Eight new players sported the Colonial logo last night as the RMU ACHA D-I men’s hockey team kicked off the season with the first of a two game series against the D-II Indiana University Hoosiers. The team topped the Hoosiers with a final score of 8-3.

The old and new faces both stepped up to fill in some big voids left from last season’s losses. Justin Rehrer, Carlos Quevedo Biel, Mason Krueger, Travis Reece, and Cody Brightbill all put up a multi-point night. Rehrer racked up six points, Krueger and Brightbill each had three points, and Biel and Reece end the night with two apiece.

“It was definitely a fun night. But I have to give the credit to my linemates,” said Rehrer. “I wouldn’t be able to do it without Carlos, Mason. Reece and Dallas Savoy I give all the credit to them. I was just in the right place at the right time tonight.”

Dallas Savoy with some help from Reece would open up the scoring for the team at the 11:06 maker. Two more goals would come before the period came to a conclusion. Rehrer and Kruger teamed up to score at 3:00 and Zach Michels would score 54 seconds later. The team would be up three goals, but down a man to enter the second frame.

With the second period under way, the Colonials had 1:43 left to kill on a late penalty for too many men on the ice. As the clock ticked down to four seconds remaining, the squad found themselves down two men. The short 5-on-3 proved uneventful for the group, but as soon play turned to 5-on-4 RMU wasted no time finding the net shorthanded, thanks to Rehrer’s pass to Brightbill at 17:56.

Beil came up again with his second of the night and Rehrer and Krueger added to their tally sheet. RMU’s sixth goal came on the powerplay from none other than team of Rehrer, Reece, and Brightbill. Joakim Axen stood his ground in net until the final minute of the second when the Hoosiers would find the back of the net for the first time of night, making for a score of 6-1 at the end of two.

Once the third period was underway, the Colonials continued their efforts to add to the scoreboard, and the opportunity came shortly after Dustin Mattern drew a penalty, sending RMU to the powerplay. Alex Rowland scored his first goal as a Colonial with help from the red hot Rehrer and Brightbill.

Indiana responded quickly, adding their second goal of the night at 15:52. The Hoosiers goal scoring seized for a while until Beil recorded his second of the night. Rehrer and Kruger received credit for the assists, giving the Colonials a final of eight goals on the night. Indiana added another tally at the 1:20 mark in the third and the game was sealed after that.

The Colonials skated away with their first win of the year. Despite the win, the team still has room for improvements and they hope to start working on them tomorrow.

“We got tired at the end of shifts, started running around; we got sloppy when we got tired,” said assistant coach Conrad Waite. “We want to be a lot more consistent at the beginning on the game and the end of the game .”