Men's Hockey | 3/1/2013 9:46:00 PM

Box Score

ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT men's hockey team (13-15-5, 11-11-4 AHA) dropped its regular season home finale, falling to Canisius College (12-18-5, 11-13-2 AHA) by a score of 6-5 in front of 1,729 fans at Ritter Arena on Friday evening. The Tigers clinch home ice for the AHA First Round, which will be held next weekend. The Tigers are currently seventh in the league standings.

RIT struggled defensively all evening, allowing several odd-man rushes. Canisius led 3-0 after one period and 5-2 after 40 minutes of play. The Golden Griffins chased RIT starting goaltender Jordan Ruby (Tavistock, Ontario/Wellington Dukes), who allowed five goals on 22 shots in just under 33 minutes of play.

“We were poor all night,” said RIT Head Coach Wayne Wilson. “It was unexcusable and unexplainable. It was our worst game played this season. We practiced great all week. It was just a very discouraging effort tonight. We need to bounce back tomorrow.”

Down 5-2 early in the third, RIT scored twice in a span of 2:03 to make it a 5-4 game. At the 4:14 mark, Bryan Potts (Niagara Falls, Ontario/Markham Waxers) scooped in a rebound to make it 5-3. At the 6:17 mark, Greg Noyes (Lucan, Ontario/Salmon Arm Silverbacks) tapped in a rebound at the side of the net to make it a one-goal game.

Canisius would make it 6-4 with 8:51 left, as Cody Freeman put a wraparound between the pads of RIT goaltender Josh Watson (Lititz, PA/Powell River Kings) for his second of the game. The Tigers would battle back once more, as Mike Colavecchia (Maple, Ontario/Lindsay Muskies) put home a rebound past Tony Capobianco with 1:24 left in regulation.

RIT would get a power-play, as Noyes was hooked as he had an great scoring attempt with 18 seconds left that saved the game for Canisius. The Golden Griffins would win the ensuing face-off and clear the puck down the ice, securing the win.

RIT out-shot Canisius, 42-33. The Tigers were 1-for-4 with the man-advantage, while Canisius was 0-for-2. Capobianco made 37 saves in the win. Watson, who replaced Ruby late in the second period, gets the loss. He stopped 10-of-11 shots.

Freeman led the Golden Griffins with two goals and was plus-3. Matthew Grazen had a goal and an assist and was also plus-3. Ryan Bohrer, Stephen Miller, and Ben Danford also scored for Canisius.

Colavecchia scored a goal and added two assists to lead RIT. Noyes added a goal and an assist, while Ben Lynch (Blaine, MN/Lincoln Stars), Chris Saracino (St. Louis, MO/Green Bay Gamblers), and Potts also scored.

The Tigers came out and had a few good chances early, but then imploded defensively, allowing three goals in a span of 5:01 to trail 3-0 after one period of play. It was the first time RIT trailed 3-0 after one period all season and first time in the RIT's eighth season of Division I play that they were down by three goals in a period on home ice.

At the 6:47 mark, Tyler Wiseman caused a turnover that went right to Preston Shupe in the RIT zone. Shupe centered a pass to Grazen, who was alone in front and put a backhander past Ruby for his seventh tally of the year.

Just 2:02 later, Grazen caused a turnover in the neutral zone and fed Miller who came in on the left wing. Miller fired a shot from the left side that somehow snuck past Ruby to the short side for his fourth goal of the season.

Canisius completed the three-goal barrage 2:59 later, as Freeman took a pass from Tyler Wiseman and got behind a Tiger defenseman, who fell on the play. Freeman faked to the backhand and went to the forehand and beat Ruby to the short side for his fifth tally of the season.

Both teams scored twice in the second period of play, as Canisius took a 5-2 edge into the second intermission.

RIT cut the Golden Griffins lead to 3-1 at the 6:08 mark of the second period. Garbowsky was knocked down in the slot, with Canisius about to get a penalty. Ruby went to the bench for an extra attacker and RIT made the Golden Griffins pay, as Noyes fed Saracino in the high slot. Saracino fired a blast over the glove of Capobianco for his ninth goal of the year.

Canisius went back up three goals a few moments later, as a giveaway in the RIT zone was funneled back to Danforth at the right point. His shot went through a screen and past Ruby to the short side for his first goal of the year.

Lynch got RIT back to within two at 4-2 with 7:30 left in the period, crashing the net to slam in a rebound after hard work from Jeff Smith (Spokane, WA/Tri-City Storm) behind the net. Josh Mitchell (Osoyoos, British Columbia/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) cycled to Smith behind the net, who came out and was stuffed by Capobianco. The rebound came right to Lynch who slammed in his ninth goal of the season.

Just 25 seconds later, Canisius went up 5-2, as Bohrer slammed in a rebound after Ruby made initial saves on Doug Jessey and Torrey Lindsay. Wilson pulled Ruby for Watson immediately.

At the 4:14 mark of the third, Potts crashed the net, putting in a rebound after Brad Reid (Delta, British Columbia/Coquitlam Express) crashed the net on a shot by Eliot Raibl (Vancouver, British Columbia/Quesnel Millionaires). On a power-play 2:03 later, Colavecchia fed Garbowsky down low Garbowsky's first shot was stopped by Capobianco, but Noyes was there to put in the rebound.

Garbowsky had his goal scoring streak snapped at four games but extended his point-scoring streak to six games. He has 11 points (6-5-11) over that span.

The Tigers are now 4-8-3 on Friday's this season, and 5-7-2 at home.

RIT is now 55-17-1 all-time against the Golden Griffins and 16-7-0 since the start of the 2005-06 season. This season, Canisius holds the series lead, 2-0, scoring 12 goals in the two contests. On Nov. 10, Canisius scored three third period goals to snap a 3-3 tie and defeat the Tigers 6-3 at Ritter Arena. Adam Mitchell (Crofton, MD/Baystate Breakers) had a goal and two assists to lead RIT. Patrick Sullivan had two goals and an assist for Canisius. Capobianco made 36 saves.

Before the game, RIT honored seniors Adam Hartley (West Vancouver, British Columbia/Surrey Eagles), Smith, and Saracino.

The two teams wrap up the regular season on Saturday night at the Buffalo State Ice Arena. That game gets underway at 7:05 p.m.