ROCHESTER, NY – Erik Brown (Keene, Ontario/Kemptville 73's) scored two third period goals to break a 1-1 tie and lift the RIT men's hockey team (9-10-1, 9-5-0 Atlantic Hockey) to a 3-1 win over Sacred Heart University at the Gene Polisseni Center on Friday evening.

Brown slammed home a rebound off a shot by Darren Brady (Lake Orion, MI/New Jersey Titans) with 7:07 remaining to give RIT a 2-1 lead and put the game away with an empty-netter with 40.4 seconds left in regulation. It was Brown's second two goal game the season, as he now leads the team in scoring with 11 goals and 17 points. Brown was named the first star of the game.

Matt Abt (Leduc, Alberta/Whitecourt Wolverines ) assisted on both third period goals and was named the game's third star. Liam Kerins (Caledon, Ontario/North York Rangers) scored a first period power-play goal. Caleb Cameron (Sundridge, Ontario/Listowel Cyclones), Brody Valette (High River, Alberta/Whitecourt Wolverines), and Myles Powell (Courtenay, British Columbia/Cowichan Valley Capitals) each had an assist.

Mike Rotolo (Rochester, NY/Cedar Rapids Roughriders) was excellent in goal for the Tigers, stopping 20 of 21 shots for his ninth win of the season. He made several big stops over the first two periods and was named the game's second star.

Jordan Minello scored Sacred Heart's lone goal, a power-play marker late in the second period. Goaltender Nathan Perry was brilliant in net for the Pioneers, making 39 saves on 41 shots he faced.

RIT out-shot Sacred Heart, 42-21, including an 18-5 advantage in the third period, and 34-14 over the final 40 minutes. The Tigers were 1-for-5 with the man-advantage, while Sacred Heart was 1-for-3.

The Tigers have now won six straight games in league play and sit tied for third in the Atlantic Hockey standings with 18 points, just one point out of first place.

"I thought we were sloppy, lethargic, and didn't play with a lot of energy, but were able to grind out a big win," said RIT head coach Wayne Wilson. "We need to play much better than that, which will hopefully be motivation for us tomorrow night."

RIT scored the lone goal in the opening period, out-shooting Sacred Heart, 9-7.

Kerins would get the Tigers on the board with a power-play goal, his eighth of the season, 9:18 into the game. Caleb Cameron (Sundridge, Ontario/Listowel Cyclones) won an offensive zone face-off to Valette, who sent a pass back to Cameron at the left side wall. Cameron found Kerins open in the slot, with the sophomore ripping a wrist shot past Perry for the goal.

Mitch Nylen nearly tied the game for the Pioneers on a power-play moments a few minutes after Kerins' goal, but he fired a shot through traffic off the left post and out. RIT's Ryan Kruper (Sherwood Park, Alberta/Sherwood Park Crusaders) was denied a shorthanded goal on the same Sacred Heart power-play, as Perry made a great pad save from in close.

Rotolo had to come up with several big saves later in the period to keep RIT in the lead. First, he robbed Nylen on a point-blank chance with 6:25 left in the period and moments later, made a big glove save on Zach Tsekos. With just under four minutes left, Rotolo came out to smother a golden chance by Connor Doherty, who had plenty of open ice after receiving a drop pass on a 3-on-2 rush in the RIT zone.

Sacred Heart would net the lone goal in the second period, as Minello ripped a perfect one-timer from the right face-off circle on a feed from Tsekos on the power-play to even the game at 1-1.

RIT would have several great chances in the period and with two seconds left appeared to take a 2-1 lead, but after video review, Brown was ruled to have deflected Chase Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers)'s point shot in with a high stick, waving off the goal.

Earlier in the period, Perry made a sensational glove save on a hard shot by Adam Brubacher (Elmira, Ontario/Powell River Kings) and robbed Shawn Cameron (Sherbrooke, Quebec/Cumberland Grads) with his blocker from the slot. Sacred Heart's Justin Danforth had a great chance on a 2-on-1 rush, sliding the puck off the right post past Rotolo after a strong move in close.

The Tigers dominated play in the third period, holding an 18-5 edge in shots and generated several chances before Brown's eventual game-winning goal.

Danny Smith (Edmonton, Alberta/Sherwood Park Crusaders) had a great chance with 8:18 left, getting behind the Sacred Heart defense to go in 1-on-1 with Perry. He swept across the crease and tried to go high, but the goaltender got his pad out to make the big save.

Tonight's game started a stretch of 15 straight contests against Atlantic Hockey foes to end the regular season.

RIT leads the all-time series between the two schools, 22-5-2. RIT has won the last five meetings between the two schools and is 14-1-1 in the last 16 meetings dating back to the 2009-10 season.

The Tigers and Pioneers wrap up their regular season series on Saturday night from the Gene Polisseni Center. Opening face-off is set for 7:05 p.m.