WORCESTER, Mass. – The RIT men's ice hockey team fell at Holy Cross, 4-3, Friday night in Atlantic Hockey action.
The Tigers (13-11-3, 9-7-3 AHA) built a 3-2 lead heading into the third period, but the Crusaders (9-12-5, 8-10-3 AHA) scored twice down the stretch to earn the comeback victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Sophomore forward Will Calverley (Scarborough, Ontario/Chilliwack Chiefs) put the Tigers on the board with a power play goal with 5:12 on the first period clock. Freshman forward Caleb Moretz (Fairbanks, AK/Flin Flon Bombers) slid a puck across the crease to Calverley, who lifted a puck under the cross bar from outside the right post.
- Holy Cross responded with 2:33 on the clock after senior forward Neil Robinson pounced on a mis-played puck in front of RIT junior goalie Logan Drackett (Calgary, Alberta/Calgary Canucks) and scored unassisted.
- Holy Cross took a 2-1 lead with 14:12 left in the second period after sophomore forward Erkka Vanska scored on a wrist shot from the left boards.
- RIT responded less than a minute later following a Holy Cross slashing penalty. Gonsalves re-directed a shot from the right point by senior defenseman Adam Brubacher (Elmira, Ontario/Powell River Kings) inside the left post with 13:37 on the clock.
- Senior defenseman Darren Brady (Lake Orion, MI/New Jersey Titans) took a cross-ice feed from Jake Hamacher (Corona, CA/Dubuque Fighting Saints) and scored on a wrist shot from the left face-off circle to finish a 2-on-1 break with 6:45 left in the period and put the Tigers up, 3-2, heading into the third period.
- Holy Cross drew even, 3-3, with 10:19 on the clock. Junior forward Jake Pappalardo came up with a loose puck at the top of the RIT zone and skated in alone to just beat Drackett with a tip inside the right post.
- The Crusaders scored the deciding goal with 1:17 on the clock. Senior forward Kevin Darrar took a feed in the slot and scored on a wrist shot through a crowd.
GAME NOTES
- Holy Cross finished the game with a 33-26 advantage in shots on goal.
- Brubacher notched his team-leading 17th and 18th assists of the season and is two points shy of his 100th point with 24 goals and 75 assists to date.
- Gonsalves is on a three-game scoring streak with four goals during the run.
WHAT'S NEXT
The two teams will meet again on Saturday (Feb. 1) for a 7:05 p.m. face-off.