Robert Morris picked up it’s third win of the season, the third over an Atlantic Hockey team, in the consolation game of the Rensselaer/Bank of America Holiday Hockey Tournament with a 4-2 victory over Sacred Heart.
The Colonials went 3-for-10 on the power play while the Pioneers were 1-for-7.
Robert Morris jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period. The first goal was scored by Logan Bittle. Bittle pounced on a rebounds to the left of Kevin LaPointe and put it past him as LaPointe was late in reacting. Later in the period Jace Buzek made a nice play at neutral ice while killing a Sacred Heart power play. Buzek passed the puck to himself between the legs of defender Frederic Harland and walked in on LaPointe. Buzek opened up LaPointe’s five-hole and slid a backhand through for the shorthanded goal.
That lead quickly grew to 3-0 on a Robert Morris five-on-three power play. David Boguslawski took the puck into the high slot and sent a wrister past a screened LaPointe for the goal.
The Pioneers got one back in the second period on the power play. Alexandre Parent picked up a rebound to the right of Christian Boucher and put it past him to make it 3-1.
But Robert Morris got that goal back on the power play. Already shorthanded, Harland took a five-minute major for checking from behind and the resulting five-on-three saw the Colonials score their fourth goal. Doug Conley found a rebound and put it past LaPointe.
Sacred Heart answered in the third. Rocco Molinaro broke in alone on Boucher and tried to put it five-hole, but Boucher closed that. Boucher did leave the puck in the crease though, and Nick Kary followed up to poke it past a sprawled Boucher to make it 4-2.
That was as close as Sacred Heart got, despite a last-minute power play for the Pioneers.
Boucher picked up 28 saves for the win while LaPointe made 18 saves.
Sacred Heart (5-8-0) will go back into Atlantic Hockey action hosting Mercyhurst and Canisius next weekend and look to continue its lead in Atlantic Hockey. Robert Morris (3-9-1) will be at Miami for a pair of games next weekend.
