ROCHESTER, NY – Dan Kolenda scored two third period goals, as visiting Niagara University (3-10-2, 3-5-1 AHC) knocked off the RIT men's hockey team (4-9-2, 4-4-1 AHC), 2-0 in front of 2,838 fans at the Gene Polisseni Center on Friday evening.

With the game scoreless in the third period, Kolenda picked up a loose puck at the side of the RIT net off a scramble in front with 15:01 remaining and lifted a shot over RIT goaltender Mike Rotolo (Rochester, NY/Cedar Rapids Roughriders), who had made two saves on the sequence. Kolenda would put the game away with a empty-net power-play goal in the final minute. Tanner Lomsnes assisted on both Niagara goals.

With 1:21 left in regulation, RIT's Mark Golberg (Ottawa, Ontario/Cumberland Grads) nearly gave the home crowd something to celebrate, as he was sent in on a shorthanded breakaway. Golberg tried to beat Niagara goaltender Jackson Teichroeb between the legs with a wrist shot, but could not, setting up the stage for the empty net goal.

Both goaltenders were strong in net. Teichroeb, making his first start of the season, stopped all 24 shots he faced for the shutout. Rotolo made 26 saves on 27 shots, including a myriad of excellent saves during the second period to keep the game scoreless.

Niagara out-shot RIT, 28-24. The Purple Eagles were 1-for-3 with the man-advantage, while RIT was 0-for-3.

"This was our worst game of the season," said RIT head coach Wayne Wilson. "We weren't sharp, played with a lack of focus and deserved this outcome. Our effort and intensity needs to be completely different if we want to salvage a split tomorrow night."

Neither team scored in the opening period, in which Niagara held a 10-7 edge in shots on goal.

RIT had two golden chances, one coming in the first two minutes, when Erik Brown (Keene, Ontario/Kemptville 73's) picked off a pass in the Niagara zone and fed a perfect cross ice pass to Gabe Valenzuela (Brampton, Ontario/North York Rangers) at the side of the net, but Teichroeb got across to make the brilliant save.

Midway through the first period on RIT's opening power-play of the game, Josh Mitchell (Osoyoos, British Columbia/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) threaded a perfect diagonal pass to Greg Amlong (O'Fallon, MO/UMass Lowell) on the back door after he slipped behind the defense. Amlong had an open net, but shot the puck through the crease and wide.

Niagara rebounded with strong play late in the period, but Rotolo and the RIT defense kept it scoreless. Rotolo's best save came with 1.8 seconds left in the period, as he came out to rob Vince Muto who had a point blank chance from the slot.

Despite RIT holding an 11-9 edge in shots during the second period, Niagara had the better chances, as Rotolo had to come up with a handful of remarkable saves to keep the game scoreless after 40 minutes of play.

Just four minutes into the period, Nick Farmer found himself in front for the Purple Eagles, but his backhander went off the left post and out. With just two minutes left in the frame, Rotolo made a huge save on Albin Karlsson from the doorstep and in the final seconds of the period, the RIT goaltender made his best save of the night, sprawling with his left arm to rob Sam Rennaker on the doorstep, taking away what looked like a sure goal.

Niagara leads the all-time series between the two schools, 15-5-11, including a 13-3-9 mark in RIT's Division I era. The loss snapped a four-game unbeaten streak that RIT had over the Purple Eagles.

The two teams conclude the weekend series on Saturday from Dwyer Arena on the campus of Niagara with a 7:05 start. RIT and Niagara also play a home-and-home series on Feb. 19-20.