ROCHESTER, NY – Junior forward Todd Skirving (Thunder Bay, Ontario/Sioux Falls Stampede) scored two times in a 25-second span, as the RIT men's hockey team (0-2-1) skated to a 2-2 tie against No. 10 Bowling Green State University (3-1-1) in front of a sellout crowd of 10,556 fans at Blue Cross Arena, as the focal point of Brick City Homecoming and Family Weekend on Saturday evening.

It is the sixth straight year that RIT has sold out Blue Cross Arena during its homecoming weekend.

Skirving scored twice in a span of 25 seconds to give RIT a 2-0 lead in the first period and send the sellout crowd of 10.556 fans into a frenzy. Just 5:47 into the contest, Skirving took a cross-ice feed from Myles Powell (Courtenay, British Columbia/Cowichan Valley Capitals) at the side of the net after a quick rush by the Tigers and had nothing but net to beat Bowling Green goaltender Chris Nell for his first goal of the year. Dan Schuler (Webster, NY/Powell River Kings) set up the play with a great rush into the Falcons zone to earn the secondary assist.

Seconds later, Andrew Miller (Chicago, IL/Chicago Steel) chipped a puck into the neutral zone that hopped over a Bowling Green defender's stick right to Mark Golberg (Ottawa, Ontario/Cumberland Grads) at the blueline, creating a 2-on-1 rush. Golberg faked the shot and fed a perfect saucer pass that Skirving fired into the open net for his second tally.

Bowling Green would get on the board 1:01 after that, 7:13 into the game, as Mark Cooper stripped a Tiger defender of the puck in front of the RIT net, took a shot that RIT goaltender Mike Rotolo (Rochester, NY/Cedar Rapids Roughriders) stopped, but jammed the rebound under the crossbar in tight to make it 2-1.

Neither team scored in a physical, hotly contested second period, in which bodies were flying. Rotolo had to make a great pad save on Cooper to end the period, as the winger came flying down the right side as the buzzer sounded.

The Tigers had several chances to regain their two-goal lead in the third period, but could not convert. Nell made a great glove save on a shot by Danny Smith (Edmonton, Alberta/Sherwood Park Crusaders) from point-blank range early in the period. Josh Mitchell (Osoyoos, British Columbia/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) had two glorious chances in front off a giveaway, as he tried to deke Nell, but could not, as the Bowling Green goaltender kept his pad on the ice and against the post to keep the puck out.

Rotolo also made a handful of big saves in the third, his best on Ben Murphy from the slot with 12:25 left.

The Falcons would get even with 3:04 left in regulation, as RIT could not get the puck out of the zone, with Kevin Dufour, the recipient of a great passing play from Mark Friedman and Pierre-Luc Mercier. Friedman pinned the puck along the left side boards and fed Mercier, who fired a pass to Dufour, who was left alone in the slot. Dufour was able to get the shot past a sliding Rotolo.

RIT would have to kill off a Bowling Green power-play in the final two minutes of regulation and would do so. The Falcons would pressure RIT for the first two minutes of overtime, with Rotolo making four high pressure saves. Gabe Valenzuela (Brampton, Ontario/North York Rangers) had a golden chance to win the game with just under two minutes left, when he came in on a 2-on-1 and fired a shot from the right wing that Nell stopped.

RIT out-shot Bowling Green, 35-29. Both teams were 0-for-2 with the man-advantage. Nell was named the game's third star, stopping 33 shots, while Rotolo, the second star, made 27 saves. Skirving was the first star with his first two goals of the year.

"We played a much more simple game, much more direct, and knew we wanted to jump on them early," said RIT head coach Wayne Wilson. "This is always a special game to be a part of, such a fun atmosphere. I think the fans enjoyed it as much as the players, what an exciting game right to the end."

The Tigers are now 2-5-2 all-time at Blue Cross Arena when playing there as a part of Brick City Homecoming and Family Weekend. Overall, the Tigers are 8-10-2 all-time at the downtown arena as a Division I program.

Bowling Green leads the all-time series between the two schools, 4-0-1. It was the first meeting since 2008. Wilson and associate head coach Brian Hills played collegiately at Bowling Green. Hills was a Hobey Baker Finalist in 1983 and is the university's second all-time leading scorer. Wilson was a captain on the Falcons when they won the 1984 NCAA Division I National Championship.

RIT is back in action next weekend with a home-and-home series vs. Colgate. Friday's game from Colgate begins at 7 p.m. and Saturday's from the Gene Polisseni Center is a 7:05 p.m. start. If RIT sells out the Gene Polisseni Center on Saturday, RIT President Bill Destler will dye his hair orange between the second and third period.