MOON TOWNSHIP, PA – Senior forward Gabe Valenzuela (Brampton, Ontario/North York Rangers) scored a power-play goal with 23.4 seconds left in overtime to lift the RIT men's hockey team (3-2-0, 1-1-0 AHA) to a 2-1 win over Atlantic Hockey rival Robert Morris University (2-3-1, 1-2-1 AHA) from Colonials Arena Saturday night.
 
The Tigers were awarded a power-play with 1:30 remaining in overtime and had four shot attempts blocked by the Robert Morris penalty-killers. Dan Willett (Bayville, NY/Bloomington Thunder) skipped a pass to Valenzuela on the left wing boards. Valenzuela spun around a defenseman and fired a low backhand towards the net that snuck through the stick and pad of Robert Morris goaltender Francis Marotte and off the left post for his third goal of the season.
 
RIT goaltender Logan Drackett (Calgary, Alberta/Calgary Canucks) was called upon to make two game-saving stops moments earlier in the overtime. First, he robbed Nick Prkusic on the doorstep and then made a key save on Justin Addamo.
 
Drackett was excellent in net for the Tigers all evening, stopping 33 of 34 shots for his third win of the season. Marotte, who shut out RIT last night, made 28 saves on 30 shots.
 
Valenzuela had a two-point night for the Tigers, also drawing an assist. Abbott Girduckis (Belleville, Ontario/Wellington Dukes) also scored for RIT, while Adam Brubacher (Elmira, Ontario/Powell River Kings) assisted on both goals.
 
All three goals were scored on the power-play. RIT was 2-for-6, while Robert Morris went 1-for-4. Robert Morris out-shot RIT, 34-30.
 
"I thought it was a tough, gritty win for us tonight," said RIT head coach Wayne Wilson. "We were much more disciplined, which made a difference for us. It is another weekend to point to in regards to the subtle things it takes to win games as we get into league play."
 
Girduckis opened the scoring just 2:29 into the game, on the power-play, redirecting a hard slap shot from Adam Brubacher (Elmira, Ontario/Powell River Kings) over the shoulder of Marotte for his third goal of the season. Gabe Valenzuela (Brampton, Ontario/North York Rangers) also assisted on the goal.
 
Kip Hoffmann had a great chance for the Colonials later in the period, getting a step on a RIT defender while cutting hard to the net. While making his move towards across the crease, Hoffmann lost control of the puck as it snuck wide.
 
RIT had a golden chance to add to its lead late in the frame, as Ryan Kruper (Sherwood Park, Alberta/Sherwood Park Crusaders) eluded a defender in the corner, cut towards the net and found Andrew Petrucci (Toronto, Ontario/Toronto Patriots) alone in the slot. Petrucci one-timed a shot towards the far corner that went just wide of the net.
 
Neither team scored in the second period, despite several good chances from both sides.
 
Marotte made several key stops during a RIT power-play early in the period and made a big stop on Valenzuela later in the frame.
 
Drackett was called on to make two top-notch saves, first sliding across to get the knob of his stick on a golden chance from Alex Tonge on a Colonials power-play, then holding his ground to rob Grant Hebert from the slot off the rush.
 
Will Calverley (Scarborough, Ontario/Chilliwack Chiefs) took a drop feed from Jake Hamacher (Corona, CA/Dubuque Fighting Saints) off the rush late in the second period, but had his point-blank opportunity smothered by Marotte.
 
The Colonials would tie the game at 1-1, 4:30 into the third period on the power-play, as Lalonde received a fortuitous carom off the backboards as a pass from Hoffmann that was intended for a different player skipped away. Lalonde beat a diving Drackett for the goal from the goal line at the left side of the net.
 
Mark Logan (Calgary, Alberta/Brooks Bandits) had a great chance from the left circle with eight minutes left in regulation after a feed from Jordan Peacock (Burlington, Ontario/Burlington Cougars), but Marotte was up to the task.
 
The Tigers won their third straight game on Saturday to start the season and are now 2-0 in overtime this season.
 
Last night, Marotte made 25 saves to lift Robert Morris to a 3-0 win over the Tigers. RIT leads the all-time series between the two schools, 14-13-4. RIT and Robert Morris also meet for two games at the Gene Polisseni Center on Feb. 22-23, 2019.
 
RIT is right back in action next weekend, Nov. 2-3 with a pair of games at AHA foe Mercyhurst University. Both Friday and Saturday's games from the Mercyhurst Ice Center get underway at 7:05 p.m.