ROCHESTER, N.Y. – RIT junior defenseman
Aiden Hansen-Bukata scored what proved to be the third-period, game-winner and added an assist to lead the Tigers to a 3-2 victory over visiting Army, Friday, in Atlantic Hockey action.
Senior forward
Elijah Gonsalves also had a goal and an assist while sophomore goaltender
Tommy Scarfone totaled 32 saves, including 17 in the second period, to preserve the win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Following a scoreless first period, senior forward Kobe Walker put the Tigers on the board with 12:18 on the second-period clock. Hansen-Bukata slid a pass across the top of the zone to senior defenseman Gianfranco Cassaro, who took a slapshot from the top of the right faceoff circle that rebounded to Walker for a short one-timer inside the left post.
- RIT took a 2-0 lead with 4:58 left in the period. Junior forward Cody Laskosky intercepted a pass behind the Black Knight net and fed Gonsalves, who roofed a glove-side shot from the slot.
- Army answered with a power play goal five minutes later after Brett Abdelnour scored from the slot on a feed from the left corner by Max Itagaki. The Black Knights evened the score 58 seconds later after Joey Baez finished a pass from Abdelnour.
- RIT notched the game-winner with 5:12 left in regulation. Senior forward Caleb Moretz fed Hansen-Bukata for a long shot from the point that deflected off Army goaltender Gavin Arbric's pads all the way out to the top of the left face-off circle. Hansen-Bukata pounced on the rebound and scored on a wrist shot under the glove of a screened Arbric.
GAME NOTES
- Gonsalves notched his first multi-point game since a two-assist showing in a 5-4 win at Princeton (Nov. 26) last season, missing the second half of the season due to injury.
- Hansen-Bukata scored the second game-winner of his career and first since scoring 48 seconds into overtime of last season's 6-5 victory at Niagara (Jan. 22).
- Hansen-Bukata also totaled a team-high three blocked shots.
- Moretz logged his 25th career assist.
- RIT opened Atlantic Hockey play with a win over Army for the second-straight season. The Tigers defeated the host Black Knights, 4-3, last Oct. 8. RIT is also 10-4-3 all-time in its first AHA game of the season.
WHAT'S NEXT
RIT hosts Army in a rematch on Saturday (Oct. 8) at 5:05 p.m.