| 4/28/2006 6:57:45 PM

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ROCHESTER, NY -- It was a battle between two very talented teams on Friday afternoon at RIT Field as #6 RIT and #10 Nazareth duked it out in the Empire 8 Tournament semifinals. The two teams battled back and forth throughout. The Tigers outscored the Golden Flyers 11-6 in the second half en route to an 18-13 win to advance to the Empire 8 Tournament championship game against Ithaca College.

The win is the third straight win for RIT over the Golden Flyers dating back to 2005. The Tigers improve to 14-2, while Nazareth falls to 10-4.

It took a while but Eric Pritchard (Webster, NY/Webster) (Webster, NY/Webster) gave RIT a 1-0 lead with 10:45 to play in the first quarter on an assist from Scott Farress (Webster, NY/Webster) (Webster, NY/Webster).

Nazareth, who dominated face-offs in the opening quarter, scored two goals in 10 seconds to take a 2-1 lead. Bryan Adams scored at 10:37 to make it 1-1. Chad Amidon scored 10 seconds later off a face-off, giving the Golden Flyers a 2-1 lead.

It could have been three straight goals for the Golden Flyers but RIT goalie John Foley (Guelph, ON/Our Lady of Lourdes) (Guelph, ON/Our Lady of Lourdes) made a save from point blank range, keeping the score at 2-1.

Stephen Papa (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna) (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna) snuck a low shot past Nazareth goalie Patrick Mullin, tying the game at 2-2. Greg Kanellis gave Nazareth a 3-2 lead with 6:51 to play in the quarter on an assist from Ryan Hotaling.

Scott Farress (Webster, NY/Webster) and Colin Jesien (Cambridge, MD/Cambridge-S. Dorchester) (Cambridge, MD/Cambridge-S. Dorchester) scored a goal each to close the first quarter scoring giving RIT a 4-3 lead.

Farress netted his second goal of the game to open the scoring in the second quarter, giving RIT a slim two-goal lead.

Chad Amidon and Ryan Hotaling brought Nazareth right back even at 11:10 and 8:59 respectively, tying the score at 5-5.

Andrew Ruocco (Corning, NY/Corning East)'s (Corning, NY/Corning East) goal from Zach Bednarz (Webster, NY/Webster) (Webster, NY/Webster) with 8:05 to play in the half gave the Tigers a 6-5 lead.

Connor O'Keefe made it 6-6 with his goal on an assist from Steve Cutia with 6:27 to go in the quarter.

David Thering (Fairport, NY/Fairport) (Fairport, NY/Fairport) and Eric Pritchard (Webster, NY/Webster) hooked up for a pretty goal with 3:29 to play in the half, giving RIT a 7-6 lead.

The Golden Flyers tied the score at 7-7 wen Ryan Hotaling scored on a gritty individual effort with 2:40 to play.

After losing 2-of-8 face-offs in the first quarter RIT's Jacob Cannan (Irondequoit, NY/Irondequoit) (Irondequoit, NY/Irondequoit) and Jacob Brunner (Lafayette, NY/Lafayette) (Lafayette, NY/Lafayette) responded in the second quarter, winning 5-of-8.

Hotlaing opened the second half just how he ended it with his third goal of the afternoon, giving Nazareth an 8-7 lead.

Thering and Pritchard hooked up again, tying the score at 8-8.

Bryan Adams took a pass from Hotaling, giving the Golden Flyers a one-goal lead once again.

Ruocco and Jesien tallied a goal apiece in the middle portion of the third quarter to give RIT a 10-9 lead.

Amidon scored on an assist from Hotaling with the Golden Flyers on the man-up, tying the score at 10-10.

Farress, Thering and Pritchard scored goals in a three-goal run inside the last six minutes of the third quarter, giving RIT a 13-10 lead.

Ryan Maciaszek made it 13-11 with his lone goal of the afternoon. Colin Jesien (Cambridge, MD/Cambridge-S. Dorchester) closed out the scoring in the third quarter, giving RIT a 14-11 lead heading into the fourth quarter. 

RIT ket the momentum and outscored the Golden Flyers 4-2 in the fourth quarter, including three straight from Farress, Jesien and Pritchard to put the game away.

Farress and Jesien each had four goals to pace the Tigers. Pritchard had three goals and two assists, while Thering added three goals and three assists. Andrew Ruocco (Corning, NY/Corning East) had two goals and two assists and Zach Bednarz (Webster, NY/Webster) and Stephen Papa (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna) each had a goal and an assist.

Jacob Cannan (Irondequoit, NY/Irondequoit) was big for RIT from the face-off "x" winning 11-of-22 face-offs. He also grabbed eight ground balls. Phil Davenport (Linganore, MD/Linganore) (Linganore, MD/Linganore) led RIT with nine ground balls.

RIT will face top-seeded Ithaca College in the Empire 8 Tournament championship game on Sunday, April 30 at 1 pm in Ithaca, New York. Ithaca beat RIT 11-10 earlier this season in Ithaca. The winner earns the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.