Men's Hockey | 11/7/2010 10:32:31 PM

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COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – The RIT men's hockey team failed to hold a third period lead, allowing three goals in the final 20 miutes en route to a 4-3 loss at Atlantic Hockey Association rival Air Force 4-3 on Sunday night. The Tigers had a 2-1 lead heading into the third period but took four penalties, leading to two Air Force power play goals.

Coming into tonight's game RIT had not won at Air Force since January 6, 2009, a 3-2 overtime win. Overall, Air Force now holds a 13-12-2 lead in the all-time series between the two schools.

John Kruse scored the game-winner for Air Force, jamming home a loose puck in front of the RIT net with 3:20 to play in regulation.

RIT struck quickly, scoring a power play goal at 1:47 of the first period. Senior Andrew Favot (King City, Ontario/) scored the goal on assists from Adam Hartley (West Vancouver, British Columbia/Surrey Eagles) and Tyler Brenner (Linwood, Ontario/). Brenner won the puck and fed Hartley at the point. He spotted a wide open Favot in front of the Air Force net and fired a pass that Favot tipped past Falcon's goaltender David Bosner for his third goal of the season.

Freshman Mike Colavecchia (Maple, Ontario/Lindsay Muskies) made it 2-0 RIT at 4:59 of the first. Senior Sean Murphy (Owatonna, MN/) started the play by stealing the puck away from a Falcon defender behind the Air Force goal. Scott Knowles (Riverside, Ontario/) scooped up the loose puck and raced behind the Air Force net. He spotted Colavecchia open in the slot and fed a pass that Colavecchia one-timed past Bosner for his second tally of the season and first conference goal.

Air Force answered with 5:23 remaining in the first on a power play goal by Matt Becker off assists from Jacques Lamoureux and Scott Mathis cutting RIT's lead to 2-1.

Air Force held a 12-8 shot advantage in the first period with each team scoring a power play goal. RIT's Jan Ropponen (Espoo, Finland/) stopped 11 of 12 shots he faced.

There was no scoring in the second period, despite a 16-2 shot advantage by Air Force. RIT had a great chance early in the period with 55 seconds worth of a 5-on-3 power play but failed to score. The Tigers best chance came late in the power play when Favot fired a shot from the slot but rang it off the cross bar.

Ropponen was outstanding in the second period, keeping RIT in the game. He stopped all 16 shots he faced in the period including a sprawling save on Scott Kozlak on a 2-on-1 break by the Falcons with six minutes remaining.

Air Force began a wild third period, tying the score at 12:23 of the frame on a slap shot from the point by Stephen Carew. Ropponen never saw the shot from the point as he was screened on the play.

Freshman Greg Noyes (Lucan, Ontario/Salmon Arm Silverbacks) gave RIT the lead back at 13:01 on his first collegiate goal. He scored on a wrist shot that beat Stephen Caple on an assist from Knowles, his second helper of the night.

Paul Weisgarber tied the score at 14:59 of the third on an assist from Mike Walsh and Kruse's power play goal at 16:40 proved to be the game-winner.

RIT was out shot by Air Force 40-26. The Tigers were 1-for-6 on the power play, while Air Force went 3-for-9 including two in the third period.

Jan Ropponen (Espoo, Finland/) took the loss for RIT allowing four goals and making 36 saves. Stephen Caple picked up the win for the Falcons allowing one goal and making 21 saves.

RIT returns home for a pair of AHA games versus Connecticut on Friday and Saturday, November 12 and 13 at 7:05 at Ritter Arena.