| 1/7/2006 9:36:49 PM

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ITHACA, NY – In one of its most spirited efforts of the season, the RIT men’s hockey team (5-14-2) gave #8 Cornell University (10-3-2, 9-4-2) all they could handle, but the Big Red extended its nation-long winning streak to eight games, defeating RIT 3-1 on Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd at Lynah Rink in the first ever meeting between the two teams.

The Big Red scored all three of its goals on the man-advantage, going 3-for-11 on the evening. Senior captain Matt Moulson scored twice, including the game-winner midway through the second period for Cornell. Topher Scott and Byron Bitz each recorded three assists apiece, as Cornell out-shot RIT 56-21.

Sophomore goaltender Jocelyn Guimond (St.-Edouard-de-Lotbiniere, PQ/Williams Lake) (Quebec City, PQ) was excellent in goal in the loss for RIT, stopping 53-of-56 shots. Simon Lambert (Ste.-Therese, PQ/Cumberland Grads) (Ste. Therese, PQ) scored RIT’s lone goal.

RIT head coach Wayne Wilson was ecstatic with the effort of his team, not only tonight, but all weekend.

“I was very proud of the way we played tonight’” said Wilson. “I thought we played with a lot of heart, played very hard tonight, giving the #8 team in the nation all they could handle. The difference of the game was special teams, with them getting three goals with the man-advantage and us not scoring. We played well all weekend”

Cornell opened the scoring at the 3:37 mark on the power-play, as Ryan O’Byrne picked up a loose puck in front of the Tiger net after Guimond made the initial save off a shot from Byron Bitz and hammered the puck in for his fifth tally of the season.

Soon after, Tiger forward Steve Pinizzotto (Mississauga, ON/Oakville Blades) (Mississauga, ON) put a vicious hit on a Cornell defenseman in the Big Red zone, which seemed to jump-start the Tigers. Although Pinizzotto was called for an elbowing penalty on the play, RIT killed off the ensuing Cornell power-play attempt and at times, was the better team over the final half of the opening period.

Lambert tied the game at 1 just before the halfway mark of the period, as he blocked a Cornell clearing pass, came in all alone on netminder David McKee and made a tremendous deke to the forehand and slid the puck inside the right post for his 12th goal of the year, unassisted.

RIT had several golden chances thereafter to take the lead in the first, but were unable to. Jesse Newman (Westbank, BC/Trail) (Westbank, BC) was robbed twice by McKee, first on a point blank set up in front of the Cornell net, and second on a 3-on-1 break, where he tried to rip the puck inside the right post, but McKee smothered the shot between his arm and body to keep the game tied at 1.

Cornell out-shot RIT 12-9 over the opening 20 minutes of play.

Guimond was simply tremendous in the second period, turning aside 21-of-22 Cornell shots, many of which from point blank range. His best save of the period came when he robbed Bitz in front of the net, making a great glove save, as Bitz looked to the sky afterwards.

The Big Red got the only goal of the period, on a 5-on-3 power-play, as just about when a Tiger was going to leave the box, captain Matt Moulson one-timed a pass from Bitz at the right face-off circle past a sliding Guimond to give Cornell the 2-1 lead. The goal was Moulson’s 10th of the season.

Cornell held a 34-16 advantage in shots after two periods of play, after peppering Guimond with 22 shots as opposed to just seven for the Tigers in the middle stanza.

RIT’s penalty killing came up huge, killing off a five minute major assessed to Darrell Draper (Tigard, OR/Cowichon Capitals) (Tigard, OR) spanning the end of the second and early third period to keep the score 2-1 Cornell.

Unfortunately for RIT, that was not the only penalty they had to kill off in the third, as the Tigers were whistled for four other infractions in the period. The Tigers killed off over a minute of 5-on-3 power-play time midway through the third, but were unable to keep the Big Red off the scoreboard entirely, as Moulson netted his second goal of the evening with the man advantage, with just 4:24 left to put Cornell up two. Scott and Bitz assisted on the goal.

McKee came up with by far his best save of the net five minutes into the third, robbing Darren Doherty (Douro, ON/Cobourg Cougars) (Douro, ON) with a sparking glove save from the top of the slot, while RIT was on a power-play.

“I keep telling our guys we are getting closer,” said Wilson. “If we continue to play this hard, the wins will come.”

RIT is back in action on Saturday, January 14, as they return home to host Oswego State at 7 p.m. The night before, Jan. 13, RIT will host its annual Skate With the Tigers event at the Ritter Arena. It is $3 for children and begins at 7 p.m.