By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
A few things that were known to be strengths for the men’s hockey team at Rochester Institute of Technology were confirmed yet again in Friday night’s 4-1 victory over Niagara University.
Like the fact their lineup is deep. Junior forward Evan Miller and sophomore winger Adam Jeffery went from the healthy scratch list to the third line because of an injury to Cody Laskosky and an illness that sidelined freshman center Tyler Fukakusa.
Also confirmed is that their goaltender is at his best in prime time. Tommy Scarfone stopped 38 shots, including 17 in the third period, as RIT won Game 1 of the best-of-three Atlantic Hockey semifinals at the Gene Polisseni Center.
And also very evident is that don’t rely on just one line, or two lines, or even three, to produce. Second-line winger Matthew Wilde, fourth-line winger Tyler Mahan and defensemen Aiden Hansen-Bukata and Gianfranco Cassaro scored the goals as RIT (25-10-2) opened a 2-0 lead and then survived a furious Niagara push in the third period before pulling away late.
We also learned that there maybe aren’t enough biomedical sciences majors on the roster.
Illness was sweeping through the team late this week. That’s why Fukakusa was unable to play. And it’s why Hansen-Bukata felt like he’d be run over by a snowplow.
Yet after the senior defenseman scored the game’s second goal 6:49 into the second period, sniping home a shot from the high slot to cap a Miller-led fastbreak rush, the entire unit on the ice joined in a group hug to celebrate. So much for those CDC-recommended fist-bumps.
“I feel better now that we got a win,” Hansen-Bukata said.
That he scored was a bonus. His ability to even play was critical to a defensive corps that has been such a big part of RIT’s success. Others also were slowed by what the team assumes is the flu bug.
“It wasn’t easy for them but good on them for gutting it out,” coach Wayne Wilson said. “I appreciated their extra effort. It’s all part of being good; good teams get through that.”
The Tigers knew going into the week that they’d be without a key component for the weekend. Laskosky suffered an upper body injury in the quarterfinal victory over Robert Morris and is out indefinitely.
But they weren’t expecting to lose Fukakusa, their seventh-leading scorer and second-line center, or have others far from 100 percent. So they called on Miller to center a line with Jeffery and Tanner Andrew. They helped create Hansen-Bukata’s goal.
“You believe in guys,” Wilson said. “Jeffery wasn’t in the lineup, then he was in the lineup, and then he was on the ice in the last minute with their goalie pulled. We used everyone that was available.”
Mahan gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead at 14:54 of the first period, but only after a deft steal just outside the Niagara blue line by winger Elijah Gonsalves. The graduate student lowered his stick parallel to the ice to block and steal a Cole Mickel outlet pass, then fed defenseman Crossley Stewart in the slot.
He charged down the right of the slot, worked the puck toward the crease and two deflections later it ended up on Mahan’s stick and then in the net for the critical first goal.
“That just gets everyone really into it,” Mahan said.
Not that anyone really needs more fuel in the RIT-Niagara rivalry.
“They play a certain style and we play a certain style and they contradict each other,” Hansen-Bukata said.
His goal at 6:49 of the second period extended the lead to 2-0, and it stayed that way until just 37:07 remained in the game, when Wilde slam-dunked Christian Catalano’s pass off a two-on-one. Catalano created the play with a steal in the slot in the Tigers zone, then led the fastbreak down the ice.
“Fukakusa (their linemate) was out but the other two said, ‘We got this,’ ” Wilson said.
Up until that point of the third period, the Purple Eagles (18-17-3) had been dominating play but couldn’t score against Scarfone. The more action, the better, he says.
“It’s always easier to play when you’re receiving a lot of shots,” said Scarfone, the first-team all-Atlantic Hockey selection.
Considering the health of the roster, he probably sensed going into the game that Niagara could end up with stretches of considerable offensive zone time.
“We had to play through adversity tonight but we said before the game, ‘Let’s battle through it, let’s not let it bother us,’ ” Scarfone said.
His bid for a second playoff shutout in eight days ended with 3:44 remaining when Jay Ahearn scored an extra-attacker goal. He has allowed just two goals in the three playoff games.
The Tigers and Niagara play Game 2 at 7:05 p.m. Saturday at the Gene. If a third game is necessary, puck drop is at 5:05 p.m. Sunday. The series winner advances to the AHA championship game, set for March 23. The Tigers will host if they advance.
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