ROCHESTER, N.Y. – RIT freshman forward Grady Hobbs logged a goal and an assist to lead the Tigers to a 3-2 victory over visiting Sacred Heart, Tuesday, in Atlantic Hockey action.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• RIT opened a 2-0 first-period lead. RIT senior forward Jake Hamacher skated down the right-wing boards and centered a puck in the slot to Hobbs, who slipped a shot between Sacred Heart goalie Luke Lush's pads with 12:52 on the clock.
• Less than three minutes later, Tiger senior defenseman Gianfranco Cassaro beat a defender to a loose puck in the left face-off circle and deked a Pioneer defender outside the left post to feed senior forward Kobe Walker in the slot for a finish over Lush's glove with 10:26 remaining.
• RIT built a 3-0 lead in the second on a wrist shot from the left slot by senior forward Nick Bruce with 6:24 on the clock.
• Sacred Heart scored a pair of third-period tallies, starting with a wrist shot in the slot by Ryan Steel with 16:33 on the clock. The Pioneers later pulled Lush with 2:41 left in regulation before Andrius Kulbis-Marino scored off a feed from Neil Shea with 1:22 remaining. 

GAME NOTES

• Junior goaltender Kolby Matthews was credited with 37 saves in the victory, including 17 in the first period, as Sacred Heart out-shot RIT, 39-29.
• Freshman forward Carter Wilkie tied senior forward Will Calverley for the team lead with his eighth assist of the season on Hobbs' opening goal.
• Hamacher's assist was his sixth point in RIT's last five games and his team-leading 94th career point.
• Hobbes notched his first career multi-point game.
• Senior defenseman Dan Willett blocked a game-high four shots as the Tigers totaled 15 blocks on the night. 
• The game was originally scheduled for Jan. 1 at Sacred Heart, but was postponed due to COVID protocol.

 
WHAT'S NEXT
RIT hosts Arizona State for two games this Friday and Saturday (Jan. 14-15) at 7:05 p.m. and 5:05 p.m., respectively.