ROCHESTER, N.Y. – RIT sophomore forward
Kobe Walker (Lloydminster, Alberta/Lloydminster Bobcats) scored the game-winning goal with 4:50 left in regulation to lead the Tigers to a 5-4 comeback win over visiting Canisius, Saturday, in Atlantic Hockey action.
Trailing, 4-1, with under nine minutes left in regulation, RIT (13-10-3, 9-6-3 AHA) scored four unanswered goals in a 3:22 span, including two by freshman forward
Elijah Gonsalves (Scarborough, Ontario/Wellington Dukes) and another by senior forward
Shawn Cameron (Sherbrooke, Quebec/Cumberland Grads), to setup Walker's decisive tally.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Canisius scored a power play goal with 16:46 on the clock. A cross from the right corner got hung up in front of the RIT crease where freshman forward Ryan Miotto cleaned up the loose puck.
- RIT answered 14 seconds later when senior forward Ryan Kruper (Sherwood Park, Alberta/Sherwood Park Crusaders) took a feed from junior defenseman Dan Willett (Bayville, NY/Bloomington Thunder) down the right boards and scored on a wrist shot from the right face-off dot through Canisius freshman goalie Jacob Barczewski's pads.
- Canisius took a 2-1 lead with 14:54 on the second-period clock after sophomore defenseman Derek Hamelin scored on shot from the left face-off circle inside the left post through a screen.
- The Golden Griffins scored twice in final four minutes of the second period to build a three-goal lead. Sophomore forward David Baskerville re-directed a shot by junior defenseman Logan Gestro from the left face-off circle at 3:34 before senior forward Matt Hoover finished a right-wing rush with 18.9 seconds on the clock.
- Gonsalves started the comeback with 8:22 left in regulation. Senior defenseman Adam Brubacher (Elmira, Ontario/Powell River Kings) collected his own rebound off Barczewski's pads and fed Gonsalves for a quick finish inside the right post.
- Cameron came up with a loose puck on the right boards and fired a shot from the top of the zone that scored under Barczewski's glove at 7:54.
- Junior forward Jake Hamacher (Corona, CA/Dubuque Fighting Saints) took a shot on goal from the left face-off circle that rebounded to Gonsalves on the right post for a short finish to knot the game with 6:48 remaining.
- Just under two minutes later, senior defenseman Darren Brady (Lake Orion, MI/New Jersey Titans) send a puck out of the Canisius zone to Walker at the opposite blue line. Walker out-skated a Golden Griffin defender to beat Barczewski with a high, glove-side, shot to push the Tigers into the lead.
GAME NOTES
- RIT celebrated the 10th anniversary of its run to the Frozen Four throughout the night. Members of the 2010 squad that upset second-ranked Denver, 2-1, and 12th seeded New Hampshire, 6-2, to win the East Region Championship were on hand for the game.
- RIT finished with a 34-25 advantage in shots on goal.
- Cameron and Gonsalves also had goals in Friday's nights' 7-4 victory over Canisius in Buffalo as RIT won the season series with a 2-1-1 record, including a shootout victory for the extra Atlantic Hockey point.
WHAT'S NEXT
RIT heads to Holy Cross next Friday and Saturday (Jan. 31-Feb. 1) for an Atlantic Hockey doubleheader. Face-off both nights is slated for 7:05 p.m.