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 Timesand 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.

Prisuta on Pucks: Colonials Picking Up Steam

Derek Schooley isn't yet ready to call Robert Morris a finished product, but there's no question the Colonials are starting to come together as a hockey team and starting to get it together on the ice.

That's been a winning combination of late and the points are beginning to pile up as a result.

“We've figured out what we are,” Schooley said. “And we like where our team is going.”

The 3-1-1 streak Robert Morris is riding following a 5-2 win and a 3-3 tie in last weekend's series against Army has a lot to do with that. But so, too, does the manner in which RMU's recent successes have been achieved.

Senior forward Tom Brooks, junior forward Zach Hervato, junior defenseman Andrew Blazek, sophomore defenseman Evan Renwick and freshman defenseman Tyson Wilson all missed the Army series because of injuries. But RMU was still able to earn three of a possible four points against Army in what Schooley assessed as “two really good hockey games.”

The Colonials (5-6-1 overall, 3-2-1 in the Atlantic Hockey Association) will attempt to continue generating momentum and piling up points this Friday (7:05 p.m.) and Saturday (4 p.m.) at Sacred Heart (0-8-1, 1-12-1).

Among the aspects of RMU's game that have pleased Schooley of late has been the play of goaltenders Eric Levine (junior) and Brooks Ostergard (senior).

Levine (3-2-0, 2.22 goals-against average) allowed two goals in two games against American International Nov. 4-5.

Ostergard (2-4-1, 3.14) has gone 2-0-1 since and made 47 saves, the fifth-highest single-game total in RMU history, in Saturday night's 3-3 tie with Army.

“Our team is confident whoever's in net,” Schooley said. “Both will continue to get opportunities.”

The freshman class has also stepped up its collective game. Forward Scott Jacklin's two goals and one assist against Army earned him AHA Rookie of the Week honors. But forward David Rigatti switched to defense to help compensate for the lack of healthy bodies on the blueline, and forwards Cody Cartier (his second) and Cody Wydo (his second) also found the net on the weekend. Wilson and freshman forward Jeff Jones also have goals this season.

“Our whole freshman class as of late has really started to contribute the way we envisioned,” Schooley said. “You have to adjust quickly and adapt to whatever your role becomes.

“They've started to figure that out.”

RMU's penalty-killing units remain among the best in the nation (No. 2 this week at 94.2 percent, behind Yale's 95.1).

And after a frustrating start to the season from an offensive standpoint the Colonials have averaged 4.0 goals a game over their last three games.

RMU remains a middle-of-the-pack team in the AHA, currently residing in a three-way tie for sixth place with Connecticut and Niagara with seven points. But the Colonials have also played fewer AHA games (six) than all 11 of their conference counterparts.

They have three games in hand on first-place Air Force (6-2-1, 13 points) and will host Niagara, Canisius and RIT on consecutive weekends after visiting Sacred Heart.

The final game of the calendar year will be played on Dec. 30 at the CONSOL Energy Center against No. 7 Ohio State in the RMU Hockey Showcase.

“We're finding our identity,” Schooley said. “We're feeling very confident.”