PITTSFORD, NY -- Junior Spencer Bell (Fairport, NY/Fairport) scored with :05 seconds to play in regulation to give the No. 1 RIT (4-0) men's lacrosse team a 16-15 win at No. 17 St. John Fisher College (3-3) Wednesday evening. The Tigers trailed 10-7 at halftime, but outscored the Cardinals 9-5 in the second half, taking their first lead with 3:25 to play in the fourth quarter.

RIT held a slight 38-37 shot advantage, while Fisher won the ground ball battle 30-25. Each team went 1-for-4 on man-up chances, while RIT was 18-of-21 on clearing attempts and won 14-of-32 face-offs.

Senior Dawson Tait (Ottawa, Ontario/Mother Teresa) and junior Quinn Commandant (Rockwood, Ontario/The Kiski School) led RIT offensively with five goals and six points apiece. Ryan Barnable (Whitby, Ontario/Donald A. Wilson) tallied two goals and two assists, while Bell and senior Cameron Gebhardt (Fairport, NY/Fairport) each scored two goals. Senior Larson Sundown (Basom, NY/Akron) handed out three assists, and Rosenblum finished with a goal and two assists.

Sophomore Joe Camp (Walworth, NY/Wayne Central) and senior Patrick Shoemay (Surrey, British Columbia/Holy Cross) each had four ground balls, while Camp caused a pair of turnovers. Nick Montemorano (Victor, NY/Victor) won eight face-offs and had six ground balls, and Freshman David Graham (Littleton, CO/Chatfield) won six draws. Senior Drew Hutchison (Otonabee, Ontario/The Hill Academy) came on in relief to get the win in net for the Tigers, making six saves in the second half.

Nicholas Miller led Fisher with four goals and six points, while Jack Mulvihill tallied three goals and three assists. Ian Evans scored four goals, and Darrin Eakins took the loss in net, making 15 saves.

Fisher led 6-3 after the first, scoring three straight goals to end the quarter. Barnable scored once and Commandant scored two straight to tie the score at 3-3. Commandant cut the Cardinals lead to 6-4 on his goal to open the second-quarter scoring, and after a Miller goal gave Fisher a 7-4 lead, Tait tallied two straight for the Tigers, cutting the lead to 7-6 on his goal off an assist from Camp.

The Cardinals went on another three-goal run, taking a 10-6 lead on a Jacob Gallina goal with 3:08 to play in the half. Gebhardt scored a nice goal inside the last two minutes of the second quarter to cut the Fisher lead to 10-7.

Marley Angus (Oakville, Ontario/Holy Trinity) cut the Fisher lead to 10-8 on his goal early in the third quarter. And, After an Evans goal made the score 11-8, the Tigers ran off three straight goals of their own. Commandant scored off an assist from Sundown to make the score 11-9, while Tait and Sundown combined for two straight goals, including the game-tying goal with 5:24 to play in the third. Fisher broke the Tigers momentum with a Mulvihill goal, but Barnable took it back with his goal with :04 seconds remaining in the quarter to tie the game at 12-12.

Miller opened the fourth quarter scoring that gave the Cardinals a 13-12 lead. Gebhardt drove to the net and scored a diving goal to tie the score at 13-13, while Mulvihill gave the Cardinals the 14-13 lead on his man-up goal with 7:12 to play. Bell scored with 5:41 to play that tied the score at 14-14, and Rosneblum gave RIT its first lead of the game with his goal with 3:25 to play. Miller tied the game with his goal with :17 seconds to play.

RIT was able to ge the ball into their offensive zone off the ensuing face-off. With :09 seconds remaining, Rosenblum drove the ball from the sideline to the middle of the field. He found an open Bell who caught and shot, beating Eakins to give RIT the 16-15 win.

The Tigers were scheduled to begin Liberty League play this Saturday, March 27, at Clarkson University. However, the game agains the Golden Knights has been postponed due to COVID-19 protocols. RIT is scheduled to host No. 18 Ithaca College on Wednesday, March 31 at 7 p.m. at RIT's Turf Field.