Robert Morris defenseman Rob Mann is an easy guy to notice. At 6’4”, 220 pounds, the sophomore from Oshawa, Ontario is an imposing physical specimen on the Colonials blue line. Recently, however, it has been his play, not just his size, that has drawn attention.
Mann was named the Atlantic Hockey Conference Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Colonials’ second-round sweep of the Niagara Purple Eagles last weekend.
He led all Colonials defensemen with six blocked shots and was a plus-3, in addition to his usual physical presence in front of Dalton Izyk.
“Every night, it’s definitely nice to have,” Izyk said earlier in the season, “I’m never going to complain about having the team put that much effort, and sacrifice themselves, to block a shot. They prevent a lot of goals.”
Mann has been part of concerted efforts by the Colonials to block shots on defense. He has 70 blocks on the seasons and was a big part of the Robert Morris defense that blocked 51 shot attempts in their series against Niagara and are among the nation’s leaders in that category.
“Rob, like the rest of our players, has really bought into the concept of blocking shots,” said Robert Morris head coach Derek Schooley. “When you block six shots, you’re going to get rewarded. Our team has really put an effort and emphasis on blocking shots, and Rob is one of the leaders in the nation. It’s nice to see people get rewarded for unsung hero-type things.”
Today, Mann and the rest of the Colonials are traveling to Rochester, New York, where they will take on the Mercyhurst Lakers in the Atlantic Hockey semifinals on Friday at 5:05 p.m.
Photo credit: Brian Mitchell
