WATERTOWN, MA –  The RIT men's hockey team (9-11-4, 8-6-4 AHC) scored three third period goals to break a 2-2 tie and get back in the win column with a 5-2 victory over host Bentley (11-11-3, 9-7-3 AHC) on Saturday night at the John A. Ryan Skating Center.
 
Josh Mitchell (Osoyoos, British Columbia/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) and Matt Garbowsky (St. George, Ontario/Powell River Kings) each scored two goals and had two assists in the win, career-highs for both men in the points category. Andrew Miller (Chicago, IL/Chicago Steel) also scored, while Brad McGowan (Langley, British Columbia/Surrey Eagles) and Brandon Thompson (Vancouver, British Columbia/Handsworth) dished out a pair of assists apiece. Alexander Kuwali and Danny Smith (Edmonton, Alberta/Sherwood Park Crusaders) also recorded an assist.
 
Garbowsky's four points ties his career high. He has registered four points in two other games, the most recent this season on Nov. 21 against Sacred Heart. McGowan's two assists also tie a career high, done six other times. Mitchell broke his previous career-best of three points.
 
Mike Rotolo (Rochester, NY/Cedar Rapids Roughriders) made 30 saves to earn his third straight win. In his last five appearances, two against ranked opponents, Rotolo has stopped 143-of-153 shots faced. 
 
Bentley jumped out to a quick lead, just 3:32 into the game, as Alex Grieve put in the rebound off of a shot by Max French from Andrew Gladiuk.
 
RIT had a couple chances to get on the board in the first period, outshooting the Falcons 14-10. Todd Skirving (Thunder Bay, Ontario/Sioux Falls Stampede) had a good look on the doorstep but Gabe Antoni made a good glove save.
 
RIT came out firing in the second period getting 16 shots off compared to Bentley's eight. Garbowsky scored his first goal just 34 seconds into the period to tie the game at one apiece. Josh Mitchell (Osoyoos, British Columbia/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) took the puck past a Falcon defender behind the net and dished it in front to Garbowsky who placed the puck in the near corner over Antoni's left shoulder.
 
Later in the period, with 4:58 left, Miller put away the score to give the Tigers 2-1 edge into the second intermission. Thompson took the puck behind and dished it to Miller breaking down the ice to blast a shot off of Antoni's pad. Miller dove back at the rebound to get a shot past Antoni.
 
Just 21 seconds into the final period,  Greive grabbed the puck behind that was mishandled by the Tiger defense and passed it up top to Matt Blomquist to blast a slapshot past Rotolo to tie the game.
 
Bentley had several good chances in the third to take the lead, outshooting the Tigers 14-13 in the period. Rotolo made 13 big saves to hold the Falcons off.
 
With 6:47 left, Mitchell netted the game-winner off of a rebound from McGowan after a pass by  Garbowsky to go 3-2.
 
RIT continued to prove why they are in the top-10 nationally in penalty killing, going 6-for-6 in that situation tonight and 10-for-10 on the weekend against one of the best power-plays in Division I. The biggest defensive stop came with a Bentley power-play with 3:35 left. Smith made two huge blocks up top to hold off the Falcons.
 
As the Falcon power-play expired, Garbowsky netted the security goal. Mitchell dumped the puck into the offensive end off the boards and raced to make the pass to Garbowsky cutting down the middle for his 17th goal of the year.
 
With 31 seconds left, Mitchell put in the fifth and final goal on an open net from Garbowsky and Kuqali.
 
"I thought we played another good game tonight," said RIT head coach Wayne Wilson. "We finished our chances better and our penalty kill was strong all weekend. We were more focused tonight and came out with two points."
 
RIT is now 17-9-2 against Bentley, 15-8-2 since the 2006-07 season.  The Tigers are 7-4-1 all-time at the John A. Ryan Skating Center.
 
Last night, Miller scored the only Tigers goal in the 2-1 defeat to Bentley. Tonight was the final regular season meeting between the two schools this season. 
 
The Tigers return home to play the next seven of their 10 remaining regular season games from the Gene Polisseni Center. Of the five Atlantic Hockey Conference opponents left, RIT has already played three of the opponents (Robert Morris, Holy Cross, and Niagara) previously this season, recording a 1-3-2 record.
 
RIT will take on Army for the first time this season in a conference series, Friday and Saturday, Jan. 30-31, both starting at 7:05 p.m. from the Gene Polisseni Center.