NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – RIT sophomore defenseman Aiden Hansen-Bukata scored the OT game-winning goal to lead the Tigers to a 6-5 win at Niagara, Saturday, in Atlantic Hockey action.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• RIT opened the scoring with 13:00 left in the first after senior forward Nick Bruce took a feed from senior forward Will Calverley and scored on a wrist shot in the slot.
• Niagara scored twice in the closing minutes of the first to take a 2-1 lead. Lars Rodne skated through two defenders in the slot for a shot that deflected off Tiger junior goaltender Kolby Matthews' pads, but Ryan Cox was there to clean up a short rebound inside the left post with 2:01 on the clock. With 54 seconds left, Jason Pineo brought the puck down the left wing into the Tiger zone and fed Shane Ott in the slot for a finish over Matthews' glove.
• Bruce tied the game 1:35 into the second, skating a puck down the left boards and across the front of the crease to stuff a shot inside the right post for his second of the night.
• RIT took a 3-2 lead skating 4-on-4 with 13:14 on the clock. Hansen-Bukata sent a long outlet pass down the left wing to freshman forward Carter Wilkie, who skated on goal to beat Niagara goaltender Chad Veltri from close range.
• Niagara finished an odd-man break to re-tie the game with 9:55 left in the second, but the Tigers finished the period with two goals to carry a 5-3 lead into the third. Senior forward Jake Hamacher scored on a long cross-ice feed from Calverley at 7:41 before junior forward Caleb Moretz dug a face-off out of a crowd to the right of Veltri and scored from the top of the face-off circle 36 seconds later.
• Niagara pulled back within a goal after RIT was whistled for having too many men on the ice in the opening minutes of the third. Walker Sommer crossed a puck to Albin Nilsson for an open finish inside the left post with 17:15 remaining in the period.
• Niagara tied the game with 15:47 left in regulation. Chris Harpur shot a puck from the right point that fell down behind Matthews for a short finish by Zac Herrmann.
• RIT won the game 49 seconds into overtime after sophomore forward Cody Laskosky sent an outlet pass into the neutral zone to a streaking Hansen-Bukata, who beat the Niagara defense back for a short tip past Veltri and the deciding tally. 

GAME NOTES

• Hansen-Bukata's OT game-winner was his first collegiate goal. 
• RIT totaled its highest goal output of the season and the most since a 6-1 win over No. 19 Robert Morris on Feb. 20, 2021. 
• Bruce logged his second two-goal game of the year after also netting a pair in the Tigers' 4-3 win over visiting Holy Cross on Nov. 20. His second goal was his 50th career point during his 100th career appearance in a Tiger sweater.
• Senior defenseman Dan Willett played his 151st career game, while Hamacher made his 150th appearance. Willett now ranks third in games played during the Division I-era, while Hamacher is tied with Adam Hartley (2009-13), Greg Noyes (2010-14) and Brad McGowan (2011-15) for fourth.
• Laskosky notched three assists for his first career three-point game.
• Wilkie was also credited with an assist for his fourth multi-point night of the season while totaling three goals in the Tigers' last four games.
• Calverley finished the game with three assists for his sixth-career three-point game. It was also his second career game with three assists and first since a 5-4 win at Niagara on Dec. 22, 2020.
• Hamacher scored his 39th career goal and his Atlantic Hockey-leading 96th career point.
• Matthews finished with 26 saves to improve to 10-5-2 this winter. 

WHAT'S NEXT
RIT heads to Bentley for an Atlantic Hockey doubleheader next Friday and Saturday (Jan. 28-29). Games are set to face off at 7:05 p.m. and 4:05 p.m., respectively.