Courtesy of RITAthletics.com
ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT men’s hockey team (14-17-2, 13-13-1 AHA) let a late lead slip away and had the potential game-tying goal in the final seconds disallowed in a 4-3 loss to Mercyhurst University (18-11-4, 15-8-4 AHA) from the Gene Polisseni Center Friday evening.
With the game tied at 2-2 in the third period, RIT’s Erik Brown (Keene, Ontario/Kemptville 73’s) stayed hot, using an incredible individual effort to out-muscle a Mercyhurst defender for a loose puck in the slot before firing a shot over Mercyhurst goaltender for his ninth goal in the last four games and 26th of the season with 6:34 left to give the Tigers their first lead of the game.
The lead would be short lived however, as Mercyhurst would score two goals in a span of 36 seconds in the following minute after Brown’s goal to go up 4-3. Joseph Duszak would score on a wrap-around 32 with 6:02 remaining to tie the game. Jack Riley, who recorded his 100th career point earlier in the game, gave Mercyhurst the lead with his 16th goal of the season with 5:26 left.
RIT seemed to have tied the game with just 20.8 seconds left in regulation, as off a face-off win the Lakers zone, fired a shot through traffic and past Wildung, much to the delight of the 2,535 fans at the Polisseni Center. The referees decided to review the goal and found that Brown, who was parked outside the crease setting a screen, interfered with Wildung, despite the goaltender extending his arm to move Brown and disallowed the goal.
Brown, Max Mikowski (Cheekotwaga, NY/Buffalo Jr. Sabres) and Chase Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers) scored for the Tigers. Norrish added an assist for a two-point night and now has a point in nine straight games. Goaltender Christian Short (Vaughan, Ontario/Surrey Eagles)made 18 saves in the loss.
Riley had a goal and two assists to lead the Lakers, while Bryan Sienerth scored twice and Derek Barach added two assists. Wildung made 34 saves for his 17th win of the season.
RIT held a 38-22 edge in shots on goal, including a 15-4 advantage in the third period. RIT was 0-for-4 on the power-play, while Mercyhurst was 0-for-3. Both teams failed to score on extended 5-on-3 power-plays in the second period.
“I thought we were too tentative over the first half of the game, but carried the play after failing to score on our 5-on-3 (power-play in the second period),” said RIT head coach Wayne Wilson. “We had to do a better job protecting the lead and not give up two goals right after.”
The loss drops RIT into sixth place in the Atlantic Hockey standings with one game to play. RIT can potentially finish as high as fourth or as low as seventh.
Mercyhurst scored the lone goal in the opening period, as RIT held a 9-6 edge in shots.
The Lakers would strike first, 8:18 in, as Sienerth slammed in a rebound from the slot after a shot by Zach Todd was blocked by a RIT defenseman and glanced off Riley in front.
Sienerth almost made it 2-0 later in the period as he sped into the zone on the rush and fired a shot from the slot off the crossbar and out.
RIT had a golden chance on a power-play, as Brown was denied in front by Wildung and a Lakers defender off a great feed from Adam Brubacher (Elmira, Ontario/Powell River Kings). Later in the period, Alden Dupuis (Edmonton, Alberta/Bonnyville Pontiacs ) was denied by Wildung off a rebound.
The Lakers would add to the lead just 38 seconds into the period on Sienerth’s second goal of the game. Moments later, Shawn Cameron (Sherbrooke, Quebec/Cumberland Grads) was robbed by Wildung on a 2-on-1 break.
RIT would receive 1:37 of a 5-on-3 power-play and failed to score. The Tigers would respond moments later, while back at even strength, as Mikowski was parked in front of the net and slipped in a rebound off a shot by Matt Abt (Leduc, Alberta/Whitecourt Wolverines) for his second goal of the year. Chris McKay(Edmonton, Alberta/Sherwood Park Crusaders) also assisted on the goal, cutting the Mercyhurst lead to 2-1.
The Tigers penalty-killing unit would shine later in the period, killing off 1:18 of a Mercyhurst 5-on-3 power-play.
Norrish intercepted a clearing attempt by the Lakers with 1:08 left in the period and fired a wrist shot from 50-feet out past Wildung for his third goal of the season to tie the game at 2-2.
Mercyhurst has now won two of three meetings between the two schools this season. The Lakers defeated RIT, 6-3 on Jan. 16, while RIT earned a 6-5 overtime win on Feb. 12. Brown tallied his first collegiate hat-trick on Feb. 12, while Dupuis scored two goals, including the game-winner 1:50 into overtime.
RIT leads the all-time series between the two schools, 40-22-6.
RIT and Mercyhurst will wrap up the regular season Saturday afternoon at 7:05 p.m. from the Polisseni Center. The Tigers will honor seniors Matt Abt (Leduc, Alberta/Whitecourt Wolverines), Liam Kerins(Caledon, Ontario/North York Rangers), Max Mikowski (Cheekotwaga, NY/Buffalo Jr. Sabres), Brady Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers), Chase Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers) and Myles Powell (Courtenay, British Columbia/Cowichan Valley Capitals) before the game.
Leave a Reply