Men's Hockey | 1/2/2009 11:01:27 PM

Click here for game stats

ROCHESTER, NY – Junior forward #Matt Crowell (Kelowna, British Columbia/Williams Lake Timberwolves)# (Kelowna, British Columbia) scored two goals to lead the RIT men's hockey team (9-9-1, 8-4-1 Atlantic Hockey Association) to its fourth straight win, 3-2 over Bentley (6-8-1, 5-4-1 Atlantic Hockey Association) at the John A. Ryan Skating Center on Friday. The Tigers moved to the .500 mark for the first time this season.

Crowell's second goal of the game with 11:15 left in the third period gave RIT a 3-1 lead and proved to be the game winner. Crowell took a pass from #Alan Mazur (Burnaby, British Columbia/Merritt Centennials)# (Burnaby, British Columbia) in the neutral zone, cruised into Bentley territory and slipped a backhander over the glove of Kyle Rank.

Bentley made it interesting, scoring with 1:12 left and the goalie pulled to pull within 3-2. Dustin Cloutier slid a wrist shot from the shot past RIT goaltender #Jared DeMichiel (Avon, Conn./Chicago Steel)# (Avon, CT). It was Cloutier's second goal of the game.

DeMichiel was solid in net for RIT, stopping 28 shots to pick up his fourth straight win and seventh of the season. Rank made 29 saves in the loss for Bentley.

The Tigers went 1-for-4 on the power-play, while holding Bentley scoreless in five attempts with the man-advantage. RIT held a 32-30 edge in shots.

The line of Crowell, Jesse Newman (Kelowna, British Columbia/Trail Smokeeaters) (Kelowna, British Columbia) and Andrew Favot (King City, Ontario/Aurora Tigers) (King City, Ontario) recorded a pair of points each. Crowell tallied twice, while Newman and Favot had two assists each. Sean Murphy (Owatonna, Minn./Green Bay Gamblers) (Owatonna, MN) also scored for RIT

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

”I thought we had pretty good control in the third period, they (Bentley) made it interesting late,” said Wilson. “It is a tough place to play. We are happy to get the win and get a big two points.”

RIT came out and dominated play right away, out-shooting Bentley 15-1 over the first nine minutes. RIT maintained pressure in the Falcons zone continuously and had several outstanding chances.  Unfortunately RIT could not find the back of the net, as Rank made some huge saves to keep the game scoreless. The Tigers ended the period with an 18-6 advantage in shots.

DeMichiel made his best save of the period with about five minutes left, sliding across the goal crease to rob Bentley's Dain Prewitt.

RIT almost broke through in the final minute of the frame, as Justin Hofstetter (Bright, Ontario/Cambridge Winterhawks) (Bright, Ontario) wired a slap shot through a screen that Rank never saw, but the puck ricocheted off the goaltender's glove and wide.

Bentley got on the board first, as a centering pass by Marc Menzione deflected off a skate in front the RIT net and right to Dustin Cloutier, who put the puck past a sprawling DeMichiel 4:43 into the second period.

Just a few minutes later, DeMichiel made a phenomenal save to rob Prewitt on a one-timer from the left side. RIT killed off 1:20 of a Bentley two-man advantage shortly thereafter.  

RIT tallied the equalizer on the power-play with 7:22 left in the frame, as Murphy grabbed a loose puck in front of the Bentley net and fired a shot over the glove of Rank for his fourth goal of the year. #Tyler Brenner# (Linwood, Ontario) corralled a rebound off a shot by Favot and had his pass deflected to Murphy.

The Tigers grabbed their first lead of the game just over four minutes later, as they were rewarded for hard work in the Falcons zone. Newman out-worked a Falcons defenseman and cycled the puck who Favot who found Crowell in front. Crowell one-timed the pass from in close past Rank for his fifth goal of the season.

Bentley out-shot RIT 14-6 in the period. The Tigers held a 24-20 edge in shots after 40 minutes of play.