After a huge conference win last night against West Virginia University, the RMU ACHA DI hockey team returned to home ice for their final home game of 2015. The team carried last night’s momentum into tonight’s game against the Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Tonight’s game also featured newly named captains, Cody Brightbill will be supported by alternates Andrew Lister and Justin Rehrer, who would all be of some assistance in tonight’s win. Chris Howland will also join the group as an alternate.

“Captains are something we like to wait till later in the season because you kind feel the way it develops and we feel very strongly that everyone in the room is responsible for leading. Whether you have a letter on your jersey or not, we don’t want first thing every guy looking ‘well it’s just the guys with letters that are doing it’,” said Conrad Waite. “The way it develops, I think the guys we gave letters too are the ones who stepped forward and have either been the leaders on this team for a couple of years or really showed this season, with the seniors we graduated, that they do things the way we want them done and that everyone should look to them for that.”

Mason Krueger would kick things off for RMU with an unassisted goal at 5:59. The Colonials powerplay would come up big for the team. Rehrer’s goal at 9:37 would be assisted by Krueger and Travis Reece. At 12:54 RMU would go up 3-0 as Rehrer and Brightbill will help Lister find the back of the net.

IUP had different plans in the second period Leo Blore and Christopher McCambridge tallied for the Hawks. By the conclusion of the second, IUP had made it a one goal game.

A close game continued through most of the third, but Rehrer would give the insurance goal at 3:23. And with that, the Colonial’s would close the book on the 2015 portion of their season.

“I’ve been getting a lot of good bounces, my way, especially that last goal there. But I owe a lot of the credit to my linemates. I’m always playing with different players every weekend, but yeah I owe the credit to my linemates and that’s pretty much the reason I’ve been successful, we work together” said Rehrer. “When things don’t work the right way it gets pretty frustrating, but so far they’ve been working, especially my line we keep producing so as long as we keep doing that we should be fine.”

Despite the team still working its line chemistry, a number of players have stood out for the squad this season, including their captains. With the first half of the season wrapping up, the team is looking to continue with their recent performance.

“The biggest thing is we got one week left this semester. We got one week of practice and two against two of the better teams we’ll play this year, so it’s easy to keep focus for that. After that it’s a home stretch second semester,” said Waite.”One of the things we’ll talk through with the younger guys is how quick it goes. It’s about half as long as the first one and not wasting a moment of it.”