RMU Colonials Vs. Mercyhurst Lakers GameDay, TV/Radio, And Preview
By Larry Snyder
It will be a battle of longtime Keystone State rivals Friday, March 20 when the Robert Morris University men’s ice hockey team takes on Mercyhurst University in the first game of the Atlantic Hockey Conference Frozen Four. The semifinal match-up will drop the puck at 5:05 p.m. at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, N.Y.
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RMU, which is ranked 20th in the USCHO.com poll, compiled an overall regular seson record 22-7-5 and 19-5-4 in the AHC. They are among six schools that own single digit losses this season including North Dakota, Minnesota State, Boston University, Michigan Tech, and Yale. They were atop the conference standings from beginning to end with a signifcant lead a majority of the season.
After a first round bye in the AHC tournament, the Colonials dispatched the Niagara University Purple Eagles last weekend in consecutive quarterfinal contests 4-2 and 6-3. The 10 goal scoring barrage was spread among seven different players.
Over the course of 34 regular season games and two conference playoff match-ups, senior left wing Cody Wydo has contributed 19 goals and 22 assists for 41 points. Junior right wing Zac Lynch is second with 17 goals and 22 assists for 39 points while senior center Scott Jacklin has put up 13 goals and 18 assists for 31 points. Wydo, a Hobey Baker Award finalist, also led the squad in shots with 146.
When it comes to defense, keep an eye on junior defenseman Chase Golightly and sophomore blue-liner Rob Mann, who are tied for the lead in blocked shots with 70 each. Next was freshman defenseman Alex Bontje with 61 blocks.
You can expect to see sophomore goaltender Dalton Izyk, with a record of 7-1 in postseason play. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound netminder is 15-4-0 this season with a 2.51 goals against average and .925 save percentage. If Izyk falters or gets hurt, junior Terry Shafer can step in and get the job done. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound goalie put together a 9-3-4 record with a 2.15 GAA and a .930 save percentage.
The Colonials, under head coach Derek Schooley, are making their second consecutive appearance in the AHC Frozen Four. Schooley, in his 11th season at the helm of RMU, is the only head coach in program history. He was named Coach of the Year Thursday by the Atlantic Hockey Conference.
When: Friday, March 20
Puck Drop: 5:05 p.m., ET
Site: Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial, Rochester, New York
Pittsburgh Radio Coverage: 970 ESPN AM
Announcers: Steve Kolbe and Mike Prisuta
Live Video Steam – Pay To Watch: AtlanticHockeyTV
Live Audio Stream: Penguins Live
Live Stats: Sidearmstats.com
Social Media – Twitter: @RMUHockey
The Lakers of Mercyhurst University claim an 18-15-4 mark overall and a 14-10-3 record in the AHC. They are the No. 5 seed and defeated the Bentley University Falcons 1-0 in overtime and 4-2 in winning Games 1 and 3 of their playoff series.
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The MU offense is led by senior forward Daniel Bahntge, who has 13 goals and 22 assists for 35 points. Redshirt senior forward Kyle Just is right behind his teammate with 12 goals and 20 assists for 32 points. Rounding out the attack is senior forward Matthew Zay with 12 goals and 19 assists for a total of 31 poitns.
Senior defenseman Tyler Shiplo is the leader in blocked shots with 68. It will be freshman goaltender Brandon Wildung, who took over for an injured Jimmy Sarjeant, that will be between the pipes tonight. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound netminder has put up a 10-9-3 record with a 2.48 GAA and a .923 save percentage.
Head coach Rick Gotkin is in his 27th season leading the Lakers. His teams have captured five league championships and have made six NCAA tournament appearances.
Up Next: The winner of this contest will play the winner of Friday’s RIT and Canisius game. The AHC Championship will be played at the Blue Cross Arena Saturday, March 21 at 7:05 p.m.
From The Clipboard: Coming into this evening’s meeting, Robert Morris checks in at No. 21 in the PairWise survey and No. 37 on the KRACH list. Meanwhile Mercyhurst has a PairWise rating of 38 and a KRACH ranking of 50…RMU has put up 31 goals in the first period, 44 in the second, and 52 in the third this season. They have three scores in overtime…At the other end of the ice, MU claims 35 scores in the first, 38 in the second, and 36 in the third frame with two tallies in overtime.
Next: Cody Wydo becomes RMU's first-ever Hobey Baker finalist