Men's Hockey | 1/8/2010 9:56:58 PM

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ROCHESTER, NY – Senior defenseman #Dan Ringwald (Oakville, Ontario/) scored a goal and added two assists to lead the RIT men's hockey team (10-8-1, 10-2-1 AHA) to a 5-2 win over Holy Cross(5-11-4, 4-7-3 AHA) in Atlantic Hockey action in front of 1,946 fans at Ritter Arena on Friday evening. RIT now has an 11-game unbeaten streak (10-0-1) in AHA play.

Cameron Burt (Detroit, MI/), Scott Knowles (Riverside, Ontario/), Tyler Brenner (Linwood, Ontario/), and Brent Alexin (West Seneca, NY/) also scored for the Tigers. Alexin's goal snapped a 2-2 tie with 13:38 left in regulation and proved to be the game-winner.

RIT, who snapped a three-game losing streak, out-shot Holy Cross 42-26. Jared DeMichiel (Avon, CT/) picked up his ninth win of the season, stopping 24 shots. Thomas Tysowsky played well in defeat for the Crusaders, stopping a career-best 37 shots.

Holy Cross scored both of its goals with the man-advantage, in seven attempts. The Crusaders have scored 11 of their last 13 goals on the power-play. RIT went 1-for-5 on the power-play. Brenner's power-play goal with 7:44 left in regulation snapped a 1-for-30 drought with the man-advantage.

RIT Head Coach Wayne Wilson was relieved to get back in the win column.

“Holy Cross gave us a good test tonight,” said Wilson, who picked up his 198th career victory. “We had a great second period, and despite not scoring, generated great momentum for the third period, and broke open what was a close game.”

RIT opened the scoring just three minutes in, as Knowles ripped a wicked wrist shot from the right face-off circle past Tysowsky on the rush. Knowles took a pass from Mike Janda (Glen Ellyn, IL/) at center ice, scooted into the zone and buried the shot for his third goal on the season.

DeMichiel preserved the lead with a great pad save on Luke Miller a few minutes later, as Miller found an opening in front, went around a defenseman and fired a backhander from in close.

Just 12 seconds into a power-play, Holy Cross tied the game at 1, as Jordan Cyr scored on a rebound from in close. Everett Sheen slid a shot from the right half boards that DeMichiel stopped but could not hold, as it went between his arm and body. Cyr was right there to put the puck home, his sixth of the year.

Ringwald gave RIT a 2-1 lead with 4:35 left in the period, as the Tigers, who had six men on the ice due to a Holy Cross delayed penalty, held the puck in the zone. Andrew Favot (King City, Ontario/) circled the net, attempted a shot, which was blocked and came right to Ringwald, who was crashing the net. The senior defenseman made no mistake in netting his sixth goal of the season.

Both teams fired 11 shots over the opening 20 minutes.

Neither team scored in the second period, as both goaltenders took center stage in what was an exciting, up tempo period, despite the lack of scoring. Tysowsky stopped all 18 shots he faced, in the period while DeMichiel was perfect on all 11 Holy Cross attempts.

Favot had RIT's three best chances of the period. Midway through the frame, he streaked into the zone, went around a defenseman and fired a shot from the high slot that was turned aside. The rebound came right back to Favot who had another great chance that Tysowsky denied.

Late in the period, with RIT on the power-play, Burt fed a perfect cross ice pass to Favot, who seemed to have a wide open net. Out of nowhere, Tysowsky dove across and robbed Favot of what looked to be a sure goal.

DeMichiel made a couple of big stops on a Holy Cross power-play midway through the frame, allowing RIT to hold its lead.

Brodie Sheahan tied the game at 2, 5:46 into the final period, on the power-play, as he tipped home a shot from Cyr in close.

Alexin gave RIT the lead for good, just 36 seconds later, as he converted a great centering pass from Alan Mazur (Burnaby, British Columbia/), who beat his defender wide and threw the puck towards the net. Alexin deflected the pass through Tysowsky's legs for his second goal of the season.

Brenner netted an insurance marker on the power-play with 7:44 left, as he slammed home a rebound from in tight after Ringwald's point shot went wide.

Burt scored an empty-netter with 34 seconds left, his sixth goal of the season. Sean Murphy (Owatonna, MN/) blocked a Holy Cross shot inside the Tiger zone and fed Burt, who beat his man past center ice and slid the puck into the gaping net.

Tonight's contest was the third meeting in the last month between the two schools. The teams skated to a 1-1 tie in Worcester, Mass. on Dec. 4, while Burt scored with 47 seconds left in overtime, as RIT won 3-2 the next night.

RIT is 18-6-1 all-time against the Crusaders. Last season, RIT went 6-1-0 against Holy Cross and has knocked them out of the AHA Quarterfinals in each of the last two seasons. The Tigers are 14-1-1 against the Crusaders since the start of the 2006-07 season.

The Tigers have scored 50 goals in the last 10 home games (9-0-1) against Holy Cross, dating back to 2006-07.

The two teams conclude their season series on Saturday evening at 7:05 p.m.