| 2/22/2008 9:30:38 PM

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ERIE, PA - Senior forward Darrell Draper (Tigard, OR/Cowichan Capitals)'s (Tigard, OR) first goal of the season, shorthanded, with 5:37 left in the third period, helped the RIT men's hockey team (14-11-6, 12-8-5 Atlantic Hockey) rally from a 3-1 third period deficit and earn a hard-fought 3-3 tie at Mercyhurst (11-16-6, 11-8-6 Atlantic Hockey) in a big conference contest on Friday evening.

Draper converted on a rebound off a shot from Simon Lambert (Ste.-Therese, PQ/Cumberland Grads) (Ste. Therese, PQ) on a 2-on-1 break for his first tally of the season.  Brent Patry (Ottawa, ON/Cumberland Grads) (Ottawa, ON) started the play with a long break out pass to Lambert.

Mercyhurst took a 3-1 lead with 14:37 left in regulation on a goal by Kerry Bowman.

Senior Matt Smith (Toronto, ON/Kitchener Dutchmen) (Toronto, ON) scored his team-best 21st goal and 13th on the power-play with 11:18 left, as he took a feed from Dan Ringwald (Oakville, ON/Oakville Blades) (Oakville, ON) and ripped a bullet past Matt Lundin from the right face-off circle.

In overtime, both teams hit a goal post, as Mercyhurst fired six shots in the extra session to RIT's two.  Matt Fennell rang one of the bar with about three minutes left, while Smith fired a laser off the left post on a 3-on-2 break about a minute later.

Lundin stopped 45-of-48 RIT shots to earn the game's first star.  Louis Menard (Chicoutimi, PQ/Ottawa Jr. Senators) (Chicoutimi, PQ) stopped 34 shots for the Tigers.

RIT fired at least 40 shots in a game for the ninth time this season.  The Tigers are 2-5-2 when they record at least 40 shots this season.  Three of those have come against Mercyhurst, as the Tigers have fired 144 shots in the three meetings this season. 

The Tigers played in a school record ninth overtime game this season.  The six ties are also a program record.

RIT's  power-play continues to roll, going 2-for-3.  The Tigers have 12 power-play goals in the last 29 chances, spanning six games.  Ringwald, Smith and Lambert kept their point streaks alive.  Ringwald and Lambert have points in six straight games, while Smith has at least a point in five straight.  Lambert had two assists, giving him 40 points this season.

RIT Head Coach Wayne WIlson was happy to get the point, but not completely satisfied with the Tigers play.

"We were very sloppy with the puck, especially in the first period and did not compete well early on," said Wilson.  "We did improve as the game progressed and to battle back and get a point is big."

RIT struggled defensively over the first 20 minutes, allowing several excellent scoring chances.  The Tigers dodged a few bullets early, as Menard made a handful of big saves and Mercyhurst hit a post on an open net.

At the 11:20 mark, the Lakers got on the board, as Brett Robinson broke in with Ben Cottreau on a 2-1, kept the puck and deked Menard for a nifty backhand tally.

The Tigers defense could not get the puck out a few minutes later, and it led to Matt Pierce slamming a shot between the pads of Menard in close to make the score 2-0 Lakers.

RIT got on the board in the final minute, as the power-play, which has been nearly unstoppable over the last six games, converted.  Al Mazur (Burnaby, BC/Merritt Centennials) (Burnaby, BC) ripped a bomb from the right point that went off the right post and past Lundin for his fourth tally of the year.  Sean Murphy (Rochester, MN/Green Bay Gamblers) (Owatonna, MN) and Simon Lambert (Ste.-Therese, PQ/Cumberland Grads) (Ste. Therese, PQ) assisted on the goal. 

RIT out-shot Mercyhurst 13-12, although the majority of the Tiger chances came from the perimeter and most of the Lakers opportunities were from in close.

Neither team scored in the second period, as both goalies took center stage.

Lundin made a great poke-check save on a partial breakaway by Brennan Sarazin (Nepean, ON/Nepean Raiders) (Nepean, ON) with about 12 minutes left in the period.  On the ensuing rush, Steve Cameron came in on a clear breakaway.  He went to the backhand deke, but Menard was there to smother the attempt.

RIT dominated the last half of the period, generating several quality chances, but were unable to convert.  RIT had about a half-dozen excellent chances on a power-play late in the frame, but Lundin stood tall, stopping everything thrown at him.

The Tigers held a 14-9 edge in shots over the middle 20 minutes, with a 27-21 advantage after two periods of play.

Juniors Bobby Raymond (Lucknow, ON/Owen Sound Greys) (Lucknow, ON) and Sarazin played in their 100th collegiate contest.  They are the seventh and eighth Tigers to reach that milestone this season.  Neither player has missed a game during their collegiate careers to date.

Tonight's contest was the third of four regular season meetings between the two teams this season.  The teams split a pair of games at Ritter Arena on Nov. 16-17.  Brandon Coccigmiglio recorded a hat-trick, as the Lakers erased a 3-2 third period deficit and won 6-3 on Nov. 16.  The following night, Lambert's goal with 1:49 left in overtime lifted the Tigers to a 3-2 victory.  The Tigers fired 96 shots on net in the two contests.

RIT leads the all-time series between the two schools, 20-12-4.  The Tigers are 4-3-1 against the Lakers since moving to Division I in 2005.

The same two teams are back in action on Saturday evening at the Mercyhurst Ice Arena, starting at 7:05 p.m.