Men's Hockey | 10/25/2013 10:22:00 PM

Box Score

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA – The RIT men's hockey team (0-3-2) led early and rallied late to earn a 3-3 tie at Penn State University (1-2-1) in front of a capacity crowd of 6,211 fans at Pegula Ice Arena on Friday evening. The two teams then played a shootout, as per Big 10 rules, with RIT scoring the only two goals.  

Brad McGowan (Langley, British Columbia/Surrey Eagles) scored with 7:19 left in regulation to force the tie. RIT used a great forecheck to force a turnover in the Penn State zone. Dan Schuler (Webster, NY/Powell River Kings) found Matt Garbowsky (St. George, Ontario/Powell River Kings) in the slot, who fed a pass to McGowan in front. McGowan put a backhand past goaltender Matthew Skoff for his first goal of the season.
 
RIT almost won the game late in regulation, as Mike Colavecchia (Maple, Ontario/Lindsay Muskies) had a great chance in the slot after a feed from Ben Lynch (Blaine, MN/Lincoln Stars). Colavecchia tried to go high, but was stopped by Skoff.
 
In overtime, Greg Noyes (Lucan, Ontario/Salmon Arm Silverbacks) had a good chance in the high slot, but could not get the puck past Skoff.
 
With the game tied at 2-2 in the third period, Penn State grabbed the lead with 11:13 left, as Curtis Loik took a shot from the right wing boards that looked to be going wide, but deflected off the stick of RIT goaltender Jordan Ruby (Tavistock, Ontario/Wellington Dukes) and in.
 
Ruby made two big saves not long after, robbing Kenny Brooks and Max Gardiner from point-blank range to keep it 3-2 Penn State.
 
As per Big 10 rules, if a game is tied after overtime, the two teams compete in a best-of-three shootout to see who would win the extra point. Since it was a non-conference game, per NCAA rules, this was done merely as an exhibition and had no bearing on the final score.
 
In the shootout, Alexander Perron-Fontaine opened with a goal, while Ruby made a save. Colavecchia beat Skoff through the legs and Ruby forced the next shooter wide, as RIT took the shootout, 2-0.
 
It was the first shootout in RIT hockey history. The Atlantic Hockey Association does not use shootouts.
 
Colavecchia and McGowan both tallied a goal and an assist apiece, while Matt Garbowsky (St. George, Ontario/Powell River Kings) had two assists. Adam Mitchell (Crofton, MD/Baystate Breakers), playing in his first game of the season, also scored a power-play goal. Ruby recorded his second straight tie, stopping 32 shots.
 
Loik, Dylan Richard, and David Goodwin scored for the Nittany Lions, who out-shot RIT, 35-25. Skoff made 22 saves.
 
RIT was 2-for-6 with the man-advantage, while Penn State finished 1-for-5.
 
"I thought it was a gritty point, hard earned on the road in a tough environment," said RIT head coach Wayne Wilson. "We struggled in the first period but played with a lit more poise later on. Our power-play was good early on, but tried forcing too much over the final two periods. It was a great place for our guys to play at, the loud crowd is great, fun to be involved tonight."
 
The Tigers started slow, giving up eight of the game's nine first shots, but thanks to a strong power-play, led Penn State 2-1 after one period of play.
 
Penn State dominated play 5-on-5 and 4-on-4 early and it paid off 6:15 into the contest, as Richard took a feed from Patrick Koudys in the neutral zone, zipped around a Tiger defender and put a shot between the legs of Ruby to make it 1-0.
 
Just 2:04 later, RIT evened the score at 1-1 on the power-play, as Adam Mitchell (Crofton, MD/Baystate Breakers), playing in his first game of the season, rocketed a shot past Skoff from the slot after a nifty passing play. Colavecchia, playing the right point, fed Brad McGowan (Langley, British Columbia/Surrey Eagles) down low, who one-timed a pass to Mitchell in the slot. The senior made no mistake in potting his 32nd career goal.
 
Ruby kept RIT in for the next handful of minutes, making some key saves, including one on Nate Jensen from the slot.
 
RIT grabbed the 2-1, once again on a power-play. While the teams were playing 4-on-3, Colabecchia ripped a shot from the high slot past a screened Skoff for his team-best fourth goal of the year. Greg Noyes (Lucan, Ontario/Salmon Arm Silverbacks) fed Colavecchia, who got the puck down to Garbowsky down low. Garbowsky gave it right back to Colavecchia, who put the one-timer in.
 
With 31 seconds left in the period. Penn State was assessed an elbowing penalty and five-minute major for kneeing, giving RIT a golden chance to take control.
 
The Tigers started the second period with 1:48 of a 5-on-3 power-play, but could not convert. RIT then had over two minutes of a 5-on-4, and once again, could not get any great chances through to Skoff.
 
Ruby made his best save of the game not long after the Penn State penalties expired, as he dove across the crease to make a tremendous stop on Taylor Holstrom, who looked to have a sure goal.
 
The Nittany Lions knotted the game at 2-2 with 4:39 left in the period on the power-play. RIT had two forwards trapped on a forecheck, causing a 3-on-2 break up the ice. Eric Scheid fired a perfect pass to Goodwin, who put a shot past Ruby off the crossbar and in.
 
Ruby made a big save on Scheid a few moments later to keep it tied.
 
RIT thought they took the lead back before the period ended, as Colavecchia put a backhander on net that Skoff stopped. The whistle blew right as Lynch whacked at the puck, putting it in. No goal was ruled as the referee lost sight of the puck.
 
"We paid a little more attention in regards to who we might use in a shootout if needed in Thursday's breakaway showdown in practice," Wilson added.
 
Penn State won the only previous meeting between the two schools, 3-2 at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester on Oct. 20, 2012. Gardiner had a goal and an assist to lead the Nittany Lions, while Loik and Bailey also scored. P.J. Musico made 40 saves in net, as the Tigers held a 42-22 edge in shots. Lynch had a goal and an assist to lead RIT offensively.
 
Pegula Ice Arena opened on Oct. 9, with the Nittany Lions earning a 4-1 win over Army. The building is approximately 200,000-square feet, a 5,782-seat state-of-the-art, multi-purpose facility located right on campus. RIT will open the Gene Polisseni Center on campus in time for the 2014-15 season.
 
RIT opens up conference play on Friday, Nov. 1 with a home contest against perennial rival Air Force Academy. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m.