ROCHESTER, NY – Despite a wild late rally, the RIT men's hockey team (12-12-5, 12-7-4 Atlantic Hockey) fell to visiting American International College (6-23-2, 6-15-2 Atlantic Hockey) by a score of 5-4 in front of 2,362 fans at the Gene Polysemy Center on Friday evening.
 
American International led 2-1 heading into the third period, before scoring twice in a span of 3:39 to take a 4-1 lead. After a RIT goal made it 4-2, the Yellow Jackets responded 33 seconds later to take a 5-2 lead. RIT would not quit, as with goaltender Nick Amato (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Northern Cyclones) pulled with just over four minutes left in regulation, the Tigers scored two extra attacker goals to cut the AIC lead to 5-4 with 2:27 left in regulation. RIT kept coming, but could not get the tying goal in a wild third period in which each team scored three times, despite the Tigers holding an 18-5 edge in shots.
 
Marc Dubeau scored twice for American International, while Johno May, Jackson Dudley, and Johnny Mueller also tallied. David Gandara added two assists and was plus-3. In goal, Alex Murray was sensational, stopping 45 of 49 shots to pick up the win.
 
Erik Brown (Keene, Ontario/Kemptville 73's), Brad Shumway (Lafayette, CO/Chicago Steel), Abbott Girduckis (Belleville, Ontario/Wellington Dukes), and Todd Skirving (Thunder Bay, Ontario/Sioux Falls Stampede) scored for RIT, who held a commanding 49-22 edge in shots on goal. Brown added an assist for his first collegiate multiple-point game, while Josh Mitchell (Osoyoos, British Columbia/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) dished out two third period assists.
 
Goaltender Nick Amato (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Northern Cyclones) made his collegiate debut, stopping 17 shots in the loss.
 
RIT was 0-for-5 with the man-advantage, scoring one goal a second after a power-play ended. RIT held American International scoreless on three power-play attempts. RIT has not allowed a power-play goal over the last five games, spanning 13 chances.
 
The loss snapped a 14-game unbeaten streak for RIT against the Yellow Jackets. American International last defeated RIT on Dec. 4, 2010.
 
"I thought we didn't play strong enough 5-on-5, and that goes back to last week (against Air Force)" said RIT head coach Wayne Wilson.  "Our special teams and 6-on-5 effort was great, but overall, we needed to be hungrier around the net.  We need a little more fire underneath us tomorrow night and hopefully with how we finished tonight helps us with that."
 
Both teams scored once in the opening period, as RIT raced out to a 15-10 edge in shots.
 
Amato had to make a few quick saves early on in his debut, including a glove stop on Austin Orszulak moments in.
 
RIT would hit a pair of posts in the period, as Powell rang one off the crossbar on a rush about five minutes in, and Mitchell hit one on the power-play later on.
 
Garrett McMullen (Churchville, NY/Trail Smoke Eaters) thought he had a goal off a scramble midway through the period, but Murray came diving across, full extension to keep the puck just over the line.
 
American International would strike first 13:41 into the contest, as Dubeau was the recipient of a nice pass from Gandara, finding himself all alone in front. Dubeau would have an open side and despite Amato lunging to get across, would easily score for his fifth goal of the season.
 
RIT would strike late right after its third power-play of the period expired with 1:26 left in the period, as a blast by Kuqali was tipped in front by Brown past Murray for his fourth goal of the season. Myles Powell (Courtenay, British Columbia/Cowichan Valley Capitals) also assisted on the goal.
 
RIT dominated play in the second period, holding a 16-7 shot advantage, but a series of big saves by Murray and an early goal by May allowed the Yellow Jackets to hold a 2-1 edge after 40 minutes of play.
 
Just 1:18 into the period, American International took advantage of a turnover in the neutral zone, leading to a 2-on-1. Shawn McBride whipped a pass across to May, who roofed a hard shot over the glove of Amato for his sixth goal of the season, giving the Yellow Jackets a 2-1 lead.
 
From there, RIT notched up the intensity, getting several great scoring chances. The best came just after the midway part of the period, when Mitchell sent a perfect centering pass to Kuqali on a shorthanded break. Kuqali swooped in and tried to beat Murray with a backhand as the goaltender was going the other way, but somehow, Murray got his arm out to make a miraculous save.
 
RIT hit a lull early in the third period and the Yellow Jackets made them pay with two goals around the midway point to take a 4-1 lead. Dubeau stripped a Tiger of the puck in the neutral zone and beat Amato from the slot to make it 3-1 at 6:51. At the 10:30 mark, Dudley fired a shot home off a feed from Orszulak for a three-goal lead.
 
After Shumway took a feed from Kerins in the slot and fired a shot past Murray for his third career goal with 5:51 left in regulation to make it 4-2, Mueller would quickly give the Yellow Jackets its three-goal lead off a rush in front just 33 seconds later.
 
Wilson would pull Amato for the extra attacker with just under five minutes left in regulation and it would work immediately, as Caleb Cameron (Sundridge, Ontario/Listowel Cyclones) and Mitchell would dig a loose puck out behind the net and feed Girduckis, who was camped to the right of Murray. Girduckis was able to tuck the shot past Murray on the short side for his fifth goal of the year to make it 5-3 with 4:18 left.
RIT would get even closer with 2:27 left, as Skirving would bury a rebound in tight after a point shot by Brady Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers) was stopped to cut the Yellow Jackets lead to 5-4.
 
The Tigers would continue to press with Amato out for the final 2:27, but could get the equalizer. Gabe Valenzuela (Brampton, Ontario/North York Rangers) had a golden chance off a rebound with 1:18 left, but was robbed by Murray.
 
Tonight marked the third of four meetings between the two schools this season, as RIT won both contests at AIC on Oct. 30-31 by scores of 4-2 and 6-2. Overall, RIT is 27-4-3 all-time against AIC and 24-4-2 versus them since moving to Division I in 2005.
 
RIT and American International conclude its regular season series on Saturday night from the Polysemy Center at 7:05 p.m.