MOON TOWNSHIP, PA – The RIT men's hockey team (2-4-0, 1-2-0 AHA) fell to undefeated Robert Morris University (6-0-1, 4-0-1 AHA) by a score of 6-3 on Friday evening at 84 Lumber Arena, part of the Robert Morris University Sports Center.
 
Brady Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers) and Mark Golberg (Ottawa, Ontario/Cumberland Grads) scored their first collegiate goals for the Tigers, while Matt Garbowsky (St. George, Ontario/Powell River Kings) netted a goal and an assist and Josh Mitchell (Osoyoos, British Columbia/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) dished out two helpers. Norrish also added an assist for his first multiple-point game. In goal, Mike Rotolo (Rochester, NY/Cedar Rapids Roughriders) started, playing the first and second periods making 17 saves on 22 shots. He was replaced in the third period by Ken MacLean (Concord, MA/Kalamazoo Wings), who made four saves on five shots.

The game was tied at 1-1 after one period before the Colonials exploded for for second period goals to take a 5-2 lead after 40 minutes of play. Both teams added one goal in the final stanza.

Spencer Dorowicz led the Colonials with two goals and an assist, while Brandon Denham and Brady Ferguson added a goal and an assist each. Scott Jacklin and David Rigatti also scored for Robert Morris.

RIT was 0-for-4 with the man-advantage, while Robert Morris was 1-for-7. The Tigers did score their first shorthanded goal of the season. The Tigers out-shot Robert Morris, 29-27.

"Robert Morris is a good team and I think we played well tonight," said RIT head Coach Wayne Wilson. "We made a few mistakes that cost us but overall we played a good hockey game. We controlled the puck well on power-plays and scored a shorthanded goal so our special teams played well. We had a lot of blocked shots but need to make sure to do the little things right."
 
RIT netted the first goal at 8:55 in the first period. Garbowsky finished with assists from Josh Mitchell (Osoyoos, British Columbia/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) and Dustin Fostvelt (Edmonton, Alberta/Spruce Grove Saints ). The Colonials answered right back scoring two minutes and eight seconds later. The period ended with the score knotted at one apiece and a Tiger penalty to start the second.
 
Robert Morris came out firing during their power play off of the Tigers' penalty. Rotolo makes two quick saves in the second period to keep the score tied at one apiece.
 
Denham of Robert Morris found the back of the net at 5:38 after the man-up was over. Just over six minutes later, Dorowicz put one past Rotolo to take a 3-1 lead.
 
At 12:39 in the second period, the Tigers scored their first shorthanded goal of the year, as Norrish tallied his first collegiate marker, with assists from Garbowsky and Mitchell.
 
Just as the Tigers were chipping away, Ferguson scored at the 15:38 mark to put Robert Morris ahead 4-2. With just 31 seconds left in the period, the Colonials added a power-play goal from Jacklin off a deflection in front to take a 5-2 lead over the Tigers into the third.
 
In the third period, the Tigers came out strong. RIT had a great look at 11:39 with Matt Abt (Leduc, Alberta/Whitecourt Wolverines ) on the door step off a pass from the corner but was unable to finish. With five minutes left to play, Mitchell won the faceoff in the Colonial's zone to create a scoring play that the Tigers were unable to convert.
 
Golberg scored his first collegiate goal over the shoulder of Shafer off a pass from Brady Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers) with 3:33 left to complete the scoring.

"I am happy with the way we performed overall," said Wilson. "We made a few big mistakes that cost us goals and at the end of the day it is the score that matters. We should be mad at ourselves for those and determined to build off of this tomorrow."

Robert Morris leads the all-time series between the two schools, 7-4-4. RIT had won  the last two meetings at 84 Lumber Arena. The two teams will also meet this season on Feb. 20-21, 2015 at RIT's Gene Polisseni Center.

RIT and Robert Morris wrap up the weekend series from 84 Lumber Arena on Saturday at 7:05 p.m.