Men's Hockey | 10/25/2012 10:18:00 PM

Box Score Click here for game stats

ROCHESTER, NY - The RIT men's hockey team (1-3-0, 0-1-0 AHA) suffered its third straight loss, allowing three goals in both the second and third periods to lose its 2012-13 Ritter Arena and Atlantic Hockey Association debut, 6-4 to Robert Morris (2-1-0, 1-0-0 AHA), in front of 1,604 fans at Ritter Arena on Thursday evening.

RIT trailed 3-2 heading into the third period, then led 4-3 before Robert Morris came roaring back with three goals over the final nine minutes.

Down 3-2, the Tigers scored twice in a span of 37 seconds to take the 4-3 lead. Anthony Hamburg (Phoenix, AZ/Omaha Lancers) scored his first collegiate goal on the power-play, banking a shot from the left goal mouth off Robert Morris goaltender Eric Levine and in to tie the game. Just 37 seconds later, Nolan Descoteaux (Dallas, TX/South Shore Kings) tallied his first goal of the season, as he had his first shot stopped in front by Levine. He corraled the loose puck behind the net and banked it off Levine.

From there, Robert Morris roared back with three straight to win the game. Colin South tallied his second goal of the game with 8:39 left, as RIT couldn't clear the front of the net and he was left alone to beat Jordan Ruby (Tavistock, Ontario/Wellington Dukes) for the goal. With 4:33 left, Jeff Jones scored the game-winning goal, as a bad RIT defensive pinch led to a 3-on-1. Zach Hervato fed Jones in the slot and he blasted a slap shot past Ruby to give the Colonials a 5-4 lead. Hervato completed the scoring with 24 seconds left on a 5-on-3 power-play, as RIT couldn't clear the front of the net and he chipped a shot over Ruby.

Robert Morris out-shot RIT 39-38. Hervato led the Colonials with a goal and three assists, while South had two goals and an assist. Jones tallied a goal and two assists, while Cody Wydo had a goal and an assist, while Adam Brace tallied a pair of assists. Levine made 34 saves for his second win of the season.

Adam Mitchell (Crofton, MD/Baystate Breakers) tallied RIT's first two goals of the game before leaving late in the second period due to an injury. Descoteaux recorded a career-high three points on a goal and two assists, while freshman defenseman Brad Shumway (Lafayette, CO/Chicago Steel) also recorded a career-high three assists. Jeff Smith (Spokane, WA/Tri-City Storm) added two assists, while Josh Mitchell (Osoyoos, British Columbia/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) had one helper.

In goal, Ruby suffered the loss, stopping 33 shots.

RIT scored its first two power-play goals of the season, going 2-for-3. They were the first two power-play goals Robert Morris has allowed in 2012-13. The Colonials were 1-for-4 with the man-advantage.

RIT scored the game's lone goal in an entertaining first period of play, where the Tigers held a 14-11 edge in shots.

Robert Morris owned the first few minutes of play, jumping out to a 6-1 lead in shots. Ruby made a fantastic save for the Tigers just 2:32 in, as he robbed David Friedmann from the slot. Friedmann tried to go between the legs in close, but Ruby shut the door and kept the game scoreless. Ruby also stoned Brandon Denham on a tip-in attempt from in close to keep the game scoreless.

RIT received two power-plays in succession a few moments later. On the first man-advantage, Matt Garbowsky (St. George, Ontario/Powell River Kings) had a wide open net after a blocked shot came right to him in the slot. Unfortunately, Garbowsky's shot rang off the right post and out.

RIT finally scored its first power-play goal of the season at the 8:03 mark, as Mitchell dug the puck out of the corner, quickly wheeled around the net and put a backhand between the legs of Levine for his first goal of the season to make it 1-0 RIT. Shumway fired a dump in to the Robert Morris zone, where Descoteaux won the battle to the puck and slid it into the corner to Mitchell, who put the wraparound past Levine.

RIT had a few more chances to lift its lead to 2-0 later in the period, but Levine kept the puck out. Levine stopped Brad McGowan (Langley, British Columbia/Surrey Eagles) on a rebound chance in front, then Andrew Miller (Chicago, IL/Chicago Steel) fired a shot from the slot through a screen that Levine stopped, but the goaltender looked behind him to see if the puck slid through.

Robert Morris scored three times in a span of 1:25 midway through the second period to stun the Ritter faithful and take a 3-2 lead after 40 minutes of play.

Mitchell tallied his second of the game 5:20 into the period on the rush to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead. Shumway fired the puck up to Smith at the Robert Morris blue-line. While falling down, Smith tipped a pass to Mitchell, who came in on a mini 2-on-1 with Ben Lynch (Blaine, MN/Lincoln Stars). With Lynch going to the net, Mitchell fired a shot that beat Levine to the far side for his second goal of the year.

Dan Schuler (Webster, NY/Powell River Kings) nearly made it 3-0 moments later, but was robbed by Levine.

The Colonials began their charge with a rather innocent looking shot by Jimmy Geerin from the right point that was redirected by Brace, then Wydo from the slot past Ruby at the 11:30 mark to cut the Tigers lead in half.

Just 40 seconds later, Hervato dug a loose puck form the boards on the left side and fed a wide open South in the slot. South unleashed a rocket of a shot that beat Ruby over the glove and just under the crossbar to tie the game at 2-2.

The Colonials completed the barrage just 45 seconds after, as a defensive breakdown in the RIT zone led to a 3-on-1, as Wido fed a pass to Brace in front, who turned and found a wide open Jacklin heading to the net. Jacklin made no mistake on the pass, beating Ruby to the far post from the side of net.

Robert Morris nearly made it 4-2 late in the period, as a shot from Wydo had Ruby beat to the far post, but the puck clanged off the post, off Ruby's shoulder and down into the crease, where Ruby smothered it.

Tonight's game was the first of three meetings between the two schools this season. RIT travels down to Robert Morris to play a pair of games on Feb. 8-9.

RIT is 2-4-3 all-time against the Colonials. Last season, the Tigers went 0-1-2 against Robert Morris, losing 4-0 on the road and tying both home contests, 2-2. Tonight's game was the first time thw two teams have played at Ritter Arena where the score wasn't 2-2 after 60 minutes of play.

RIT drops to 35-4-10 against AHA foes dating back to the start of the 2009-10 season. Tonight's game was the first regular season home game not played on a Friday or Saturday since Jan. 9, 2007.

The Tigers are right back in action on Friday, as they travel east to play ECAC foe Colgate at 7:05 p.m.