WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA -- The RIT (4-7-1) men's hockey team snapped a six-game winless streak with a 5-0 win over American International College (0-8-1) on Saturday evening. RIT goaltender George Eliopoulos (Markham, ON/St. Michael's Buzzers) (Markham, ON) pitched the shut out, making 46 saves for his first win of the season.

 

 Neither team scored in an up-and-down first period. American International out shot RIT 17-10 in the first period thanks in large part to three power play chances for the Yellowjackets.

 Eliopoulos made 17 saves in the first period, many from close range. Late in the period Greg Genovese had one-on-one chance but Eliopoulos turned his one-timer away, keeping the game scoreless.

RIT took a 1-0 lead at 8:23 of the second period on two-man power play. Senior captain Marc Hyman (Thornhill, ON/Thornhill Rattlers) (Thornhill, ON) took a pass from Matt Smith (Toronto, ON/Kitchener Dutchmen) (Toronto, ON) at the point and ripped a low slap shot that beat AIC goaltender Tom Fenton.

 

The Tigers got their second goal less than a minute later on the power play. Ricky Walton (Hamilton, ON/Hamilton Red Wings) (Hamilton, ON) finished off a good scoring chance started by Brent Patry (Ottawa, ON/Cumberland Grads) (Ottawa, ON) who fed Bobby Raymond (Lucknow, ON/Owen Sound Greys) (Lucknow, ON) who spotted Walton down low. It was Walton's first goal of the season.

Simon Lambert (Ste.-Therese, PQ/Cumberland Grads) scored the first of his two goals on the evening just 55 seconds into the third period. Lambert took a pass from Jesse Newman (Westbank, BC/Trail), beating Fenton for his sixth goal of the season.

Matt Smith (Toronto, ON/Kitchener Dutchmen) gave the Tigers a 4-0 lead at 12:19 of the third with the assists going to Lambert and Darrell Draper (Tigard, OR/Cowichon Capitals). Lambert saw Smith cutting to the net and fed him a pass that he one-timed past Fenton for his fourth of the year.

Lambert rounded out the scoring at 19:34 of the third on assists from Newman and Draper, who had three assists on the night.

Eliopoulos finished with 46 saves, giving RIT the first shut out as a Division I program.