ROCHESTER, NY – Karl Beckman scored a power-play goal 4:57 into the third period to snap a 1-1 tie and lift visiting Holy Cross (3-4-3, 3-0-3 AHC) to a 2-1 win over the RIT men's hockey team (2-6-1, 1-4-1 AHC) in front of 2,681 fans at the Gene Polisseni Center on Saturday evening.
 
Tied 1-1 heading into the third period, RIT took three straight minor penalties to start the frame, giving Holy Cross 58 seconds of a two-man advantage. The three man unit of Alexander Kuqali (Pittsburgh, PA/Sioux City Musketeers), Brady Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers), and Matt Garbowsky (St. George, Ontario/Powell River Kings), along with goaltender Jordan Ruby (Tavistock, Ontario/Wellington Dukes) did great work, keeping the Crusaders at bay.
 
However, on the 5-on-4 power-play immediately after, Joe McNamara got the pass back to Beckman at the left point and his low hard shot went through a maze of bodies and got past a screened Ruby to the far post for the game-winning goal.
 
From there, RIT pressed for the tying goal, but Holy Cross blocked several shots and made key defensive plays to hang on for the win, holding RIT to just three third period shots on goal.
 
Overall, RIT attempted 71 shots to 49 for Holy Cross in the game, but the Crusaders defense blocked 28 attempts. The Tigers out-shot Holy Cross for the game, 28-21. RIT was 0-for-4 with the man-advantage, while Holy Cross was 1-for-5.
 
Matt Garbowsky (St. George, Ontario/Powell River Kings) scored RIT's lone goal in the second period. In goal, Ruby was solid, stopping 19-of-21 shots.
 
Beckman and Matt Vidal scored for the Crusaders, while goaltender Matt Ginn made 27 saves and was named the game's first star.
 
"I thought we were better tonight than last night," said RIT head coach Wayne Wilson. "We had a great first period, okay second, but once Holy Cross got the lead (in the third), they did a great job containing us."
 
RIT came out firing in the first period, out-shooting Holy Cross, 15-6, but could not solve Ginn, as the contest was scoreless after 20 minutes of play.
 
Ginn's best save came on an attempt by Alex Perron-Fontaine (St. Mathieu de Beloeil, Quebec/Chilliwack Chiefs) midway through the period. Perron-Fontaine took a feed from Mitchell on the rush near the side of the net and tried to lift the puck over Ginn, but the Holy Cross goaltender got his pad up to keep the puck out.
 
In the final minute of the period, Garbowsky came out from behind the net and had a great chance that Ginn snared with the glove.
 
Both teams scored once in the second period, with RIT holding a 10-7 edge in shots.
 
Vidal gave the Crusaders a 1-0 lead at the 9:24 mark of the period, taking advantage of a Tigers defensemen who slipped and fell while holding the puck in the Crusaders zone, creating a 2-on-1 rush. Vidal quickly gave the puck to Matt Scarth at the RIT line, who then fired a pass back to Vidal, creating a partial breakaway. Vidal was able to beat Ruby to the short side for his second goal of the season.
 
Garbowsky would tie the game at 1-1 right after a RIT power-play expired with 3:03 left in the period. Kuqali sent a pass to Brad McGowan (Langley, British Columbia/Surrey Eagles) at the right circle. McGowan had his original shot stopped, but the rebound came right to Garbowsky, who fired a shot past Ginn from the slot for his fifth goal of the year.
 
That RIT power-play unit spent the entire two minutes on the ice during the power-play preceding the goal
 
Garbowsky now has a point in eight of nine games this season.
 
RIT forward Josh Mitchell (Osoyoos, British Columbia/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) came into today tied for the national lead with nine assists and tied for fourth with 11 points.
 
Last night, Garbowsky scored with 1:09 left in regulation to lead RIT to a 3-3 tie against the Crusaders. Holy Cross led 2-0 midway through the first period, before RIT rallied to tie. Andrew Miller (Chicago, IL/Chicago Steel) and Brady Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers) also scored for RIT, while Ruby made 34 saves.
 
"If we keep working hard, things will turn around for us," said Wilson.
 
This weekend, RIT wore special military themed game-worn jerseys that will be auctioned off online at www.rit.edu/oneteamonefight from Nov. 11 to Nov. 18. All proceeds will be distributed to a number of local agencies serving veterans of the Greater Rochester area through the all-volunteer "One Team One Fight" effort.  Each player's jersey bears a special patch remembering the men and women in the Greater Rochester area who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan.
 
RIT is 23-11-5 all-time against Holy Cross and 19-6-5 at the Division I level. On home ice, RIT is 12-3-2 against the Crusaders since the 2006-07 season. RIT and Holy Cross will also meet on Feb. 13-14, 2015 in Worcester, Mass.

RIT goes back on the road next weekend, making a pair of quick trips west on I-90 to play AHC foe Canisius College. Both Friday and Saturday's games begin at 7:35 from the brand new Harbor Center in downtown Buffalo.