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ROCHESTER, NY – Simon Lambert (Ste.-Therese, PQ/Cumberland Grads) (Ste. Therese, PQ) scored with 1:49 left in overtime, lifting RIT to a crucial 3-2 win over Mercyhurst in front of 1,542 fans at the Ritter Arena on Saturday in an Atlantic Hockey Association match-up.  Bobby Raymond (Lucknow, ON/Owen Sound Greys) (Lucknow, ON) recorded a goal and an assist and was named the game's first star.

 

Lambert crashed the net and tapped in a rebound after Mercyhurst goaltender Matt Lundin made the save on the initial shot by Matt Crowell (Kelowna, BC/Williams Lake Timberwolves) (Kelowna, BC).  The goal was Lambert's fifth of the season.  Sean Murphy (Rochester, MN/Green Bay Gamblers) (Owatonna, MN) also assisted on the goal.

 

RIT improved to 4-5-0 and 3-3-0 in Atlantic Hockey, while Mercyhurst dropped to 2-9-1 and 2-3-1 in the AHA.

 

Mercyhurst sent the game into overtime with just 3:05 left in regulation.  Scott Pitt ripped a shot from the right face-off circle that Louie Menard (Chicoutimi, PQ) stopped and appeared to have covered.  Unfortunately for the Tigers, the referee did not blow the whistle and Bobby Phillips was allowed to crash the net and somehow bulled the puck over the line.

 

RIT Head Coach Wayne WIlson was happy to get the two points.

 

"Once again, I thought we played very well," said Wilson.  We were able to put last night and the third period tying goal tonight in the past and move on.  That was a big win tonight.  We have to be prepared to play every game in conference play.  We have not hit our groove yet."

Wilson became the second coach in the history of the RIT men's hockey program to reach 150 victories on Saturday.

 

Both goaltenders were excellent, combining to stop 88-of-93 shots.  Lundin made 51 saves and was the second star, while Menard stopped 37 shots and was the third star.  RIT out-shot Mercyhurst 54-39.  The 54 RIT shots was one of its Division I team record of 55.

 

The win for the Tigers was the first in overtime since Nov. 2, 2002 at SUNY Potsdam and first overtime home win since March 7, 1997 against Canisius.

 

Both teams were 0-for-4 on the power-play.

 

Raymond scored the lone goal in an action-packed first period, on a one-man rush with 17 seconds left in the frame. Raymond picked up a loose puck at his own blue-line as the Tigers finished killing off a 4-on-3 Mercyhurst power-play. He flew down the right wing, cut toward the Laker net and sent a shot toward the net that caromed off a Mercyhurst defenseman and past Lundin.  Menard was credited with his first collegiate assist.

 

RIT thought they had a 1-0 midway through the period, as Brent Patry (Ottawa, ON/Cumberland Grads) (Ottawa, ON) ripped a shot past Lundin under the crossbar on a power-play, but the goal was disallowed due to the Mercyhurst net being off its moorings.

 

Both goaltenders were stout in the opening period, with only one goal scored despite 30 total shots, 16 for RIT, 14 for Mercyhurst.

 

The shooting gallery continued in the second period, as RIT recorded 25 shots to Mercyhurst's 13. The 25 shots on goal for RIT was the most in a period since the Tigers moved to Division I. RIT previously had 22 shots on goal in the first period of a 6-5 win over the Lakers on Feb. 16, 2007.

 

Crowell gave RIT a 2-0 lead just a 36 seconds into the period, as he took a pass from Raymond along the right wing boards, walked into the slot and ripped a shot past Lundin for his fourth goal of the year.

 

The Lakers cut the Tiger lead in half at the 7:39 mark, as Kerry Bowman and Mike Gurtler broke in on a 2-on-1 break. Menard made a great save on the initial shot by Bowman, but Gurtler was there to pick up the rebound at the goal mouth and slide the puck home. It was the first collegiate goal for Gurtler, a Rochester native.

 

RIT now leads the all-time series between the two clubs 20-12-3 and is 4-3-0 against the Lakers since RIT moved to Division I in 2005.

 

Last season, RIT went 3-1 against Mercyhurst, winning a pair of games in Erie last December. The two teams split at Ritter Arena in February. RIT out-scored Mercyhurst  18-13 in the four match-ups a year ago.

 

Last night, Brandon Coccimiglio scored the hat-trick and added an assist to lead Mercyhurst to a 6-3 win, RIT led 3-2 heading into the final period. 

 

The Tigers continue their homestand on Friday, as they host Army in an Atlantic Hockey contest starting at 7:05 p.m.