| 2/7/2003 9:43:00 PM
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UTICA, N.Y. – The No. 7 Rochester Institute of Technology men’s hockey team used special teams to open an early 5-0 advantage against Utica College scoring four power-play goals and a short-handed marker while adding three more man-advantage goals to cruise to an 8-3 victory in ECAC West action at the Utica Auditorium Friday night.
The first period was all RIT as they opened the scoring just 4:55 into the game when David Bagley (Rochester, N.Y./SUNY Geneseo) and Mike Tarantino (Oakville, Ont./Oakville Blades) worked a give-and-go after Tarantino intercepted a clearing attempt by the Utica defense in the Pioneers’ zone and fed Bagley for the short-handed goal on the left doorstep to go ahead 1-0.
Just over two minutes later Sam Hill (Strathroy, Ont./St. Thomas Jr. B) connected on his 19th of the season and extended his goal-scoring streak to 11 games with the first of four power-play goals in the first period off a nice quick feed from Bagley in the low slot at 7:25.
Jason Chafe (Stoney Creek, Ont./Burlington Cougars) scored his fourth of the year via the man-advantage at 9:59 pounding in Ryan Fairbarn (Innisfil, Ont./Georgetown Raiders)’s shot from the left point. On their third power-play of the period, Roberto Orofiamma (Woodbridge, Ont./Vaughn Vipers) roofed an amazing backhand goal past goalie Jake Miskovic at 15:34 from Fairbarn to give the Tigers a 4-0 cushion.
Mike Owens further compounded the short-handed woes for Utica at 14:55 when he speared Sam Hill (Strathroy, Ont./St. Thomas Jr. B) and was given a five-minute major and was disqualified from the contest. The Tigers used the advantage to extend their lead to 5-0 on Ryan Francke (Long Point, Ont./St. Thomas Stars)’s fourth of the year from Michael Tucciarone (Richmond Hill, Ont./Stouffville Spirit) and Hill.
Utica used the power-play to get on the board in the second period when Jimmy Sokol scored his eighth of the year 34 seconds in the period from Ryan Dolan. Utica had four other extra-man chances in the period, but the RIT penalty-killing unit thwarted those chances including a 5-on-3 advantage for 53 seconds in the first six minutes of the period. RIT’s killing unit which has struggled at times this season including allowing seven goals in 23 opponent chances (69.6%) in four games prior to killing all seven Hobart chances last Saturday, is now on fire stopping 9-of-10 Pioneer chances tonight and killing 16 of the last 17 opponent opportunities.
After the game was scoreless for 33 minutes, RIT expanded its lead with three more power-play goals to build an 8-1 lead and finish the night 7-for-8 on the man-advantage. Hill scored his second of the night from Orofiamma at 14:04, then Bagley recorded his second of the evening from Francke and Tucciarone at 15:26 and Marc Hyman (Thornhill, Ont./Thornhill Rattlers) closed out the Tiger scoring at 17:45 from Errol McDonald (Toronto, Ont./New Market Junior A) and Lanner Fayad (Sodus Point, N.Y./St. Louis Sting).
It looked as though this is where the game would end, but Utica added two goals in the final 1:11 of the contest from Travis Doan and Ed Mullen to record the 8-3 final.
RIT will travel to Elmira as the Tigers continue their quest to run the table to capture another ECAC West title and home ice for the ECAC West playoffs on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. The Soaring Eagles fell to Hobart 6-5 on Friday night and their hunger against the Tigers will be even greater after the tough home loss.
