PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Freshman Zach Sabatini (Johns Creek, Ga.) scored twice Friday night for the Sacred Heart men's hockey team against #20 Robert Morris at 84 Lumber Arena, including the tying goal with 6:05 remaining in regulation that forced overtime. However, the Colonials scored twenty-five seconds into the extra session for a 5-4 win.

Robert Morris (9-1-3, 7-1-3 AHC) dominated puck possession in the early going, taking the first six shots of the game. Sacred Heart goaltender Andrew Bodnarchuk (Saskatoon, Sask.) stopped all six shots. The Pioneers responded with the next five shots on goal, all of which were saved by the Colonials netminder Terry Shafer. The Colonials got on the board at 5:30 of the first period when Daniel Leavens finished off a two-on-one rush for Robert Morris by tapping in a David Friedmann pass. Just over four minutes later, the Colonials tacked on another goal. Jeff Jones put Robert Morris ahead 2-0 at 9:38, one-timing home a David Rigatti pass.

Sacred Heart (5-7-2, 4-5-2 AHC) went on the power play with 6:23 remaining in the first period, but didn't manage a shot on goal. Connor Doherty (Holden, Mass.) had a shot blocked from the point, but that was all the Pioneers mustered on their first man advantage of the game. Sacred Heart was outshot 14-12 in the period, and had its second power play of the night come with 0:18 left in the first when Chase Golightly was called for interference.

The Pioneers had a 5-on-3 power play to start the second period as Robert Morris' Greg Gibson was called for interference at the end of the first. Thirty-five seconds into the period, Erlich Doerksen (Toronto, Ont.) finished off some tic-tac-toe passing from Mitch Nylen (Lawrenceville, Ga.) and Jordan Minello (Sweaburg, Ont.) to get Sacred Heart on the scoreboard with a power play goal. Sabatini tied the game 2-2 at the 4:55 mark with his first goal in nine games. The freshman fired a Jeff Carroll (Kingston, Ont.) feed past Shafer's stick to even the contest.

Sacred Heart continued to pour on the pressure, taking the lead at 12:31 of the second period. Ben Lake (Calgary, Alb.) fired a backhand right over Shafer's shoulder for his fifth goal of the season, putting the Pioneers in front 3-2. His goal extended his point-scoring streak to five consecutive games. However, Sacred Heart's lead wouldn't last long. Robert Morris went on the power play at 13:24 as Doerksen was called for slashing. Nine seconds into the man advantage, Brandon Denham scored to tie the game 3-3. The Pioneers outshot the Colonials 12-10 in the second period, but couldn't get another goal in the middle period. The two teams went to the second intermission with 24 shots and three goals apiece.

The Sacred Heart defense was on point to start the third period, holding Robert Morris to one shot on goal in the first six minutes. The Pioneers had an opportunity to take the lead at 8:49 of the period as Sacred Heart went on the power play for the fifth time. Robert Morris held the Pioneers to two shots from Drew George (Regina, Sask.) as the game remained tied.

The Pioneers, once again, went on the power play at 11:14. However, Robert Morris took the lead with 7:40 to play on a shorthanded goal by Cody Wydo. Sabatini responded with his second goal of the game with 6:05 remaining, making the score 4-4. Nylen fed a pass from the blueline to a goalline-extended Sabatini, who put a shot just inside the goalpost and under Shafer's blocker. Robert Morris had a pair of opportunities to win the game in regulation, but missed the mark as the game went into overtime. Twenty-five seconds into overtime, the Colonials got the game-winning goal as Lynch slipped the puck past Bodnarchuk to give Robert Morris the 5-4 win.

This was the second consecutive meeting between the Pioneers and Colonials where Robert Morris won less than 30 seconds into overtime. Sacred Heart outshot Robert Morris 35-32 for the game, including a 23-17 margin in the second and third periods. The Pioneers were 1-for-6 on the power play as the Colonials converted on their only power play of the night. Sabatini, Nylen, and Kory Kennedy (Midhurst, Ont.) each had two points in the game for Sacred Heart. Nylen and Kennedy each had two assists. Leavens, Lynch, and Wydo each had a goal and an assist for Robert Morris.

The two teams wrap up their weekend series Saturday night at 7:05 p.m.