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PITTSBURGH, PA – The Robert Morris power-play unit, ranked fifth in the nation entering tonight's game, tallied three times on just five attempts with the man advantage, as the Colonials handed RIT (3-6-1) a 4-2 loss at the Robert Morris Island Sports Center.

 

For the second straight night, the Tigers grabbed the 1-0 lead.  RIT opened the scoring at the 4:10 mark of the first period, as Rob Tarantino (Oakville, ON/Oakville Blades) (Oakville, ON) converted on his own rebound while the Tigers were shorthanded.  Darrell Draper (Tigard, OR/Cowichon Capitals) (Tigard, OR) intercepted a Colonials pass in behind the, wheeled and found Tarantino all alone in front of the Robert Morris net.  Tarantino's first shot was stopped, but he gathered his own rebound, slipping the puck into the net for his first goal of the season.

 

Robert Morris (3-4-1) evened the game at 1-1 at the 6:53 mark on a 5-on-3 power-play, as Sean Berkstresser one-timed a goal mouth pass from Chris Margott past a sprawling Jocelyn Guimond (St.-Edouard-de-Lotbiniere, PQ/Williams Lake) (Quebec City, PQ) for his fourth goal of the year.

 

Jeff Gilbert scored his first goal of the year with 2:55 left on the period, once again on the power-play to give the Colonials their first lead of the night.  Chris Kaufman dished the puck back to the point, where Gilbert's shot eluded a screened Guimond just under the crossbar.

 

Robert Morris out-shot RIT 8-6 over the opening 20 minutes of play.

 

The Colonials upped their lead to 3-1 at the 6:25 mark of the second period, scoring their third power-play goal of the afternoon.  Berkstresser netted his second of the game, converting on a pass from Jason Towsley.  Berkstresser's first shot hit the outside of the net, but the rebound bounced right back to him, and he roofed a shot over a sprawling Guimond.

 

Steve Bandurski gave the Colonials a three goal lead late in the second period, tipping a shot from Joel Gasper toward the front of the net that Guimond stopped, but the rebound came right back to a wide-open Bandurski and all alone in front of the net, tallied his second goal of the year.

 

Guimond kept it 4-1 Colonials, robbing Doug Conley on a breakaway, making a magnificent glove save with just under two minutes to play in period two.  He was outstanding in the second period, stopping 14-of-16 shots, 13 of which from point-blank range.

 

Tristan Fairbarn (Innisfill, ON/Newmarket Hurricanes) (Inisfill, ON) cut the Robert Morris lead to 4-2 with 8:43 left in regulation, while the Tigers were on the power-play.  Matt Smith (Toronto, ON/Kitchener Dutchmen) (Toronto, ON) sent a shot through the goal-mouth that deflected off of Fairbarn at the left side of Robert Morris net, just before the cage was knocked off its moorings.  Draper also recorded an assist on Fairbarn's second goal in two nights and second of the 2005-06 season.

 

Guimond finished with 27 saves.  Christian Boucher was solid in net for the Colonials, stopping 22-of-24 RIT shots to earn the win.

 

Draper had two assists and was named the game's third star.  Jace Buzek was named the second star with two helpers and Sean Berkstresser scored two goals and added an assist earning first star honors.

 

RIT is back in action on Saturday, as they travel to Niagara University to play the Purple Eagles on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.