ROCHESTER, N.Y. – RIT senior defenseman Dan Willett scored the game-winning goal with 9:43 left in overtime to lead the Tigers to a 1-0 victory over visiting Sacred Heart in Game 1 of the Atlantic Hockey Tournament Quarterfinals, Friday.
 
Freshman goaltender Tommy Scarfone tied a career-high with 39 saves to preserve his second career shutout.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Freshman forward Tanner Andrew won a neutral zone faceoff back to senior forward Nick Bruce, who sent a puck down the glass all the way around to the right half boards. Senior forward Kobe Walker fought off a Pioneer defenseman and slid a puck to Willet at the right point, who fired a long wrist shot through a clutter of players in front of the Pioneer crease and into the top-right corner of the goal.
 
GAME NOTES

• Scarfone logged his second career shutout and first since stopping 21 shots in a 1-0 OT win at Princeton (Nov. 27). He also matched the 39 saves he totaled in the Tigers' 6-0 loss at then No. 13 Notre Dame (Oct. 22) in his collegiate debut.
• Scarfone has started RIT's last eight games, compiling a 1.94 goals against average and a .938 save percentage during the run.
• Willett has scored three goals this season – all game-winners. He scored the deciding tally with under five minute left in regulation to defeat host Princeton, 5-4 (Nov. 26) and was also credited with what proved to be the game-winning goal in the Tigers' 5-1 regular-season victory over Sacred Heart (Feb. 1) in a game played at Army.
• RIT improved to 6-1-4 in 11 overtime games this season.
• Head Coach Wayne Wilson moved into a tie for 45th place in NCAA men's hockey history with his 408th career victory. 

WHAT'S NEXT
RIT host Sacred Heart on Saturday (Mar. 12) at 7:05 p.m. in game-two of their best-of-three series.