Morgantown, WV- The Colonials D1 Club Ice Hockey team started 2020 with two more for the win column with victories over conference rivals Slippery Rock and West Virginia. On Friday the 10th, RMU travelled to Slippery Rock and hit them hard and early for a 8-1 victory. The team followed up that effort with a strong 5-2 victory over West Virginia. The Colonials, now 18-6-1 are rocking a 8-1 conference record in the homeward stretch of the season. RMU has eleven games left this season and are looking to continue their strong play into the conference playoffs.
Game 1: RMU defeats Slippery Rock 8-1
Robert Morris came out in this game showing how much the rest from the break had benefited them. Like any other hockey game, it began 0-0 to at the opening faceoff. Before the eight minute mark of the 1st period, RMU led 5-0. RMU opened up the scoring frenzy just over a minute in, when
Justin Adamski got his first of the game.
Trevor Johnson scored a shorthanded goal a minute later, and Adamski added his second of the game before the game had even reached the 3 minute mark.
Joseph Zottola scored off a
Steven Ralston faceoff win to make it 4-0, and then defenseman
Zach Gielarowski rifled a shot from the point that found the back of the net to make it a 5-0 Colonial lead only 7:47 into the game. Here's a closer look at the Gielarowski goal:
After the frenzied beginning, both teams settled in and it went to the intermission with the same score. SRU scored their lone goal of the game early in the 2nd period. Goaltender
Parker Rutherford made 28 saves on 29 shots to pick up the win. The Colonials lone goal of the 2nd period was a textbook passing play that set up Ralston on the doorstep with no one near him. He buried it with ease to make it a 6-1 game.
The final period of play would see two goals for Robert Morris, and two individual firsts for some of its players. RMU's seventh goal of the game was netted by Trevor Kleckner. In his debut with the team, he bounced back from an early penalty to score in his first game with the club. The game's final goal was scored by freshman
Justin Adamski, his third of the game. This is Adamski's first hat trick as a Colonial. RMU picked up the huge victory thanks to a complete team effort.
Game 2: RMU defeats West Virginia 5-2
The Colonials wasted little time getting the early lead in this one as well. RMU went ahead 1-0 less than a minute off the stick of Joseph Zottola.
Steven Ralston also scored in the first period to give the Colonials a 2-0 lead at the break. The goals kept coming for Robert Morris as the Colonials got two more in the second period to make it a 4-0 game. Zottola got his second of the game early in the second to start. Also worth noting that
Nathan Mickey picked up an assist on all 3 RMU goals to that point.
Matthew Butson scored midway through the period to account for the 4-0 lead.
West Virginia answered back with 2 quick goals of their own before the period would come to a close. Despite the two goals, it was a relatively quiet day for goaltender
Lewis Richardson. He ended up with 20 saves on 22 shots.
A late empty netter from Zottola got him the hat trick, and sealed the game in favor of Robert Morris. Zottola continues to lead the team in points with 35 points in 22 games. Despite picking up 3 assists in the West Virginia game,
Nathan Mickey remains the team leader in goals with 16 this season.
Alexander Gagnon '21
Club Sport Information Director
