On March 9, 2014, Robert Morris goaltender Terry Shafer was having an amazing sophomore season. After having played in only four games a freshman the year before, Shafer started 35 of the Colonial’s first 37 games. He had a .911 save percentage and was voted Atlantic Hockey Goaltender of the Week three times.
Not only was he succeeding individually, the Colonials were winning. After starting the season 2-12-2, they turned it on after New Year’s and finished 11-4-3, good enough for fifth place in Atlantic Hockey and a three-game home series against Army in the first round of the conference tournament.
In the third game against Army, Shafer suffered a hip injury that would require surgery. His season was over. For the team, it continued. Freshman Dalton Izyk, who had played in only five games to that point, stepped into the void and the Colonials were able to come from behind to beat Army and advance.
The team continued to play well, and Izyk was outstanding. The rookie netminder backstopped the Colonials to four consecutive postseason victories, and helped secure the team’s first Atlantic Hockey championship and NCAA Tournament berth.
Fast-forwarding to 2014, Shafer has been back on his skates and in net since Robert Morris training camp opened mid-September.
“I stayed in Pittsburgh and did my rehab here,” he said. “I’ve been on the ice ever since the boys have gotten back.”
He says that his hip isn’t bothering him anymore.
“The first couple times you get out there you might be a little tentative, but it’s really gotten to the point now where I’m confident. I’ve pushed to the point where there’s really no thoughts in my mind. I’m definitely 100 percent with nothing holding me back,” Shafer said.
The only thing holding him back might be playing time. Head Coach Derek Schooley is prepared to play both goaltenders throughout the 2014-15 season saying, “If one falters, the other will be there to pick him up, and vice versa.”
It will be a change for both young men. Shafer will have to adjust to sharing his net, and Izyk will be subjected to a full-season grind for the first time.
“Dalton’s a great guy…and him and I have a great relationship, which makes it a whole lot easier,” Shafer said, “Unfortunately, it’s a position where only one guy plays, and obviously, we’re both competitors, we both want to be in the net.”
The team would benefit from both goalies playing well. With a young defensive corps, including several freshmen, they could be seeing a lot more shots this season.
Coach Schooley may have summarized the situation best: “At the end of the day, we’re very lucky, because there are teams out there that are searching for one quality goaltender, and we’ve got two.”
Photo credit: Jason Cohn/RMU
