Men's Hockey | 2/20/2009 8:37:16 PM

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WEST POINT, NY -- The RIT (20-10-1, 19-5-1 AHA) men's hockey team defeated Army (10-17-4, 9-12-4 AHA) 3-2 on Friday night in Atlantic Hockey Association action from Tate Rink. The Tigers scored two goals in the second period breaking a 1-1 tie, and withheld a third period rally to post their eighth straight road win. The Tigers maintain their lead in the AHA standings. The win also secures no worse than a top-two finish for the Tigers in the AHA standings.

"It was a good hard-fought win," said RIT Head Coach Wayne Wilson. "Army is a good, hard-skating team and its a good win for us on the road."

Army took a 1-0 lead two minutes and two seconds into the first period with a power play goal. Owen Meyer got the puck just outside the face-off circle and scored on a well placed shot that beat Jared DeMichiel (Avon, Conn./Chicago Steel) (Avon, CT) on the far side.

Late in the period, with RIT short-handed, Stevan Matic (Burnaby, British Columbia/Langley Hornets) (Burnaby, BC) rifled a slap shot from just inside the blue line that beat Jay Clark up top for his fifth goal of the season. #Brent Alexin (West Seneca, N.Y./Buffalo Jr. Sabres)# (West Seneca, NY) dug the puck off the side boards and got it to Matic at center ice. He fired the shot, tying the game at 1-1.

Tyler Brenner (Linwood, Ontario/Elmira Sugar Kings) (Linwood, ON) gave RIT its first lead of the contest one minute and two seconds into the second period with his 10th goal of the season. With RIT enjoying a two-man advantage, he took a pass from Brennan Sarazin (Nepean, Ontario/Nepean Raiders) (Nepean, ON) and fired a wrist shot high on Clark to give RIT the one-goal advantage.

The Black Knights tied the score at 2-2 forty-four seconds later when Bryant Skarda gathered a rebound off a shot from Will Ryan and poked home the rebound passed DeMichiel.

Jesse Newman (Kelowna, British Columbia/Trail Smokeeaters) (Kelowna, BC) gave the Tigers the lead back with a power play goal thirteen minutes and twenty-two seconds of the second. #Justin Hofstetter (Bright, Ontario/Cambridge Winterhawks)# (Bright, ON) fired a slap shot from the point that was deflected to Newman at the face-off circle. He fired a shot the beat Clark top-shelf for his ninth goal of the season.

There was no scoring in the third period but plenty of action. Army fired seven shots in the period which DeMichiel turned aside. His best came with a little over seventeen minutes remaining. Mark Dube snuck in on the back side and looked to have an open net, but DeMichiel slid over and stuck his pad out, making the spectacular save.

RIT also killed off forty-one seconds of a 5-on-3 power play by the Black Knights. The defense was stout for the Tigers in that penalty-kill, not allowing a shot on goal.

RIT out-shot Army 24-20 and went 1-for-7with man-advantage. Army was 1-for-6 on the power play. DeMichiel picked up his eleventh win of the season, allowing two goals and making 18 saves. Jay Clark took the loss, allowing three goals and making 21 saves.

These same two teams will face-off on Saturday night at 7:05 pm at Tate Rink on the campus of the United States Military Academy.