SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – RIT grad student defenseman
Spencer Berry notched his first collegiate goal and added an assist while sophomore forward
Tanner Andrew scored what proved to be the third-period game winner in the Tigers' 3-2 Atlantic Hockey victory in Springfield, Sunday.
RIT completed the conference sweep of the four-time defending conference champs after also skating to a 4-3 win in Saturday's opener.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- RIT opened the scoring 2:23 into the game. AIC tried to clear the zone after goaltender Troy Kobryn saved a shot on a Tiger rush by first-year forward Philippe Jacques, but senior forward Elijah Gonsalves played a puck off the left boards and skated into the slot to score on a wrist shot over Kobryns' blocker.
- AIC tied the game just over three minutes later but the Tigers retook the lead with 11:08 on the clock. Kobryn made a pad save off a close-range shot by grad student forward Kobe Walker on a Tiger rush. A Yellow Jacket defender cleared the puck off the crease to the left face-off circle, but Berry was there to one-time a blast over Kobryn's glove.
- AIC scored the lone goal of the second, re-tying the score, 2-2, with 15:37 left in the period.
- RIT took the lead for good 1:50 into the third period. Berry collected a puck outside the left face-off circle sent all the way around the end boards from the neutral zone by Andrew. Andrew camped out in front of the goal and tipped a long Berry shot that deflected off Kobryn's pads, before just getting enough on his own rebound to get the puck under Kobryn.
GAME NOTES
- Scarfone (7-1-0) totaled 31 saves, including 13 in the first period, for his fourth 30-plus save effort of the season. He also stopped 21 shots in Friday's win over the Yellow Jackets.
- RIT swept AIC on the road for the first time since earning back-to-back 6-3/3-2 victories on Nov. 11-12, 2019.
- RIT (8-2-0, 7-1-0 AHA) is off to its winningest start in the Division I era, eclipsing the 7-1-2 record to open the 2019-20 season. The Division III 2002-03 squad started with a 9-0-1 record.
- Andrew tallied his second game-winning goal of the season after also netting the deciding tally in the 4-2 win at Air Force (Oct. 21). Entering the day, seven Tigers had notched a game-winning goal this season.
- Berry found the net for the first time in his 98th appearance wearing a Tiger sweater
WHAT'S NEXT
RIT hosts Sacred Heart (6-2-1, 6-1-1 AHA) next Friday and Saturday (Nov. 11-12) in a showdown between the top-two teams in the current Atlantic Hockey standings.