Roller hockey bows out of playoffs 3

Carnegie Mellon?s Tier I roller hockey squad came up short Thursday night with a loss in the semifinals of the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Inline Hockey League playoffs. The
5?3 loss to top-seeded Robert Morris University (RMU) stopped CMU?s eight-game winning streak and ended CMU?s playoff run, concluding their 2005 season.
The contest featured a duel between two outstanding goaltenders, with CMU sophomore goalie Garrett Jenkinson matching the outstanding play of undefeated RMU goaltender Mike Alexander. Both netminders made outstanding saves throughout the game and put on quite a show for the large crowd of fans in attendance.
Despite the stellar goaltending, RMU managed to score first and took the lead with a top-shelf slap shot midway through the first period. CMU answered back when Ben Karp scored a short while later, on an assist by first-year defenseman Matt Salac. This was the only first period scoring ? neither team could put anything past the opposing goalkeeper.
In the second period CMU still could not manage to take the lead, and a Tartans defensive lapse resulted in another RMU tally. Trailing 1?2, the Tartans again rebounded with a Jeff ?Hawaii? Bourke wrist shot that found the net through a screen of
defenders. Unfortunately for CMU, the tie would be broken again by a questionable in-and-out RMU goal before the period came to an end with the score 3?2 in Robert Morris? favor. Despite the presence of an opposing player in the goalie?s crease ? a rules violation ? the goal counted.

Entering the third period down by a goal, CMU fought hard to even the game with a flurry of scoring chances, but instead gave up another RMU score. Midway through the period, sophomore forward Mike Darragh?s outstanding efforts appeared to have put CMU back in the game with a nice wrist shot score, but instead the goal was disallowed due to the net being dislodged. At this point, CMU could not seem to catch a break, and their continued efforts were mostly fruitless, with the only exception being a too-little-too-late goal by Pete Beutler with 20 seconds left. Though the tally cut Robert Morris?s lead to to just one goal, there was simply not enough time for the Tartans to put together a well planned attack. Though they controlled possession after the faceoff, an errant pass put the puck back in Robert Morris control. An RMU empty net goal with less than 10 seconds remaining preserved their lead and sealed their
5?3 victory. Robert Morris
now advances to face CCAC North in the finals on April 6 and 7.
The Tier II Tartans fared better in their playoff action, notching a convincing 6?3 upset win over top-seeded Robert Morris. Jeff ?JC Smooth? Miecznikowski led the scoring with three first period goals and a total of four in the game. The squad advances to the Tier II finals of the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Inline Hockey League to face University of Pittsburgh White in a best-of-three series. The first game will be played on Wednesday,
April 6, at 10:30 pm. Games 2 and
3 will be held on Thursday,
April 7, at 9:30 pm and 11:30 pm. The games will be at the Robert Morris Island Sports Center.