MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The men’s hockey team (3-5-1, 1-1-1) lost its first conference game, dropping a 4-2 contest to Robert Morris (2-3-0, 1-0-0) on the road, Friday. The Purple Eagles allowed three second-period goals in the loss.

Senior forward Sean Bentivoglio (Thorold, Ont.) assisted on both goals, leaving him two points shy of becoming the eighth player to join the 100-point club at Niagara. His nine assists on the season give him 68 in his four-year career, tying him for sixth on the all-time assists chart.

Les Reaney (Ceylon, Sask.), Ted Cook (Hogansburg, N.Y.) and Bentivoglio hooked up for Niagara’s first goal of the game, when Bentivoglio forced a turnover in the first period. Cook scooped up the loose puck and fed Reaney across the slot for his seventh goal of the season. It was the 14th time the tandem has converted for a goal in the last two seasons.

RMU’s David Boguslawski scored a short-handed goal three minutes into the second period for a lead the Colonials wouldn’t relinquish. Aaron Clarke and Ryan Cruthers added goals in the middle period.

The Purple Eagles outshot Robert Morris 16-6 in the final stanza, but managed just one goal. Junior forward Matt Caruana (Orono, Ont.) scored his third goal of the season with assists from Reaney and Bentivoglio, their conference-leading ninth assists on the year. Niagara skated with an extra attacker for the final 3 minutes of the contest, but couldn’t cut into the lead.

Sophomore Juliano Pagliero (Dalroy, Alb.) made 33 saves in net for Niagara, falling to 3-4-1 on the season.

The two teams will faceoff again, Saturday at 7:35 p.m. at Island Sports Center.