Storrs, Conn. – The Robert Morris University men’s hockey team needed a win in Saturday night’s contest against Connecticut to stay alive in the Atlantic Hockey playoffs.  Unfortunately for the Colonials, game two of the series followed a similar script to game one as RMU jumped out to an early lead before allowing multiple goals to the Huskies to create a deficit too big to overcome as the Colonials fell by a score of 4-3.  The loss ended one of the best seasons in program history with a school record of 20 wins.

Halfway through the first period, senior forward Zach Hervato (Stittsville, Ontario / Smiths Falls Bears) would open the scoring.  Hervato’s line mates Colin South (Sewickley, Pa. / Bay State Breakers) and Jeff Jones (Revelstoke, British Columbia / Merritt Centennials) would both assist on the only goal of the first period as RMU would lead, 1-0, after 20 minutes of play.

The second period belonged to Connecticut as the Huskies would net three goals in the session to take a 3-1 lead.  The first goal that would tie the score came less than two minutes after the start of the period.  The following two goals that would give Connecticut the lead for good came just sixteen seconds apart in the middle of the period.

Down 3-1, Robert Morris would battle back within a goal as defenseman Andrew Blazek (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Topeka Roadrunners) would net his ninth goal of the season while the Colonials were on a power play.  Hervato would be credited with the only assist on the goal as RMU would trail, 3-2, heading in to the third period.

Connecticut would strike quickly again in the third period to regain the two-goal advantage with a power-play goal of its own just three minutes in to the third.

With less than four minutes remaining in the game and potentially in the season for Robert Morris, goaltender Eric Levine (Wheeling, Ill. / Pembroke Lumber Kings) was pulled in favor of an extra attacker.  The move would quickly pay dividends as sophomore forward Cody Wydo (Southgate, Mich. / Motor City Metal Jackets) brought the Colonials back to within a goal as 3:43 remained in the contest.  Hervato and South would each pick up their second assists in the game on Wydo’s 21st goal of the season.

Again with Levine on the bench, the Colonials pressed for the game-tying goal but could not capitalize before time ran out as Connecticut escaped with a 4-3 victory to take the quarterfinal series.  Levine finished the game with 26 saves as he ended the season with a 19-12-4 record. 

The Colonials will return 21 skaters from this season’s team that finished with a record of 20-14-4 including seven of the top ten scorers this season.