PITTSFORD, NY — The No. 1 RIT men's lacrosse team improved to 9-0 on the season with an 18-7 win over Nazareth College (2-7) on Tuesday afternoon at cold and rainy Golden Flyer Turf Field. The Tigers have now won nine straight over their cross-town rivals and improve to 19-18 all-time versus the Golden Flyers.

Shots were 46-28 in favor of RIT, while each team grabbed 28 ground balls. The Tigers won 20-of-27 face-offs and cleared the ball 11-of-14 times. Sophomore Ryan Tandy (Montrose, NY/Hendrick-Hudson) tallied career-high totals of five goals and seven points. Brendan MacDonald (Georgetown, Ontario/Trinity-Pawling) (3G, 2A) and Shawn Nally (Rochester, NY/McQuaid) (1G, 4A) each had five points, while Kyle Killen (Peterborough, Ontario/Crestwood Secondary) chipped in three goals. Nate Farrell (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) won 11-of-14 face-offs and had seven ground balls, while Eli Salama (Coquitlam, British Columbia/Dr. Charles Best) had four ground balls and caused two turnovers. Walker Hare (Libertyville, IL/Libertyville) got the win in net, making five saves.

Jack Crowley led Nazareth with three goals, and Jacob Gray tallied two goals. Anthony Basile and Jeremy Jacob each had a goal and an assist, while Andrew Leahey took the loss in net, making eight saves.

The Tigers led 4-1 after the first quarter. Quinn Commandant (Rockwood, Ontario/The Kiski School), Tandy, Killen and MacDonald each scored for RIT. Shots were 13-2 in favor of the Tigers, who fired seven on net in the quarter. Grey gave the Golden Flyers a 1-0 lead on his goal early in the quarter. The Tigers answered with four straight goals to open up a three-goal lead after 15 minutes. Ground balls were even at 7-7, while each team won three face-offs.

Beau Riley (Homer, NY/Homer) extended the RIT lead to 5-1 on his transition goal off an assist from Killen at 10:22 of the second quarter. Hare started the play with his save and pushed the ball up the field quick. Eventually Killen got the ball to Riley, who fired low into the left corner to give the Tigers a four-goal cushion.

Grey broke the RIT run with his goal with 2:35 remaining in the first half, cutting the RIT lead to 6-2. Nally made it 7-2 with his goal off an assist from MacDonald with 2:18 remaining. MacDonald found a cutting Nally who gathered and shot in close for his first goal of the game. Tandy scored in close off an assist from Nally to give the Tigers an 8-2 lead. 

Jacob scored for the Golden Flyers late in the half to cut the lead to 8-3. On the ensuing face-off, Farrell won the draw and fired a pass to Tandy who turned and shot, scoring as the buzzer sounded to give the Tigers a 9-3 halftime lead.

Shots were 25-11 in favor of RIT. Nally led the Tigers with a goal and two assists, while Tandy and Killen each scored two goals. Hare made eight saves in net.

RIT tacked on seven goals in the third quarter to lead 16-4. Tandy scored two of RIT's seven goals in the quarter, while Killen, Aidan Milburn (Vancouver, British Columbia/Sentinel Secondary), Vakiener, MacDonald and Isaac each scored. Killen, Tandy and Isaac opened the third quarter with consecutive goals to push the RIT lead to 12-3 at the eight minute mark.

After a Crowley goal cut the RIT lead to 12-4, the Tigers erupted for four unanswered goals, taking a 16-4 lead on MacDonald's nifty goal in close off a feed from Tandy with 31 seconds remaining in the quarter.

MacDonald and Matt Streit (Penfield, NY/Webster Schroeder) each scored in the fourth quarter, while Basile and Crowley both scored for the Golden Flyers. For Streit, it was his first collegiate goal.

RIT has scored at least 18 goals in six of its last seven contests. The Tigers return to action on Saturday, March 31 when they host Bard College at 1 p.m. on RIT's Turf Field.