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FAIRFIELD, CT – Steve Pinizzotto (Mississauga, ON/Oakville Blades) (Mississauga, ON) recorded a goal and three assists, leading a potent RIT men’s hockey offense to a 6-3 win over Sacred Heart on Saturday evening at the Milford Ice Arena.  The win vaults RIT to sole possession of first place in Atlantic Hockey.  RIT is now 13-7-2 and 12-3-1 in Atlantic Hockey play.

 

Six different players scored for the Tigers, who completed the weekend sweep of the Pioneers and won for the third straight game. 

 

It is the first time Sacred Heart was swept in a weekend series on home ice since Dec. 4-5, 1998.

 

RIT has 25 points in Atlantic Hockey, one point ahead of Sacred Heart, who fell to 10-4-4 in conference play and 13-6-4 overall this season.

 

Tiger Head Coach Wayne Wilson could not be more pleased with how the weekend turned out for his team.

 

"It was a total team effort this weekend," said Wilson.  "We had six different goal scorers tonight and received great goaltending from Jocelyn (Guimond).  Our special teams were exceptional in both games.  We are doing the things that win championships."

 

Jocelyn Guimond (Quebec City, PQ/Williams Lake) (Quebec City, PQ) was strong in net once again for the Tigers, stopping 32 saves to improve to 7-4-2. 

 

Just like Friday night, the Tigers roared out of the gate and scored the game’s first goal.  Stevan Matic (Burnaby, BC/Langley Hornets) (Burnaby, BC) got the goal for RIT, with assists coming from Brennan Sarazin (Nepean, ON/Nepean Raiders) (Nepean, ON) and Pinizzotto at the 1:51 mark of the period.

 

After Louis Gentile tied the game at 1 midway through the period, Matt Smith (Toronto, ON/Kitchener Dutchmen) (Toronto, ON) gave RIT its lead back, with his team-leading 12^th goal of the season.  The goal was Smith’s eighth power-play tally of the season, tops on the squad.

 

Once again, Sacred Heart tied the game at 2, this time early in the second period, as Alexandre Parent beat Guimond, while the Pioneers were on the power-play.

 

Matt Crowell (Kelowna, BC/Williams Lake Timberwolves) (Kelowna, BC) gave RIT a 3-2 lead with 4:47 to go in the second period, as he slipped out of the left corner and buried a shot past the blocker of Sacred Heart goaltender Jason Smith.

 

Just 38 seconds later, Bear Trapp tied the game for the third time for the Pioneers, once again on the power-play.

 

The third period belonged to Pinizzotto, as he recorded a point on all three third period goals for the Tigers.  He assisted on Simon Lambert (Ste.-Therese, PQ/Cumberland Grads)’s (Ste. Therese, PQ) game-winning power-play goal 4:42 into the frame.

 

Pinizzotto also assisted on a power-play goal by Brent Patry (Ottawa, ON/Cumberland Grads) (Ottawa, ON) just over three minutes later to give RIT a 5-3 lead.  The goal was Patry’s seventh of the season and fifth in the last three games.

 

Pinizzotto then iced the game for the Tigers with 6:26 left, scoring his 10^th goal of the year off a feed from Rob Tarantino (Oakville, ON/Oakville Blades) (Oakville, ON) to complete the scoring.

 

Lambert, Smith and Dan Ringwald (Oakville, ON/Oakville Blades) (Oakville, ON) had two points each for the Tigers.

 

The Tigers tallied three times on the power-play, while Sacred Heart scored twice with the man-advantage.

 

Sacred Heart out-shot RIT 35-30.

 

Since a 3-2 overtime loss to Bentley on Nov. 17, the Tigers have been on a roll, with a 10-2 mark, outscoring their foes 51-28 during that stretch.

 

RIT is now 2-1 all-time against Sacred Heart.

 

The Tigers are back in action on Friday and Saturday, as they host Atlantic Hockey foe University of Connecticut.  Game-time both nights is at 7 p.m.