ROCHESTER, N.Y. – RIT sophomore forward
Kobe Walker (Lloydminster, Alberta/Lloydminster Bobcats) scored two goals but it was visiting Sacred Heart jumping out to a 5-0 first-period lead en route to a 9-5 victory over the Tigers in Atlantic Hockey action, Friday, at the Polisseni Center.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Sacred Heart scored twice in the first minute and a half and built a 4-0 lead with 11:24 left in the first period.
- Sophomore forward Jake Joffe (Toronto, Ontario/Toronto Jr. Canadiens) put the Tigers on the board after backhanding a short rebound inside the right post with 5:14 on the clock. However, the Pioneers answered 38 seconds later to build a 5-1 lead into the second period.
- Sacred Heart opened the period with a pair of power play tallies for a 7-1 lead with 9:41 on the clock.
- RIT got one back with 4:28 left in the period. Freshman forward Andrew Rinaldi (Pierrefonds, Quebec/Wellington Dukes) stuffed a forehand inside the left post to finish a Tiger counter attack from freshman forward Elijah Gonsalves (Scarborough, Ontario/Wellington Dukes).
- RIT scored 37 seconds into the third period and made it a three-goal game four minutes later. Sophomore forward Will Calverley (Scarborough, Ontario/Chilliwack Chiefs) won a faceoff to the right of the Sacred Heart goal back to junior forward Nick Bruce (Fall River, Nova Scotia/Johnstown Tomahawks), who took a shot that deflected off Pioneer goalie Josh Benson's pads. Freshman Andrew Rinaldi (Pierrefonds, Quebec/Wellington Dukes) collected the loose puck and tucked the backdoor rebound inside the right post.
- Walker came up with a loose puck outside the left post after Willett fanned on a slap shot from the left boards. Walker slipped his own rebound underneath Benson's left leg to make it a 7-4 game with 15:42 left in regulation.
- Sacred Heart answered 38 seconds later to re-take a four-goal lead before RIT's fifth goal came off a turnover in the Sacred Heart zone three minutes later. Joffe came up with puck on the right boards and fed Bruce in front for a short finish at 12:14.
- The Pioneers finished the scoring with one final tally with 10:48 left in the period.
GAME NOTES
- RIT gave up five first-period goals for the first time since joining Division I in 2005. The Tigers also hadn't allowed five goals in a single period Boston College tallied five times in the third period of a 6-0 win on Dec. 30, 2007 at Minnesota.
- Sacred Heart scored the most goals in a game as a Division I program and tied for the second most in program history. The Pioneers defeated host Scranton, 10-2, on Feb. 16, 1997.
WHAT'S NEXT
RIT hosts Sacred Heart on Saturday (Nov. 16) at 5:00 p.m.