MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The RIT men's hockey team (5-9-3) began the 2015 calendar year by falling to No. 9 UMass Lowell, 7-3 in the opening round of the Mariucci Classic hosted by the University of Minnesota on Friday afternoon. The Tigers will play No. 8 Minnesota in the Mariucci Classic Third Place game at 8 p.m. EST on Saturday.
No. 18 Merrimack defeated Minnesota, 3-2 in the second Mariucci Classic contest on Friday evening.
Danny Smith (Edmonton, Alberta/Sherwood Park Crusaders) scored on a penalty shot for RIT in the second period, while
Josh Mitchell (Osoyoos, British Columbia/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) and
Caleb Cameron (Sunridge, Ontario/Listowel Cyclones) added a third period goals. Mitchell's goal came just seven seconds in, a new Division I team record for fastest goal to start a period. Smith's penalty shot goal was the first scored by the Tigers since Ricky Walton against Canisius on Nov. 2, 2007.
In goal,
Jordan Ruby (Tavistock, Ontario/Wellington Dukes) made the start, allowing five goals on 28 shots before
Ken MacLean (Concord, MA/Kalamazoo Wings) took over in the third period, stopping 13 of 15 shots on goal.
Lowell out-shot RIT, 43-30 and scored two goals on four power-play chances. That snapped RIT's streak of killing off 32 straight penalties dating back to Nov. 14 against Canisius. The Tigers were 0-for-2 with the man-advantage.
Seven different players scored for the River Hawks. Evan Campbell led the way with a goal and two assists, while Robert Francis and Adam Chafie each added a goal and an assist. Michael Fallon, Dylan Zink, Evan Kamrass, and Ryan McGrath also scored.
"We were very sloppy, especially in our own zone and Lowell made us pay tonight," said RIT head coach
Wayne Wilson. "We have to take much better care of the puck tomorrow."
Despite holding the territorial edge for good stretches of play in the opening period, RIT found themselves down 2-0.
Mitchell had a good chance from the right side on a 3-on-2 rush just 15 seconds in, but Boyle smothered his opportunity. The junior forward tried to go five-hole on a rush in the final minute of the period, but was denied as well.
Just 1:31 in, Lowell got on the board, taking advantage of a RIT turnover in the defensive zone. Jake Suter caused the turnover and fed Francis at the right point. Francis took a hard shot that Ruby stopped, but the rebound came to Fallon, who was able to slide the puck around the goaltender and in to make it 1-0.
A little over five minutes later, Lowell made it 2-0, as Chapie forced a RIT turnover behind the net and fed Campbell, who roofed a shot off the crossbar and in for his fifth of the season.
Andrew Miller (Chicago, IL/Chicago Steel) nearly got RIT on the board with 9:05 left in the period, as he fired a shot from the slot that beat Boyle, but clanged off the right post and out.
The River Hawks added to their lead in the second period, scoring three times to lead the Tigers 5-1 after two periods of play.
Ruby had to come up big early in the second, as he robbed CJ Smith in close on a Lowell power-play. The River Hawks would score on the power-play moments later, as Zach Kamrass would tip in a shot from Terrance Wallin 4:41 into the period to make it 3-0.
RIT would have several chances of its own, but could not solve Boyle.
Todd Skirving (Thunder Bay, Ontario/Sioux Falls Stampede) had two great chances early in the period, one from the right dot and then right on the doorstep on the rebound.
Dan Schuler (Webster, NY/Powell River Kings) came in with
Matt Garbowsky (St. George, Ontario/Powell River Kings) on a shorthanded 2-on-1 and took a hard shot that Boyle stopped.
On the ensuing rush up the ice, McGrath was able to come in and fire a high shot past Ruby for his first goal of the season and make it 4-0.
Smith was slashed from behind on a breakaway at the 13:21 mark of the period and was awarded a penalty shot. Smith came in over the line, slowed up, made a head fake and was able to slide the puck on the forehand past Boyle for his fourth goal of the season.
Zink scored off a feed from Wallin with 26 seconds left in the period to make it 5-1.
Just seven seconds into the third period, Mitchell stole a pass from a Lowell player after RIT lost the opening faceoff. Mitchell came in with
Brad McGowan (Langley, British Columbia/Surrey Eagles) on a 2-on-1, cut to the middle and roofed a wicked wrist shot off the crossbar and in for his fifth goal of the season.
After Francis gave Lowell a 6-2 lead at the 2:37 mark, Cameron would make it a 6-3 game with 9:23 left, as he shoveled a loose puck in front over Boyle for his fourth goal of the season. Just 1:48 later, Chapie would complete the scoring.
Lowell leads the all-time series between the two schools, 5-1-1 and is 2-0-1 versus RIT since 2005.
The last time RIT went out to Mariucci Classic was Dec. 29-30, 2007 for the Dodge Holiday Classic. RIT defeated Minnesota, 4-3 and fell to Boston College in the championship game. The last time RIT played nationally-ranked teams on back-to-back days was at the Catamount Classic hosted by the University of Vermont on Dec. 29-30, 2011. RIT won both games, defeating No. 11 Ferris State, 3-0 and No. 16 Lake Superior, 3-1.
After this weekend, the Tigers return home to play a pair of home contests against Atlantic Hockey foe American International at the Gene Polisseni Center on Jan. 9-10.
