SPRINGFIELD, MA – Senior goaltender Mike Rotolo (Rochester, NY/Cedar Rapids Roughriders) stopped 18 shots for his fifth career shutout, as the RIT men's hockey team (10-11-1, 10-6-0 Atlantic Hockey) defeated American International (4-12-6, 3-8-5 Atlantic Hockey) 5-0 at the MassMutual Center on Friday evening.
 
Rotolo, who also became the first RIT goaltender at the Division I level to surpass 2,000 career saves, was especially strong in the second period, when American International out-shot the Tigers, 10-7. He made several big saves to keep the score 2-0 RIT before the Tigers broke the game open with three goals in the third period. Rotolo now has 2,009 saves in his RIT career.
 
Erik Brown (Keene, Ontario/Kemptville 73's) scored a pair of goals, while Shawn Cameron (Sherbrooke, Quebec/Cumberland Grads), Adam Brubacher (Elmira, Ontario/Powell River Kings), and Alex Perron-Fontaine (St. Mathieu de Beloeil, Quebec/Chilliwack Chiefs) also tallied for the Tigers, who have won seven of their last eight games against Atlantic Hockey foes. Brubacher added an assist for a two-point night, while Garrett McMullen (Churchville, NY/Trail Smoke Eaters) also had a pair of assists.
 
RIT out-shot American International, 40-18, including 22-4 in the third period. RIT was 1-for-4 with the power-play, while holding the Yellowjackets scoreless on both of their attempts with the man-advantage.
 
"I thought we dictated play and got off to a great start in the first period," said RIT head coach Wayne Wilson. "We were a bit sloppy in the second, but we took control and wore (AIC) down in the third," said RIT head coach Wayne Wilson.
 
Brown opened the scoring 4:30 in, slamming home a rebound after a nifty deke and shot by Valenzeula that Murray stopped. Valenzuela took a pass from Kerins in the neutral zone, came in with a full head of steam and made a shifty move on a defender to cut to the middle and fired a hard, low shot that Murray stopped. The rebound came right to Brown who was crashing the net and he backhanded a shot into the open net for his team-best 12th goal of the year.
 
RIT had a golden opportunity to make it 2-0 just before the midway point of the period, as Jordan Peacock (Burlington, Ontario/Burlington Cougars) and Perron-Fontaine came in on a 2-on-1 rush. Peacock cut to the middle and had Murray beat, but had the puck slightly knocked off his stick just before the shot.
 
The Tigers would up their lead to 2-0 at the 11:39 mark of the period, as Danny Smith (Edmonton, Alberta/Sherwood Park Crusaders) stripped a Yellowjackets defender of the puck behind the net and fed a perfect pass to Shawn Cameron (Sherbrooke, Quebec/Cumberland Grads), who was streaking towards the net. Cameron one-timed the pass past Murray for his third goal of the season.
 
The goal came right after a big save by Rotolo, who denied Shawn McBride from point-blank range in the slot.
 
Rotolo had to make a big save by Johno May on a shorthanded break early in the second, as he intercepted a breakout attempt by the Tigers. May tried to beat Rotolo to the far side, but the RIT goaltender stayed with him and poked the puck aside. Moments later, Rotolo was called upon to smother a shot by Dominik Florian on a 2-on-1.
 
Murray would be called upon to make his best save of the evening with just over five minutes left in the second period, robbing Caleb Cameron (Sundridge, Ontario/Listowel Cyclones) from the doorstep after a nifty pass by Abbott Girduckis (Belleville, Ontario/Wellington Dukes). Cameron had another chance a few minutes later, taking a feed from Matt Abt (Leduc, Alberta/Whitecourt Wolverines ), but was robbed by the pad of Murray.
 
The Tigers poured it on in the third period, scoring three times, while out-shooting the Yellowjackets, 22-4.
 
Brubacher gave RIT the important three-goal cushion 4:54 into the final period, coming into the American International zone, and unleashing a rocket of a slap shot behind the left face-off circle over the glove of Murray and off the crossbar and in for his fifth goal of the season.
 
Perron-Fontaine made it 4-0 Tigers with 6:10 left, swatting in a rebound in close off a shot from McMullen for his first goal of the season. Brody Valette (High River, Alberta/Whitecourt Wolverines) also assisted on the goal.
 
Brown completed the scoring late in regulation with a power-play goal, taking a cross-ice feed from Chase Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers) and firing a wrist shot from the right circle past Murray for his second goal of the night and 13th of the year to make it 5-0. Brubacher also assisted on the goal.

With the win, RIT moves into a tie for second place in the league standings with 20 points.

RIT leads the all-time series against American International, 29-4-3. The Tigers are 14-1-2 in the last 17 games against the Yellowjackets.
 
The Tigers and Yellowjackets wrap up their regular season series on Saturday from the MassMutual Center at 2:05 p.m.
 
"It's a quick turnaround for us, so we need to be ready (for tomorrow)," said Wilson.