November
15, 2006
Robert
Morris Continues to Challenge in the CHA
By
Warren Kozireski
Robert Morris continued their development
into a viable contender in College Hockey America by traveling
to Bemidji, Minn., and garnering their first victory against
the Beavers on the road.
CHA
Notebook
Ryan Cruthers, a junior for Robert Morris who began
his career at Army, had three assists in the Colonials'
first-ever win at Bemidji State.
"We played determined and a complete
game from start to finish and got the result we wanted,"
said head coach Derek Schooley about his team's 3-2 win.
"I thought we played fine Saturday, but fine in this
league gets you a 3-0 loss. Maybe we were satisfied, I don't
know."
Junior forward Ryan Cruthers, in his first
season with the Colonials after transferring from Army and
sitting out the obligatory season, assisted on all three
goals — two at even strength — to double his
season point total.
"It was a nice showing after leaving
campus at 4 a.m. the day before to travel," said Schooley.
"We stopped off to practice in Coleraine, Minn., home
of Frank and Tom Serratore (head coaches of Air Force and
Bemidji respectively) and got in around 4 p.m."
Aaron Clarke, Jason Towsley, and Doug Conley
scored for the Colonials and they protected their own end
well as Christian Boucher faced just four shots in the third
period.
Bemidji bounced back with a 3-0 win Saturday
scoring all three in the second period and keeping the pressure
on in the third with half of their 36 shots.
"They took it to us Friday and we responded
Saturday," said Bemidji State head coach Tom Serratore.
"It was a bit of desperation not wanting to lose two
games in our own barn."
Robert Morris hosts Alabama-Huntsville this
weekend where the Chargers are 3-1. The only Colonial win
was 1-0 last season on Christian Boucher's only shutout
of the season and second overall.
Bemidji State hosts rival Niagara. The two
teams are evenly matched at 5-5-1 head-to-head since the
start of the 2003-04 season and 2-2 at Bemidji over the
past two seasons.
SEEN AND HEARD IN THE CHA
Just When You Think You've Figured
This Game Out: Just when you think you've figured
this game out…Alabama-Huntsville and Niagara combined
for 10 goals in Friday's 7-3 Purple Eagles victory, but
went scoreless for 51:18 Saturday. Niagara then scored three
times in 3:20 before UAH broke up the shutout bid with just
under six minutes remaining.
Senior goaltender Allen Barton made 36 saves
and picked up his second victory of the season Friday after
not playing a single minute last season.
Niagara freshman forward Chris Moran is tied
for 5th in the nation in assists, but had to wait until
his 11th game to pick up his first collegiate goal also
on Friday. "It was nice to see Chris get his first,"
said head coach Dave Burkholder. "He's been one of
our best players and a catalyst, but I know he was chomping
at the bit to get one."
Defenseman Tyler Gotto also got his first
collegiate goal in the same contest.
Bemidji State Injury Update: Bemidji
State senior forward Ryan Miller, the team's leading goal
scorer last season, has missed the last four games after
suffering a concussion at Niagara on Oct. 28. He is expected
to be back in the lineup when the Beavers host the same
Purple Eagles this weekend.
Beavers senior netminder Layne Sedevie, who
was pulled just 5:17 into the Oct. 27 loss to Niagara, has
also returned to practice though his return date to game
action has not been determined. He has 29 career victories
in 53 appearances. "Matt Climie will start Friday and
we'll go from there," said Serratore.
Great Weekend Getaway
Niagara
at Bemidji State (Fri.-Sat.) It's round two, and also the final regular-season
tilts between these perennial CHA powers. The Purps
took round one with a win and a tie. The bad news
is they can't meet again until the playoffs in three
months.
While You’re There: Open House
at Healing Hands Massage and Mobile. Get rid of that
lactic acid from the opening game. Free 10-minute
seated chair massage and refreshments at their new
location on Bemidji Ave.
Stick
Salute
Bemidji State
junior goaltender Matt Climie made 26 saves and registered
the sixth shutout of his career Saturday.
Bench
Minor
Robert
Morris' power play was 1-for-16 on the weekend
including 0-for-9 in the 3-0 loss Saturday.
FRIES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BAG
• Robert Morris was virtually 50 percent
at the face-off dot (35 won, 37 lost) against Bemidji State
in a 3-2 win Friday, but the Beavers won the circle battles
46-26 in their 3-0 shutout Saturday. "Didn't matter,"
said the Colonials' Schooley. "They didn't score off
the draw once the whole game."
• Bemidji State junior defenseman Riley
Weselowski was on the ice for Robert Morris' game-winning
goal Friday and was not in the lineup Saturday.
• The line of Sean Bentivoglio, Les
Reaney and Ted Cook has accounted for 64 of Niagara's 125
points (51%) this season.
• Niagara is the only CHA team not to
score shorthanded this season, but has allowed a league-worst
four goals while a man short.
• With just two wins in their first
9 games, Wayne State is off to the worst start in the program's
history. It doesn't get any easier with road trips to Lake
Superior State and Cornell for two games each the next two
weekends.
• Rookie Kevin Morrison's penalty shot
goal against Air Force was the first for UAH since 2000
when Dwayne Blais scored against Iona.
• Former UAH goaltender Scott Munroe
has played in a team-high seven games for the Philadelphia
Phantoms in the AHL and has two victories with a 3.41 GAA.
A variety
of sources were utilized in the compilation of this report.
