| 2/14/2003 9:22:25 PM

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The No. 7 Rochester Institute of Technology men's hockey team held off No. 11 Elmira 5-3 to win the season series 1-0-1 and move into sole possession of first place in the ECAC West with a 6-1-1 record.

This was another game that was for the weak-hearted fans as RIT held another 3-1 lead entering the third period as they had in Elmira last Saturday night, only to see the lead slip away as the Soaring Eagles scored the first two goals of the third to tie the game at 3-3. Andrew Morris made it 2-1 with his 14th of the year from Dean Jackson and then Jason Cassells registered his 12th of the season 6:07 into the third period.

Jason Chafe (Stoney Creek, Ont./Burlington Cougars) stopped the bleeding regaining the Tiger advantage 4-3 with his fifth goal of the year with 4:06 left in the third period.

However, Elmira wasn't through battling as they mounted an amazing charge with 2:53 to go in the game with three consecutive shots from close range, but all were thwarted by RIT goaltender Tyler Euverman (Surrey, B.C./Prince George) who finished with 36 saves. Jackson had two of the shots tipping one in front of the net, then one-on-one on the doorstep and then Euverman got a piece of his glove on Pierre Rivard's shot right on the crease.

Then just as though it looked as things were in hand, Matt Moore (Burlington, Ont./Brampton Capitals) was whistled for holding with 39 seconds to go giving Elmira one more threat with the man-advantage and the extra skater with Greg Fargo pulled with 50 seconds to go in the contest. But, RIT was up to the test winning the face-off and then blocked Mike Clarke's shot and Euverman saved Jackson's shot before Bagley ended all hopes for a tie with his 13th of the year with the empty-net short-handed goal.

Fargo finished with 34 saves for the Soaring Eagles. RIT went ahead 2-0 at the end of the first period on goals by Lanner Fayad (Sodus Point, N.Y./St. Louis Sting) and Mike Tarantino (Oakville, Ont./Oakville Blades). Fayad scored his third of the year thanks to his hard work along the left boards keeping the puck in the Elmira zone and touched around by Adam George (LaFayette, N.Y./Syracuse Stars) to Brent Macovi (Stoney Creek, Ont./Hamilton Kilty Bees) behind the goal who fed Fayad who pounded it into the net off the left side of the crease at 8:20 of the first. Working the short-handed forecheck, Tarantino settled an Elmira clearing attempt which deflected off Bagley and Tarantino found the right side of the goal for his seventh of the season with 1:40 to go in the first.

Justin Seibold, who scored two goals for Elmira in the first meeting, cut the lead to 2-1 just 1:37 into the second period on the power-play from Lawne Snyder.

Roberto Orofiamma (Woodbridge, Ont./Vaughn Vipers) recorded his 14th of the year from Mike Bournazakis (Toronto, Ont./Thornhill Rattlers) with 2:33 to go in the second to take the 3-1 lead at the second intermission.

RIT resumes action when they host Utica on Saturday, Feb. 15 at Frank Ritter Arean. Utica tied Hobart 4-4 on Friday night in Geneva and Hobart was victorius last Friday night 6-5 at Elmira, so this will be no easy task for the Tigers as they look to capture home-ice for the ECAC West playoffs.