BUFFALO, NY – Despite a tremendous performance by senior goaltender Mike Rotolo (Rochester, NY/Cedar Rapids Roughriders), the RIT men's hockey team (3-4-1, 3-2-0 Atlantic Hockey) fell to host Canisius (3-5-1, 2-0-1 Atlantic Hockey) 1-0 at HARBORCENTER on Friday night.
 
Rotolo made several highlight reel saves throughout, keeping the Tigers in the game, while trailing over the final two periods. He needed to make just 22 saves, but many were tremendous chances in close.
 
Canisius goaltender Charles Williams was also up to the task, stopping all 41 RIT shots on the evening, including 21 in the third period, when the Tigers upped their intensity. RIT out-shot Canisius, 21-5 in the third period. RIT fired 41 shots in the game, but many were from the perimeter and with little traffic in front of Williams.
 
Alex Jaeckle scored the game-winning goal for Canisius in the final minute of the first period.
 
RIT was 0-for-4 with the power-play, while Canisius went 0-for-3.
 
"I thought we didn't play with a lot of energy, especially through the first two periods," said RIT head coach Wayne Wilson. "We turned up our intensity in the third period, but it was too little, too late. I thought Mike (Rotolo) was by far our best player, he made several big saves throughout."
 
Rotolo was sharp early, making a tremendous pad save on Ryan Schmelzer on the rush while the Golden Griffins were on a power-play. Rotolo then robbed Felix Chamberland in tight off a scramble with just under five minutes left in the frame.
 
Canisius would open the scoring in the final minute of the period, as Chamberland would flip a pass that got caught in a Tiger player's sweater and drop into the slot right to Jaeckle, who wheeled and beat a screened Rotolo for his first goal of the season.
 
Both teams had plenty of chances in the second period but the goalies stole the show, with several highlight reel stops.
 
Rotolo would make his best save of the night, robbing Chamberland in the opening minute of the second period. Chamberland would find himself all alone in front and tried to deke Rotolo out of position, but the RIT goaltender somehow kept his glove on the ice to keep what looked like a sure goal out.
 
Moments later, the Rotolo continued his great play, robbing Dylan McLaughlin on a pair of breakaways moments apart to keep it a 1-0 game. First, McLaughlin came in and tried to get Rotolo out of position, but the Rotolo held his ground and forced a tough angle shot which was stopped. McLaughlin would get a breakaway from center ice and this time try to beat Rotolo through the legs, but once again, the big save was made.
 
Liam Kerins (Caledon, Ontario/North York Rangers) had two excellent chances on a RIT power-play late in the period, but was denied by Williams on both attempts, hard wrist shots from the left face-off circle.
 
Schmelzer just missed making it 2-0 Golden Griffins, ringing a shot off the left post with just over two minutes to go in the period.
 
The Tigers would out-shoot Canisius, 21-5 in the third and keep the Golden Griffins hemmed in their zone for most of the period. Williams would make several key saves throughout.
 
In one stretch late in the third, he made a pad save on Gabe Valenzuela (Brampton, Ontario/North York Rangers), despite looking back to see if the puck went through his legs. The rebound was cleared along the boards to Adam Brubacher (Elmira, Ontario/Powell River Kings), who unleashed a wicked slap shot from the high slot. Williams would make his best save of the night, flashing a quick glove hand to deny Brubacher as the puck was marked for the top left corner.
 
RIT would pull Rotolo with 1:45 left in regulation and keep the puck in the Canisius zone throughout. Myles Powell (Courtenay, British Columbia/Cowichan Valley Capitals) fired a shot that Williams knocked down in the final minute with the rebound loose in front. Garrett McMullen (Churchville, NY/Trail Smoke Eaters) had a good chance on the rebound, but unfortunately, the puck bounced over his stick.
 
RIT leads the all-time series between the two schools, 60-21-2, including a 21-11-1 edge since the Tigers moved to Division I in 2005. The two teams also meet for a home and home series on Jan. 20-21, 2017.
 
The Tigers came into tonight in the top-15 nationally, averaging just under four goals per game.

The two teams complete the weekend series on Saturday night from the Gene Polisseni Center at 7:05 p.m.