Robert Morris Hockey: High-Scoring Colonials Are Battle-Tested For First NCAA Tournament
By Larry Snyder
The Robert Morris Colonials are preparing for their first trip to the NCAA men’s hockey tournament this weekend. (Photo: RMU Athletics)
The Robert Morris University men’s hockey program has the greater Pittsburgh area abuzz about winning the Atlantic Hockey Association championship 7-4 over Canisius on Saturday night in Rochester, N.Y.
The clamor over the Colonials has grown louder with the announcement of their making the NCAA tournament, and their matchup with No. 2 Minnesota in the West Regional semifinals at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday in St. Paul, Minn. The program this week also earned 31 votes in the United States College Hockey Online (USCHO.com) poll.
Back at the end of December, the Colonials were quietly sitting at a 2-12-2 start to the 2013-2014 campaign. RMU had dropped both of their games at the Three Rivers Classic to Penn State and Bowling Green at Consol Energy Center.
Neither head coach Derek Schooley, nor his staff of Matt Nicholson, Mark Workman and Kody Van Rentergem – and certainly not the players – were ready to surrender the rest of the season. They seized the opportunity to begin anew with the remaining 18 games on the schedule.
The 11-4-3 surge that came in January and February was due in part to the offense getting back on track for the Colonials. Schooley’s crew went 6-1 in the conference tournament. When it was time to meet Canisius in the AHA championship contest, Robert Morris had scored 91 goals, 156 assists and 247 points in 24 games, all of which were the highest totals in the entire NCAA.
It should also be noted that since January, RMU has taking aim at the scoreboard has averaged 3.92 goals per game, which was the highest scoring average in the country.
One of the leaders in the Colonials’ scoring barrage has been junior left wing Cody Wydo. The native of Southgate, Mich., contributed seven goals and five assists in seven playoff games for RMU on his way to becoming the tournament MVP.
Wydo was one of the difference-makers for RMU as his 23 regular-season goals set a new program record, and his 30 total goals led the AHA. His 49 points was second in the conference, behind only Brent Gensler’s 53 for Bentley.
The key was that 31 of those points came from Wydo during the 2014 part of the season. He also became the fourth Colonial, and the first junior in program history, to record 100 career points.
Sophomore right wing Zac Lynch contributed 18 goals and 27 assists for 45 points in 41 games for RMU this season. This young man from Pittsburgh had two goals and seven assists over the seven games of the AHA tournament.
Junior center Scott Jacklin put up 15 goals and 21 assists over 39 games. The native of Kimberly, B.C., had four goals and three assists over seven games in the tournament, including the game-winning goal in overtime to defeat Niagara 5-4 in the semifinal.
Ontario-born sophomore center Greg Gibson was also named to the AHA all-tournament team for contributing four goals and four assists in seven games. Overall he scored 15 goals and 16 assists in 40 games played.
Keep an eye on these Colonials. There may be plenty of ammo left in those muskets as they head to Minnesota.