Veteran sportswriter, member of the WDVE Morning Show and hockey aficionado Mike Prisuta has been covering the Pittsburgh sports scene for over 20 years. He has covered Pittsburgh sports as a reporter for the Beaver County Times and as a columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and has had his pulse on the happenings of each of the professional organizations and college programs in the area. A graduate of Michigan State University, Prisuta got his start in the profession covering the Spartan hockey program and possesses knowledge of the college hockey world unmatched in the region.

Throughout the 2011-12 season, Prisuta will serve up weekly stories surrounding Colonial hockey as well as the latest notes and news around college hockey.

Robert Morris didn't win the Maverick Stampede, but the Colonials' season-opening tournament in Omaha, Neb. was far from a total loss.

RMU fell to Colgate, 3-1, in its opening game last Friday but bounced back to defeat Mercyhurst, 2-1, on Saturday.

Head coach Derek Schooley detected progress throughout the weekend.

"We got better every period," Schooley said.

Up next is RMU's Atlantic Hockey Association opener on Sunday at Air Force (7:05 p.m. ET).

Schooley will be counting on his team continuing to make strides in Colorado Springs, Colo.

"That's the key, because early in the season you're going to make a lot of mistakes," he said. "We made a few mistakes against Colgate and they capitalized.

"I was really pleased with our third period against Mercyhurst. We extended a lead, we played well with a lead, we killed a penalty and we played well at the end when they were playing 6-on-5 (with the goaltender pulled).

"That's where your veterans come into play."

Robert Morris doubled a one-goal advantage 59 seconds into the third period against Mercyhurst on junior forward Adam Brace's first goal of the season.

Mercyhurst pulled back to within a goal at 13:20, but Robert Morris was able to kill off a slashing penalty at 14:11 and then snuff out Mercyhurst's extra-attacker last gasp.

Forwards Brandon Blandina, Furman South and Nick Chiavetta and defenseman James Lyle, all seniors, and junior defenseman Brendan Jamison were among those relied upon heavily at crunch time, as were senior forwards Trevor Lewis and Ron Cramer.

"Those are all guys that have played in key situations," Schooley said. "It was good to see them buckle it down late.

"Hopefully, we'll be in this position a lot."

Lewis also showed up at the other end of the ice, registering a goal and an assist while making the all-tournament team.

"He was very good all weekend," Schooley assessed. "He was noticeable with and without the puck."

Junior forward Zach Hervato (1-0-1), Cramer (0-2-2) and Brace (1-1-2) also got Schooley's attention.

"Now, we need other people to do it," Schooley said. "We need to manufacture more than three goals on a weekend."

Air Force, a preseason second-place pick in the AHA coaches' poll, opened its season in the Icebreaker Tournament in Grand Forks, N.D., where it lost to then-No. 3 North Dakota, 4-3, and to Michigan State, 3-2, in overtime.

RMU went 1-2 against Air Force a season ago, winning 3-2 at the CONSOL Energy Center and losing a pair of 4-2 games at Air Force, both of which concluded with the Falcons scoring into an empty Robert Morris net.

Air Force was 20-12-6 overall last season, which ended with a 2-1 overtime loss to Yale in the NCAA Tournament.

"Air Force is a very good hockey team that played North Dakota tough and played Michigan State tough," Schooley said. "Air Force has a very good identity. (The Falcons) skate well and play hard and playing them in Colorado Springs at altitude will be a challenge.

"We have to be ready to play at their pace."