ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Feb. 18, 2012 – For the second night in a row, the Robert Morris men’s hockey team skated to a 2-2 overtime tie with RIT on Saturday night at Ritter Arena.

Robert Morris (14-13-5 overall, 12-8-5 Atlantic Hockey) opened the night with an offensive explosion in the first period, taking a 2-0 lead after rallying for a 2-2 overtime tie the night before. Junior defenseman Brendan Jamison (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Jersey Hitmen) notched his first goal of the season 4:19 into the contest when he crashed the Tigers’ net and knocked in a rebound from the slot. Senior forward Cody Crichton (Palgrave, Ontario / Brampton Capitals) put the initial shot on net and was credited with the assist – his first of two helpers on the night. Senior forward Trevor Lewis (Lititz, Pa. / Syracuse Stars), who made his 136th career appearance on Saturday to tie the all-time RMU record, also earned an assist on the goal. 

Crichton, who ended the night with a team-best 25 points for the year, would also set up junior forward Adam Brace (Cobden, Ontario / Canisius) on RMU’s first power-play opportunity of the night for the Colonials’ second goal at 13:51 of the period. Freshman forward Cody Cartier (Sylvan Lake, Alberta / Canmore Eagles) also earned an assist Brace’s ninth of the year. The goal snapped a four-game point drought for Brace.  The Colonial power play would go 1-for-5 on the night while the top-ranked penalty kill blanked RIT on all five chances.

Senior goaltender Brooks Ostergard (Chagrin Falls, Ohio / Bay State Breakers) backstopped another gem for the Colonials, making 40 saves – his second 40-plus save performance of the weekend – to move to 8-9-4 on the year. No save was bigger than the senior’s second-period snagging of a loose puck that bounced off the pipe and teetered inches off the goal line before Ostergard reached back and gloved the puck to safety. The Tigers (17-10-5, 14-6-5) would eventual best Ostergard with a goal from Trevor Eckenswiller at 11:19 of the second period before Ben Lynch found the equalizer exactly nine minutes into the third period. Shane Madolora would make 37 saves in net for the Tigers.

Both teams would up the tempo in the final 10 minutes of regulation, trading unsuccessful scoring opportunities, however for the second-straight night the game was destined for overtime. RIT, which ended the game with a 42-39 shot advantage, was hit with a penalty call in the added session but Robert Morris couldn’t convert the opportunity as the two teams had to split four league points for the weekend with the two ties. RMU outshot the Tigers 2-0 in overtime on Saturday.

Robert Morris closes out the 2011-12 regular season with a home series against Air Force next weekend at Clearview Arena.

Colonial Notes: Trevor Lewis moved into a tie for first all-time at Robert Morris with his 136th career appearance (Denny Urban, Nathan Longpre (2007-11)…Robert Morris is now 3-0-1 this year following a tie…Ron Cramer’s two-minute minor on Saturday moved him within 14 penalty minutes of Jeff Gilbert’s RMU career record.

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