| 3/7/2008 10:12:56 PM
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ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT men's hockey team played their first post-season game as a Division I program on Friday evening, and began their quest towards an Atlantic Hockey crown in dramatic fashion, coming back from three, third-period one goal deficits and winning 5-4 in overtime on Matt Crowell (Kelowna, BC/Williams Lake Timberwolves)'s (Kelowna, BC) goal with 4:41 left. The Tigers lead the best-of-three series, 1-0.
RIT held the distinct territorial advantage throughout overtime and had a power-play just a few minutes into the frame. Holy Cross kept dodging everything the Tigers threw at them.
Off a face-off win in the neutral zone, Dan Ringwald (Oakville, ON/Oakville Blades) (Oakville, ON) ripped a hard dump-in that Simon Lambert (Ste.-Therese, PQ/Cumberland Grads) (Ste. Therese, PQ) flagged down. Lambert eluded a Crusaders defenseman and feathered a pass to Crowell, who was barreling into the zone. Lambert hit Crowell in stride and Crowell ripped a shot off of Holy Cross goaltender Adam Roy and in. It was Crowell's first goal in 16 games, with the last coming against the Crusaders on Jan. 4.
RIT tied the game at three different junctures in a wild third period that featured five goals.
Matt Smith (Toronto, ON/Kitchener Dutchmen) (Toronto, ON) became the first Tiger since the program moved to Division I to record a hat-trick, with a pair of power-play tallies and an even strength goal. His third goal of the game tied the game at 4 late in the third period and send the contest to overtime. Lambert and Ringwald dished out three assists each.
The Tigers out-shot Holy Cross 9-1 in the overtime and 41-25 in the game. Louis Menard (Chicoutimi, PQ/Ottawa Jr. Senators) (Chicoutimi, PQ) stopped 21 shots to earn the win. Roy stopped 36 shots in defeat.
RIT Head Coach Wayne Wilson was relieved to get the crucial win.
”It just shows that the next shift as just as important as the last,” said Wilson. “I was very happy to get the win, after overcoming lots of adversity. It is playoff hockey, and you have to get over it quickly, game-by-game, because your season can end at any time. Tonight we fought back and stayed together. It was certainly an entertaining game for the fans.”
Smith recorded his third goal with 3:59 left to tie the game at 4. Stephen Burns (Newmarket, ON/Newmarket Hurricanes) (Newmarket, ON) fed the puck up to Smith, who broke in with Ricky Walton (Hamilton, ON/Hamilton Red Wings) (Hamilton, ON) on a 2-on-1. Smith used Walton as a decoy, cut to the middle and took a shot that was stopped by Roy. Smith collected his own rebound and buried it for his 24th tally of the season.
RIT trailed 2-1 heading into the third, but tied the game at 2, just 2:33 into the frame, as Stevan Matic (Burnaby, BC/Langley Hornets) (Burnaby, BC) converted a rebound off a wraparound attempt by Brennan Sarazin (Nepean, ON/Nepean Raiders) (Nepean, ON).
The Crusaders came right back, at the 6:21 mark on the power-play, as Matt Burke ripped a shot from the blue-line that had eyes, went through a screen and past Menard.
Smith tied the game at 3 on the power-play at the 8:54 mark, as Ringwald made a tremendous cross-ice pass from the left point to find Smith, all alone at the right side of the net. Smith re-directed the pass past Roy.
Just 12 seconds later, Brodie Sheahan gave the Crusaders its third lead of the period, as he broke in on a 2-on-1 and ripped a shot past Menard.
The Tigers came out a little tentative early on, sometimes struggling to clear the zone.
Smith put RIT on the board first, 8:25 in, on an abbreviated power-play, as he took a feed from Lambert in the slot and ripped a shot over the glove of Roy and just inside the right post. Ringwald kept the play alive just inside the zone and fed Lambert, earning the secondary assist. The goal was Smith's 22nd of the season and 14th with the man-advantage.
Menard made a couple of big saves off of deflections after the goal, but could not keep the Crusaders off the board, as a shot by defenseman Marty Dams deflected off a Tiger defender in front of the net. The puck came right to Joe Brock in front of the net, and he whisted the rebound into the open net to tie the game at 1.
Holy Cross out-shot RIT 11-8 over the first 20 minutes of play.
The Tigers had 45 seconds of a two-man advantage in the second period, pounded the net, but were unable to get the go-ahead goal. Smith rang a shot off the post and had another one stopped by Roy and another blocked. With the Tigers on the 5-on-4, they missed two open nets.
The Crusaders took their first lead of the game, as time ran out in the period. A Tiger defenseman rammed a clearing attempt around the boards, but took a weird bounce, right to Mark Znutas at the blue-line. Znutas' shot towards eluded Menard, as the green light came on to end the period. There was a minor controversy, as to whether the puck crossed the goal line before time ran out, but the one referee, who was right on the goal line, emphatically signaled a good goal.
The Tigers had held Holy Cross in check for the first 19:59 of the period, holding them to just three shots on net. RIT out-shot the Crusaders 10-4 over the middle 40 minutes and held an 18-15 advantage after two periods of play.
RIT is now riding a six-game unbeaten streak (4-0-2). The five goals tied a season-high, which they have equaled in the last three games.
The Tigers improve to 18-11-6 this season. Holy Cross is now 10-18-7.
Lambert extended his point-scoring streak to 10 games. He now has nine goals and 10 assists during that span. He now has 48 points on the season.
It marked the tenth straight game that the Tigers have scored a power-play goal. The Tigers are 17-for-42 with the man advantage during that span.
RIT leads the all-time series between the two teams, 9-5-0.
The Tigers swept the regular season series, defeating the Crusaders by scores of 5-1 and 5-2 on Jan. 4 and Jan. 5 in Worcester, Mass.
The winner of this best-of-three series advances to the Atlantic Hockey Final Five at the Blue Cross Arena in downtown Rochester next weekend. RIT can clinch a spot with a win on Saturday or Sunday. Holy Cross needs to win on Saturday and then on Sunday to advance.
RIT's last postseason game came on March 4, 2005 against Manhattanville. The Tigers last home postseason contest came on March 8, 2003 in the ECAC West Championship against Elmira.
It is RIT's first post-season win since March 5, 2004 against Manhattanville in the ECAC West semifinals.
The best of three series resumes on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. If necessary, game three is on Sunday is at 7:05 p.m. Tickets for each game of the playoff series will be $10 for adults and $5 for students with ID and children under 18. Playoff tickets are now on sale. Tickets will be available at the Gordon Field House and Activities Center Box Office or by phone at (585) 475-4121. If the Sunday, March 9 game is necessary, the Gordon Field House box office will be open on that day from 1-5 p.m.
