The Robert Morris University men’s ice hockey team started slow on Saturday night but eventually defeated Wayne State 5-4 to stretch its team-record unbeaten streak to five games.
The Colonials are 4-0-1 and have outscored their opponents 25-17 while running their record to 9-15-2 on the year and 5-7-1 in College Hockey America play.
Wayne State quickly took the momentum in the first period, scoring just 10 seconds into the game on Jason Bloomingburg’s 10th goal of the year, a one-timer from the left side of the crease. Steve Kovalchik earned the assist, feeding Bloomingburg from the right circle.
The Warriors’ John May stretched the margin to 2-0 just 76 seconds later when his slap shot from the left point hit a defender’s stick and found the back of the net. The goal chased Robert Morris sophomore goaltender Christian Boucher from the net.
With junior Joe Tuset in net, the Colonials mounted a comeback. Freshman Chris Margott started it with his ninth goal of the year at 10:56 of the period with help from sophomores Joel Gasper and Brett Hopfe.
Just 64 seconds later, Hopfe scored his first of two goals on the night, finding the net from the left edge of the crease after Margott cut through the slot and was stopped by Wayne State goaltender Will Hooper. Sophomore defenseman Rob Cowan picked up his first assist of the year on the goal.
The two teams exchanged goals in the second period with Hopfe tallying his second of the night on the power play before the Warriors’ Jon Grabarek tied the game at 3-3. Sophomore Logan Bittle put the Colonials back on top at 14:59, finishing off a cross-ice feed from classmate David Boguslawski. Before the period ended, however, Matt Krug scored his second goal of the year for Wayne State, finding the inside of the far post on a shot from the right point sending the game into the decisive third period tied at 4-4.
Just past the midway point of the final frame, junior Aaron Clarke won a face off just inside the Wayne State zone. Clarke passed the puck ahead to himself in the slot and came in on Hooper all alone, roofing a shot high over Hooper’s stick side for the game-winning goal at 11:33.
Tuset finished the game with 27 saves while allowing just the two goals to earn his second win of the year and run his record to 2-1-0. Hooper finished with 28 saves as the Colonials held a 33-31 advantage in shots on goal. Robert Morris finished 1-4 and Wayne State was 0-3 on the power play.
