Game 9
Robert Morris (5-3-0, 3-1-0 CHA) vs. Ohio State (2-8-0, 0-6-0 CCHA)
Friday, November 16, 2007 ~ 8:05 p.m.
Pittsburgh, Pa. ~ Mellon Arena (17,000)
Radio: Fox Sports Radio 970 AM
(Gero Von Dehn, play-by-play and Bob Kennedy color)
On the Internet (live and archived) at: www.sports.yahoo.com
Opening Remarks: The Colonials end their streak of five-straight games in Pittsburgh tonight, as they host Ohio State for the Pittsburgh College Hockey Showcase at the Mellon Arena. After tonight’s game Robert Morris will then start a span of three-straight road games beginning with a game at Ohio State on Sunday, Nov. 18. The Colonials will not return to the Island Sports Center until their weekend series with Quinnipiac on Dec. 7-8.
Quick State of the Night: The Colonials have killed 21 of their last 23 penalties, good enough for a 91.3% penalty kill percentage. On the other hand, they have also been killer on the power-play, converting at a 31.8% clip, scoring seven times in their last 22 chances.
Filling the Net: Senior Ryan Cruthers
took over the scoring lead in the CHA last Saturday night after posting a three-point night. He tallied two goals and one assist, including the clubs first shorthanded goal of the year as well as an empty net goal. Cruthers has five goals and five assists on the year for 10 points.
Lighting the Lamp:
Robert Morris has outscored its opponents 18-7 in its four victories and has been outscored 19-4 in its two losses.
The Series:
Tonight marks the first meeting between the two clubs.
Neutral Site Games:
This season, the Colonials are 2-0-0 in neutral site games this season, but are 0-1-0 all-time at the Mellon Arena, falling to #2 Notre Dame 6-2.
Last Time Out - #19 Niagara - Saturday, November 10: Robert Morris lead by three power-play goals, defeated the 19th ranked Niagara Purple Eagles, 4-2, Saturday night at the RMU Island Sports Center.
The Colonials outshot the Purple Eagles, 11-6, in the first period but neither team could get on the board going a combined 0-for-5 on the power-play. The Colonials attempted zero shots on their two power-play chances, while Niagara totaled three shots.
The second period featured three goals, two of which coming from the Colonials. Robert Morris got on the board first with a Sean Berkstresser power-play goal. Berkstresser banged his own rebound home beating Niagara goalie Juliano Pagliero 43 seconds into the second period. Ryan Cruthers and Chris Margott picked up the assists on the play. Senior goalie Christian Boucher kept Niagara off the board at the 7:50 mark of the second period by stopping a 2-on-1 chance after a Vince Rocco shot. Cruthers beat Pagliero on a breakaway just over nine minutes after the game first goal, shorthanded to give RMU a, 2-0, lead.
Ted Cook cashed in with a power-play goal, after Denny Urban took a five-minute checking from behind penalty, at the 16:42 mark, Egor Mironov and Les Reaney picked up assists on the play.
Robert Morris put two more goals on the board in period number three. David Boguslawski made the score 9:34 into the period on the power-play, with Jake Sparks and Jason Towsley picked up the assists on the play. Les Reaney got Niagara to within one goal at the 14:42 mark, making the score 3-2, but Cruthers scored his fourth goal of the season on an empty net, giving RMU a 4-2 victory.
Boucher stopped 21 of the 23 shots he faced, while Pagliero made 37 saves on 41 shots for Niagara.
Last Time Out - #19 Niagara - Friday, November 9: Robert Morris fell to #19 Niagara, 4-0, Friday night at the RMU Island Sports Center.
The Purple Eagles opened the scoring in the first period with a power-play goal when Matt Caruana fired a shot from the top of the face-off circle passed a screened Christian Boucher 18:53 in. Vince Rocco and Kyle Rogers picked up the assists on the play. The Colonials however outshot Niagara 19-6 in the first period.
Niagara added a pair of even strength goals in the second frame, with Jim Burichin banging home a shot from right in front of Boucher off a pass from Travis Anderson from behind the RMU cage 6:47 into the period. Armand Scarlato also recorded an assist on the play. Ted Cook made the score, 3-0, in favor of Niagara almost two minutes later, with Anderson picking up his second assist of the evening.
Niagara scored an empty net goal with just over five minutes left in the game when Caruana broke free out of his zone, Chris Moran and Rocco tallied assists on the play.
Special Teams Are the Key: Through eight games this season the Colonials are converting at 21.2% (11-of-52) on the power-play, while killing off 78.4% (40-of-51) of their penalties.
Keeping It Close:
After three plus seasons, the Colonials have played in 31 one-goal games. They are 14-18 in those games. Robert Morris finished the 2006-07 season with nine one-goal games and were 4-5 in those contests.
The Magic of Four: Four has been a magic number for the Colonials in their first three-plus seasons of Division I hockey. As in scoring at least four and giving up less than four. When the Colonials reach four goals, they are 24-7-3 (.750) all-time. If they hold opponents to less than four goals, the are 31-19-7 (.605). On the other side of the coin, when RMU scores less than four, they are just 2-38-2 (.071). When opponents score four of more, the Colonials are just 3-40-2 (.088).
Against the CCHA: The Colonials are 2-7-0 all-time against CCHA teams. Robert Morris split their series with nationally ranked Notre Dame last season, before dropping a pair of games to Miami (Ohio).
Courtesy: Robert Morris Athletics