PITTSBURGH — In the second game of a weekend series against the Bentley Falcons (7-11-1,6-7-1 AHA) the Robert Morris Colonials (8-13-1, 7-8-1 AHA) fell 5-1 but that doesn’t tell you all you should know from this episode at Colonials Arena. The Colonials had the energy to compete in this one.

The Colonials started the first period electrified. The quickness off the opening draw was enough to even force a penalty jus fourteen seconds into the game. The power-play hasn’t been the Colonials bread and butter as of late – their power play percentage is 46th in the nation – but it’s a phenomenal way to start a hockey game.

The Colonials didn’t convert though, and the Falcons came down to score on their first shot of the game. Luke Santerno took the feed from the man who put his team down so early, Luke Orysiuk, to put Bentley up early.

Later on, the Falcons scored again, this time it was the captain Tanner Jago who took the puck from the corner and waltzed out to the front of the net to take two shots from in close. One of which went in and Bentley now held a two goal lead at 2-0. It almost seemed like the Falcons would take this one in the first period when Santerno potted his second of the night, until Robert Morris challenged the play for being offsides. The call was reversed and the Colonials escape the first with only a two-goal deficit.

The second period saw Robert Morris’s energy and drive continue to chip away at the once impenetrable Falcon defense. The only difference was the execution. The second period stands as good an example as any as the Colonials had strong shift after strong shift, but couldn’t break through the Bentley goaltender, Aidan Pelino. Eventually the Colonials would run out of chances and Jake Kauppila made sure they paid for it by scoring on a quick two-on-one.

Both teams failed to score on all of power-play chances they received. It wasn’t a good special teams night for either club. After a barrage of chances from Robert Morris, the Falcons got a rush going and some weaving in the high slot led to Brendan Walkom, the Moon native, scoring in his hometown in front of his friends and family. The celebration was cut short as the Colonials were finally able to break through late in the second period. Nick Jenny fired a shot from the point and the rebound ended up bouncing on the shelf of the net. Nick Prkusic was there to take a whack at it, but the puck trickled down the back of Pelino to end the period at 4-1.

The third period was the same as the other two before it as the game got more physical. Walkom scored again, but not before some controversy. The goal was reviewed for being offsides, but the call stood. This sealed the deal as Bentley walked away with two wins over a desperate, but confident, Colonial team.

Head coach Derek Schooley seemed much more impressed with his team in tonight’s effort saying, “I thought our energy was outstanding in the first period, our execution was not,” said Schooley.

Schooley also commented on how the score for the second night in a row didn’t tell the tale of the tape.

“5-2 yesterday, I don’t think it was a 5-2 game, 5-1 today, I don’t think it was a 5-1 game. It just show you we out scoring chanced them 10-3 in the second period and they score twice and we only score one,” Schooley said.

Schooley was also hard hitting on how important the next twelve games are for the Colonials.

“We’re going to find out what we’re made of in the next twelve games,” Schooley said. “Nine on the road, three at home, we’re going to find out what we’re made of.”

The Colonials will travel to Canisius next weekend to try and end their four game losing streak.