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ROCHESTER, NY – Ricky Walton (Hamilton, ON/Hamilton Red Wings) (Hamilton, ON) scored the game-winning goal with 6:07 left, as for the second consecutive game, the RIT men's hockey team (12-8-3, 10-5-3 Atlantic Hockey Association) broke a 2-2 tie in the third period to defeat Sacred Heart (8-11-3, 8-5-3 Atlantic Hockey Association) 4-2 in front of a sellout crowd at the Ritter Arena on Saturday evening.

 

The Tigers trailed 2-1 going into the final period, before exploding for three goals to win their third straight contest and take a two point lead over Air Force and four point lead over Sacred Heart in the Atlantic Hockey standings.

 

RIT moves to 5-1-0 in January, after going 7-2-0 during the same month a season ago.

 

With the score tied at 2, Brennan Sarazin (Nepean, ON/Nepean Raiders) (Nepean, ON) broke down the left wing with Walton on a 2-on-1 in the Pioneers zone. Sarazin centered a feed to Walton who slipped a shot past Stefan Drew from the right side of the Pioneers net. The goal was Walton's fifth of the season and second game-winning goal of the year.

Sarazin was named the game's first star, as he had two assists and was all over the ice, blocking several Sacred Heart shots.

 

Sophomore forward Stevan Matic (Burnaby, BC/Langley Hornets) (Burnaby, BC) tied the game at 2, 4:08 into the period, as he was in the right spot in the slot, as Sarazin wheeled around the net and had his shot blocked. The puck bounced right to Matic, who had a wide open net to shoot at. It was Matic's first goal of the season. Walton also assisted on the goal.

 

Senior forward Simon Lambert (Ste.-Therese, PQ/Cumberland Grads) (Ste. Therese, PQ) added an empty net goal with seven seconds to play to provide final score. The goal was Lambert's 12th goal of the year.

 

RIT out-shot Sacred Heart 16-4 in the final period, and 37-22 overall in the contest. Tiger goaltender Louie Menard (Chicoutimi, PQ) won his third straight start, stopping 20 shots. Drew stopped 34 shots in a losing effort for the Pioneers.

 

Both teams had a power-play goal. 

 

RIT Head Coach Wayne Wilson knew how big this weekend was for the Tigers and was glad how the players responded.

 

“We kept our composure throughout, did a good job to beat a very good team, but we still have a long way to go in conference play,” said Wilson. “Getting a sweep in this league is hard to do and this was a big weekend for us.”

 

Both teams had excellent chances and both goalies shined during the first period of play which saw both teams tally once.

 

The Tigers scored first, on the power-play, as Andrew Favot (King City, ON/Aurora Tigers) (King City, ON) deflected a point shot from Justin Hofstetter (Bright, ON/Cambridge Winterhawks) (Bright, ON) just 3:41 into the game. Jesse Newman (Kelowna, BC/Trail Smokeeaters) (Westbank. BC) also assisted on the goal. The goal was Favot's fourth of the year and second in the last two games.

 

RIT nearly made it 2-0 later in the period, as Sarazin broke into the zone, waited out a slide by a Pioneers defenseman and was in all alone on Drew. Sarazin tried to deke to the middle, but Drew stayed with him and made a great save.

 

Dave Jarman tied the game for the Pioneers with 1:19 left in the period, as he collected a loose puck in front of the Tiger net that took a fortuitous bounce off the back boards, while Menard was out of position. The goal was Jarman's eighth of the year.

 

RIT out-shot Sacred Heart 13-10 after one period of play.

 

Reade Wolansky scored the only goal of the second period, on the power-play, to give the Pioneers a 2-1 lead. Drew came out of his net to intercept a Tiger clearing attempt, and while the Tigers were in the midst of a line change, whipped a pass to Jarman at the Tiger blue-line. Jarman found Wolansky cutting towards the net. Wolansky's wrist shot flew over the shoulder of Menard.

 

Both teams had eight shots on goal in the period, as the two teams settled into more of a defensive style.

 

RIT came into tonight's game tied for first place with idle Air Force with the Pioneers two points back.

Before this weekend, RIT was out-scored 28-13 by its opponents in the third period.  The Tigers out-scored Sacred Heart 5-0 in the two weekend wins.

This was the second meeting between the two clubs this season. Last season, RIT swept Sacred Heart at the Milford Ice Arena by scores of 4-0 and 6-3. The Tigers never trailed in the Atlantic Hockey standings after that weekend of play.

 

Last night, Lambert's game-winning goal with 11:50 left in regulation broke a 2-2 tie and lifted the Tigers to a 4-2 win over the Pioneers. Matt Smith (Toronto, ON/Kitchener Dutchmen) (Toronto, ON) scored two goals, giving him 50 for his college career and Menard stopped 37 shots.

 

RIT leads the all-time series between the two teams, 4-1-0. It is the second straight season that RIT swept Sacred Heart. 

  

The Tigers are back in action next weekend, as the travel to play the University of Connecticut Huskies on Friday and Saturday. Both contests start at 7:05 p.m.