Men's Hockey | 3/21/2009 12:01:47 AM

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ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT men's hockey team lost a heart-breaker in overtime to Mercyhurst College, 5-4 in the semifinals of the 2009 Atlantic Hockey Association Tournament at Blue Cross Arena. Scott Pitt scored the game-winning goal for Mercyhurst 2:19 into the extra session for the Lakers, who advance to the AHA Championship game against Air Force on Saturday at 7:05 p.m.

”It's a disappointing loss,” said RIT Head Coach Wayne Wilson. “I was happy with the effort of our team just not with the result.”

RIT, down 4-3 late in regulation, pulled goaltender Jared Demichiel (Avon, Conn./Chicago Steel) (Avon, CT) for the extra skater. The move immediately paid off, as senior forward Brennan Sarazin (Nepean, Ontario/Nepean Raiders) (Nepean, Ontario) circled the Lakers net and attempted a wrap-around that was stopped by goaltender Ryan Zapolski. The rebound came loose and front and was swatted in by #Cameron Burt (Detroit, Mich./Green Bay Gamblers)# (Detroit, MI) with 58.5 seconds left in regulation. It was Burt's second goal of the game.

RIT out-shot Mercyhurst, 40-36 in the contest. DeMichiel made two huge glove saves early in the extra session, but could not stop Pitt's wrist shot from the high slot that went through a screen and slid through the goaltender's pads.

The Lakers were 3-for-5 with the man-advantage, while RIT finished 2-for-6.

RIT lost in the Atlantic Hockey Semifinals for the second straight season. Mercyhurst (22-14-3) advanced to the AHA Championship for the second straight season. It sets up a rematch of last season's championship game, which was won by Air Force in double-overtime, 5-4.

Burt scored two goals and added an assist for RIT, who finished the season with a 23-13-2 record. The 23 wins is a Division I team record.

Mercyhurst took a 1-0 lead just 37 seconds into the contest when Neil Graham snuck a puck passed Jared Demichiel. He stuffed a shot in between DeMichiel's pads and the post to give the Lakers an early advantage.

RIT tied the score at one with a power play goal at 14:00 of the first period. Cameron Burt (Detroit, Mich./Green Bay Gamblers) (Detroit, MI) bombed a slap shot from the slot that beat Mercyhurst goaltender Ryan Zapalski top shelf on the glove side. #Dan Ringwald (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Blades)# (Oakville, ON) and Brennan Sarazin (Nepean, Ontario/Nepean Raiders) each had assists on the play. It was Burt's third goal of the tournament and third in three games.

The opening half of the second period went RIT's way as the Tigers scored two goals, taking a 3-1 lead. The Lakers owned the second half of the period, scoring two straight goals at the end of the period tying the score at 3-3.

RIT had a 5-on-3 power play early in the second period which Tyler Brenner (Linwood, Ontario/Elmira Sugar Kings) converted for a 2-1 RIT lead. Alan Mazur (Burnaby, British Columbia/Merritt Centennials) took a slap shot from between the face-off circles that Brenner tipped home for his third of the tournament.

The Tigers made it 3-1 with an even-strength goal at 6:18 of the second. Chris Haltigin (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Blades) (Oakville, ON) centered a pass that Anton Kharin (Twin Lake, Mich./Bay State Breakers) (Twin Lake, MI) one-timed into the open net for his twelfth of the season third of the tournament.

Mercyhurst answered right back with a power play goal from Scott Pitt at 6:57 of the second period. He ripped a slap shot from the point with the assists going to Brandon Coccimiglio and Matt Fennell.

The Lakers tied the game at three with a power play goal at 17:02 of the second period. Brandon Coccimiglio completed a tic-tac-toe play by the Lakers. Phil Ginand started the play with a pass the down to Bobby Phillips who one-timed a pass over to Coccimiglio and he one-timed it into the net.

Just like the first period, the Lakers scored inside the first minute of play in the third period. Scott Pitt tallied his second of the game 31 seconds into the third on assists from Matt Pierce and Brandon Coccimiglio giving the Lakers a 4-3 lead.

Jesse Newman (Kelowna, British Columbia/Trail Smokeeaters) looked to tie the score with 12:38 to play in regulation but Zapalski stuck his glove out at the last second, making the save of the game, thwarting Newman's effort.

RIT held a 30-28 shot advantage after two periods. The Tigers went 2-for-5 with the man advantage and Mercyhurst is also 2-for-5.

RIT finishes the season with a 23-13-2 record. The 23 wins by RIT is a school record for wins in a season since joining Division I back in 2005-06.