| 2/28/2003 9:24:16 PM
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ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The 6-3 final score might indicate a lopsided contest which gave the No. 6 Rochester Institute of Technology men's hockey team its fifth-straight ECAC West regular season title, but two late empty-net goals provided the exclamation point in the Tigers' victory against Hobart.
It was only fitting on senior night that RIT's fourth all-time career scorer (217) Tiger all-time assist leader (146)Mike Bournazakis (Toronto, Ont./Thornhill Rattlers) netted the game-winning goal at the 6:40 mark of the third period from fellow seniors Sam Hill (Strathroy, Ont./St. Thomas Jr. B) and David Bagley (Rochester, N.Y./SUNY Geneseo). The trio along with goaltender Tyler Euverman (Surrey, B.C./Prince George) and forwards Jared Conlon (Morristown, N.J./Trinity Pawling), Lanner Fayad (Sodus Point, N.Y./St. Louis Sting) and Errol McDonald (Toronto, Ont./New Market Junior A) all played in their final regular season home contests.
Euverman finished with 23 saves for the Tigers, while Adam Lavelle stopped 30 shots on the evening for Hobart.
RIT will now host the ECAC West playoffs on Friday and Saturday, Mar. 7-8 and the No. 1-seeded Tigers will face No. 4-seed Hobart once again in the semifinals of the playoffs at 7 p.m., while No. 2-seed Manhattanville will face No. 3-seed Elmira will square off in the other semifinal at 4 p.m. Thus, tomorrow's Elmira-Manhattanville game will be anti-climatic since seeds have already been determined. The championship game will be played Saturday March 8 at 7 p.m.
Hobart took the first lead of the game 4:41 into the first period on Edward Poirier's ninth of the season from Kevin Coakley and Matt Daley.
The Statesman carried this lead to the first intermission, but RIT came out ferociously in the second period when Darren Doherty (Duoro, Ont./Cobourg Cougars) scored his eighth of the season and first of two on the night 3:02 into the second period from Jason Chafe (Stoney Creek, Ont./Burlington Cougars) and Ian Fazzi (San Jose, CA/Northwood Prep). Just 51 seconds later Mike Tarantino (Oakville, Ont./Oakville Blades) scored his 11th of the year and first of two on the evening from David Bagley (Rochester, N.Y./SUNY Geneseo) and Sam Hill (Strathroy, Ont./St. Thomas Jr. B) to give RIT its first lead of the game 2-1.
Matt Windhol's first goal of the season was an important one for Hobart evening the game at 2-2 at the 12:42 mark of the second period. However, Doherty's second of the game gave RIT a 3-2 lead with 2:05 remaining in the second period.
Once again Hobart was up to the challenge scoring the equalizer just 37 seconds into the third period on Greg Gallagher second of the year from William Brame and R.C. Schmidt.
Tarantino and Hill put the game securely away with empty-net goals with 52 an 44 seconds, respectively. Bagley setup Tarantino's empty-netter intercepting a Statesmen clearing pass and he finished with three helpers.
