BRIDGEPORT, CT – Austin Magera scored his second goal of the game with 39 seconds left in overtime to lift host Sacred Heart University (13-14-3, 12-10-2 AHA) to a 4-3 win over the RIT men's hockey team (14-12-3, 12-8-3 AHA) from Webster Bank Arena Saturday afternoon.
 
With Sacred Heart leading 3-2 late in regulation, RIT pulled goaltender Logan Drackett (Calgary, Alberta/Calgary Canucks) for the extra attacker. For the second time this season, RIT would score with Drackett out, as Will Calverley (Scarborough, Ontario/Chilliwack Chiefs) took a feed from Adam Brubacher (Elmira, Ontario/Powell River Kings) and fired a shot from the right side past Sacred Heart goaltender Josh Benson with 1:10 left to tie the game.
 
In overtime, Kobe Walker (Lloydminster, Alberta/Lloydminster Bobcats) had a great chance to win it early in the overtime, as he came in on a rush, but had his shot stopped by Benson.
 
Jason Cotton rang a shot off the right post from the slot with 1:30 left in regulation. On the next shift, Marc Johnstone chased a dump in to the right corner and sent a pass out front, where Magera had just enough room to one-time it over the glove of Drackett to win the game for Sacred Heart.
 
Magera scored twice for the Pioneers, while Liam Clare had a goal and an assist and Nick Boyagian also scored. Benson stopped 19 saves in net.
 
Abbott Girduckis (Belleville, Ontario/Wellington Dukes) and Will Calverley (Scarborough, Ontario/Chilliwack Chiefs) had a goal and an assist to lead the Tigers offensively. Andrew Petrucci (Toronto, Ontario/Toronto Patriots) also scored, while Adam Brubacher (Elmira, Ontario/Powell River Kings) added two assists. Drackett made 26 saves in goal.
 
Sacred Heart out-shot RIT, 30-22. The Pioneers were 1-for-5 on the power-play, while RIT was 0-for-2.
 
"I thought we played much better today than yesterday (a 2-0 RIT win)," said RIT head coach Wayne Wilson. "We were hoping for a better fate after tying it up (late) and get at least one point. We need to regroup and be ready for our stretch run."
 
Neither team in the opening period, as both teams fired eight shots on goal.
 
Drackett had to come up big on a point-blank chance by Boyagian just over a minute in. He then made a key save on a 2-on-1 rush moments later and stopped Marcel Godbout on a tip-attempt later in the frame.
 
Shawn Cameron (Sherbrooke, Quebec/Cumberland Grads) had a great chance midway through the period, getting behind the defense after receiving a long stretch pass. Cameron tried to beat Benson with a backhand deke, but the Sacred Heart goaltender got across to make the save.
 
Both teams would get on the board in the second period, as the two teams went to the dressing room knotted at 1-1 after 40 minutes of play.
 
Girduckis would get RIT on the board just after the midway point of the period, as he took a feed from Brubacher in the neutral zone, sped in and slipped a backhander past Benson for his ninth goal of the season.
 
Jake Hamacher (Corona, CA/Dubuque Fighting Saints) and Walker both had great chances on consecutive shifts moments later to make it 2-0, but Benson made two key stops.
 
Magera would tie the game at 1-1 with 1:52 left in the period, as he fired a shot from the left circle off the rush that Drackett looked to have smothered for a whistle. Magera crashed the net, found the loose puck and swept the rebound in for his 10th goal of the season.
 
That was the first goal allowed by RIT in five games at Webster Bank Arena dating back to the 2011-12 season. RIT posted back-to-back shutouts over Sacred Heart (10-0, 3-0) in 2011-12, one last season (5-0) and one yesterday (2-0).
 
The Tigers regained the lead just 2:19 into the third period, as Petrucci slid home a rebound in front after great work down low from Walker and Calverley. The goal was Petrucci's third of the year.
 
Sacred Heart would get three straight power-plays after Petrucci's goal and finally took advantage on the third one, as Boyagian wired in a shot from the right circle off a feed from Mike Lee to tie the game at 2-2 with 11:20 left in regulation.
 
RIT would be awarded a 5-on-3 power-play for 1:21 midway through the third period but  failed to take advantage. The Pioneers would take their first lead of the game with 5:50 remaining in regulation, as Clare followed up on the play, burying a loose puck in front the RIT defense and Drackett were unable to maintain possession.
 
RIT leads the all-time series between the two schools, 25-12-2. Today's game was the fourth and final regular season meeting between the two schools this season. Sacred Heart won the regular season series 3-1. Yesterday, Drackett made 39 saves for his second shutout of the season, while Cameron and Jordan Peacock (Burlington, Ontario/Burlington Cougars) scored second period goals for RIT in a 2-0 win.
 
For the moment, RIT remains in a tie for third in the Atlantic Hockey standings with 27 points with four regular season games remaining. The top five teams earn a first round bye in the Atlantic Hockey Tournament, which begins on March 9.

RIT is right back in action next weekend with a pair of home games versus AHA foe Robert Morris. Both contests from the Gene Polisseni Center get underway at 7:05 p.m. RIT students will receive free admission (one ticket per valid student ID) for next Saturday's game.