson, a true freshman, has been a revelation for the Colonials this season, and is second on the team with 18 points. His line, along with junior David Friedmann and sophomore Daniel Leavens, have been key for the Colonials.
“They are a line that has really gelled well offensively. They’ve each got a unique talent, and they each bring something special. Their chemistry is very good.
“They’ve been a line that’s really played well together as a group, and it’s good to see, especially with all three of them able to return next year.
The following night at the 84 Lumber Arena in Neville Island, the Falcons beat the Colonials 4-1. That ended a 1-2-1 streak for the Colonials in which they faced four consecutive ranked opponents.
“We found out a little bit [about our team] every game. Every team presents a different challenge for us,” Schooley said.
“Eventually, our goal is to reach the NCAA tournament, and if we can do that, we’re going to see teams like that. We know what we need to work on and we know what we need to do to get better.”
The NCAA tournament’s field of 16 teams is composed of each of the six conference champions and ten at-large bids based on rankings. Because of their poor mathematical ranking, to reach the NCAA tourney, the Colonials will probably have to win the Atlantic Hockey tournament that culminates in late March.
Standing in their way are their final 14 games of the season, all of which are against conference opponents.
“We just need to continue to do what we did in the first half of the year,” said Schooley.” The Colonials finished the first half of their conference schedule 9-2-3.
“Our compete level is extremely high. We work extremely well away from the puck. We work together as a unit. We need to keep doing that. There’s no secret to how we play. There’s no secret to our success.
“If we can do that, we’re going to have success in the second half of the year.”
The Colonials second-half push for their first Atlantic Hockey regular-season title – and a conference tournament bye – begins with four straight home games. The Bentley Falcons visit the Island Sports Center this Friday and Saturday and the American International Yellow Jackets will be in town the following weekend.
Photo credit: NCAA
