Hoosiers have last title shot

The IU hockey team will get only two games to erase last weekend's Great Midwest Hockey League tournament semifinal loss before it goes to the American Collegiate Hockey Association finals next weekend. IU will face off against Robert Morris College in a home series this weekend, the last home games of the season.\nIU (16-9-1) swept a pair of games against Robert Morris' Division I Gold team (17-18-1) earlier this season in Chicago. The Hoosiers will now take on Robert Morris' Division II Maroon team (9-23). \nGraduate forward Tom Orr said he expects the Maroon team to give IU a good matchup.\n"They're a hard-working team, they've played well against teams we've played," Orr said. "If they're anything like the team last year, they will work hard and gave us a pretty good game."\nThe Eagles lost the first game of their Great Lakes Intercollegiate Hockey League tournament to the Dayton Flyers, a team IU swept 8-0 and 6-1 in the first two games of the season.\nIU is also coming off a loss in their GMHL conference tournament. The Hoosiers beat Ferris State 10-6 in the first round of the tournament. Orr and sophomore forward David Ravensberg each had five points in the game. The next morning, the Hoosiers came up short against Michigan in the semifinals. Michigan lost to Miami (Ohio) in overtime of the championship game to give the Redhawks the conference title.\nWith the GMHL season and tournament over, IU's only chance for a championship this season will be the ACHA Division II national tournament in Anaheim, Calif. \nJunior forward Clint Heiber said the most important thing IU can do this weekend is make sure everything is in order for the trip.\n"We just need to come together and play our system," Heiber said. "We have a big weekend next week so we're focused on coming together and getting ourselves prepared for next week."\nThe Hoosiers will be one of 16 Division II teams vying for the national title, as well as three other GMHL teams, Miami (Ohio), Michigan and Oakland, who the Hoosiers will take on in the first round of the ACHA tournament.\n"I think the best thing is for us to polish off the skills and style that we want to bring to California," Orr said. "If we play our best this weekend, it will send us into nationals playing well."\nJunior forward Matt Ritz will serve his one-game suspension received at the end of IU's last game against Michigan for a spearing major penalty. The rest of the Hoosiers are healthy and available.\nIU will play Robert Morris Friday and Saturday. Both games start at 7:30 p.m. at Frank Southern Arena.