Men's Hockey | 12/29/2011 4:39:00 PM

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BURLINGTON, VT -- The RIT men's hockey team (9-6-2) shut out No. 11 Ferris State (11-7-1), 3-0 at the 2011 Sheraton/TD Bank Catmount Cup at Gutterson Fieldhouse on the campus of the University of Vermont on Thursday afternoon.  It is the first shutout of a non-AHA team since the Tigers joined Div. I in 2005-06.

Senior Shane Madolora (Salinas, CA/) picked up his third shutout of the season and ninth of his career. He made 23 saves and had an assist, earning MVP of the game honors.

"We did all the right things," said RIT Head Coach Wayne Wilson. "We got pucks on net, killed penalties, played physical, had great goaltending and we were succesful."

Cameron Burt (Detroit, MI/) had three assists, while Mike Colavecchia (Maple, Ontario/Lindsay Muskies) and Chris Saracino (St. Louis, MO/Green Bay Gamblers) each had a goal and an assist. Adam Hartley (West Vancouver, British Columbia/Surrey Eagles) tallied the other Tiger goal.

Ferris State outshot RIT 23-19. The Tigers were 2-for-4 with the man advantage, while holding the Bulldogs scoreless on eight power play chances.

RIT scored two goals in the first period, killing off 1:38 of a 5-on-3 Ferris State power play and a five minute major in the period. Saracino and Colavecchia got the Tigers on the board.

Saracino scored at 3:17 of the first off assists from Colavecchia and Burt. Sarcino got the puck at the point skated free from a Ferris State defender and fired a wrist shot through traffic beating Taylor Nelson high over the shoulder.

Midway through the period, the Tigers killed off a 5-on-3 penalty and a five minute major. The Bulldogs had five shots early in the power play, but the Tigers were able to limit the chances late in the power play. Mark Cornacchia (Unionville, Ontario/) won two big defensive zone face-offs for the Tigers.

Colavecchia made it 2-0 RIT at 17:31 of the first period. Madolora, who had eight saves in the first, and Burt each had assists on the play. Madolora fed Burt who carried the puck into the Ferris State zone. He fed a cross-ice pass to Colavecchia who buried a wrist shot into the left corner for his sixth tally of the season.

The lone goal in the second period came at 5:19 on a power play goal by Hartley. He tipped home a shot by Sarcino for his fifth tally of the season. Burt picked up his third assist of the game feeding Saracino at the point.

RIT played good, smart hockey in the third period, not giving Ferris State much hope of a comeback.

Today's game was the first meeting between the two schools.  It is RIT's first win over a ranked team this season and eighth in the seven-year Division I history.

The Tigers return to action on Friday, Dec. 30 when they face No. 16 Lake Superior State at 4 p.m. at Sheraton/TD Bank Catamount Cup.