ROCHESTER, N.Y. – RIT freshman forward Elijah Gonsalves (Scarborough, Ontario/Wellington Dukes) notched two goals while freshman forward Caleb Moretz (Fairbanks, AK/Flin Flon Bombers) added a goal and two assists to lead the Tigers to a 5-1 victory over visiting Bentley in Atlantic Hockey action, Saturday.
RIT (17-11-4, 13-7-4 AHA) improved to 6-1-1 in its last eight games after also defeating the Falcons, 4-1, on Friday. The Tigers entered the weekend fourth in the latest Atlantic Hockey standings while Bentley was fifth.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- RIT only needed 20 seconds to get on the board after senior defenseman Darren Brady (Lake Orion, MI/New Jersey Titans) re-directed a shot from the left point by junior defender Dan Willett (Bayville, NY/Bloomington Thunder) into the net with 19:40 on the clock.
- Bentley answered after sophomore forward Jakov Novak got behind the Tiger defense and backhanded a shot inside the right post with 16:15 on the clock.
- RIT built a 3-1 lead with a pair of goals in the opening minutes of the second period. Senior defenseman Adam Brubacher (Elmira, Ontario/Powell River Kings) skated a puck around the Falcon net and fed Moretz for a short finish with 18:03 on the clock. Following a Bentley hooking penalty just over a minute later, Moretz sent a puck on goal from the point that deflected off a Falcon defender to Gonsalves outside the left post for a quick finish.
- Novak was saddled with a five-minute major and a game misconduct for a check from behind with 14:57 left in the third period. On the ensuing power play, senior forward Shawn Cameron (Sherbrooke, Quebec/Cumberland Grads) took a feed in front from junior forward Alden Dupuis (Edmonton, Alberta/Bonnyville Pontiacs) and scored a one-timer inside the right post with 13:42 left in regulation.
- Gonsalves completed the night with an empty-net goal with 28 seconds left in regulation to seal the win.
GAME NOTES
- RIT swept Bentley for the first time since earning a pair of road victories in October of the 2016-17 season. It was also only the second ever home sweep of the Falcons and first since the 2007-08 campaign.
- Cameron has scored four goals and two assists over the Tigers' last four games. He leads the team with 17 goals and 27 points (both already career-highs).
- Moretz' three points was a career-high while Gonsalves also notched two assists in Friday's game for a four-point weekend.
- Junior goalie Logan Drackett (Calgary, Alberta/Calgary Canucks) was credited with 28 saves, including 11 in the first period.
WHAT'S NEXT
RIT plays a home-and-home series with Niagara next Friday and Saturday (Feb. 21-22). The Purple Eagles host Friday's game at 7:05 p.m. before the Tigers play host on Saturday at 7:05 p.m.