By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
They had sat and watched the first four games of the season, held out of the Rochester Institute of Technology lineup because of their early spot on the depth chart.
Sitting, of course, is never easy. Not when you’re accustomed to making contributions. Not when you’re anxious to be part of a new group that restores the pride in RIT men’s hockey.
So, when junior transfer Boris Skalos and sophomore Mathieu Cobetto-Roy were given their chance to play on Saturday night, they took full advantage.
Skalos, who played the previous two seasons at Mercyhurst University, scored a goal and set up three while Cobetto-Roy scored RIT’s first goal and assisted on another as the Tigers roared past the Air Force Falcons 7-3 at the Gene Polisseni Center.
“It feels good to play,” Cobetto-Roy said. “I haven’t scored in over a year and I used to help my team in that sense, so I’m glad I could contribute.”
Choosing who sits out is often difficult for a coaching staff, and then when a team starts winning, the coaches usually aren’t eager to tinker with the lineup. After getting swept on opening weekend by Sacred Heart, the Tigers rebounded to defeat Clarkson 6-2 in the Brick City Homecoming game, then they opened the weekend set against Air Force with a 5-1 win.
“I don’t know if I loved our game on Friday but I didn’t dislike any players,” said RIT coach Matt Thomas, whose club improved to 3-2 (2-2 in Atlantic Hockey). “But if I don’t get guys in now, then they’ve missed another full week.”
So Skalos slipped into the right wing spot on a line with Caleb Elfering and Alex Christopoulos. Cobetto-Roy was inserted as an extra forward and bounced between right and left wing.
The two teamed up to produce RIT’s first goal, tying the score 11:36 into the first period.
“It was good to score early,” Cobetto-Roy said. “That got me confident and got me into it.”
The goal was part of what became a 3-minute and 22-second scoring fest. Between the 10:39 mark and 14:01, the Tigers scored three times – Cobetto-Roy, Zach Wigle and Christian Catalano – and Air Force twice.
“They’re not always Picassos, sometimes they’re finger-paintings,” Thomas said.
Air Force (1-4-1) tied the score 5:32 into the second period when Sam Stitz scored his second of the game, and it stayed 3-3 until Skalos set up William Moore’s power-play goal with 49.1 seconds remaining in the period.
Skalos chipped the puck over to Moore in the right circle and the screened shot by the first-year left winger eluded Wasik and became his first career goal.
Cobetto-Roy then helped create a tip-in goal by Elfering 2:45 into the third period to provide a 5-3 lead. He circled around behind the net and found defenseman Tristan Allen breaking in front the right point. Allen fired on goal and Elfering, posted up to the right of the crease, deflected the waist-high shot past goalie Dominik Wasik.
“I just tried to keep it simple and do whatever I can that’s best for the team,” said Cobetto-Roy, who had just three assists in 29 games as a freshman.
The lead ballooned to 6-3 with 3:24 remaining when Skalos redirected an Allen point shot for his first goal as a Tiger. He produced 5 goals, 9 assists and 14 points in 34 games a year ago at Mercyhurst.
“It’s tough to be out of the lineup and it sucks to watch but it gives you a different perspective,” Skalos said. “I envision myself in those situations and think of what I might do. And it’s good for the confidence to help out right away.”
He had a chance to score the oh-by-the-way empty netter in the final minute but opted to give the honors to Tyler Mahan. That capped a career-best four-point game for Skalos.
“It’s nice to win,” Thomas said, “but what’s really important is that we build and build to be a team that can win in the second half.”
Rare Air
The 12-goal weekend was a high-water mark for the Tigers in a 30-year series history with Air Force (dating back to the Division III years). RIT had never scored more than nine goals in a two-game series. It’s also just the seventh time the Tigers have swept a weekend set from the Falcons in the Division I era (since 2005-06).
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