BUFFALO, N.Y. – RIT senior defenseman
Ryan Nicholson scored the game-winning goal with 8.6 left in regulation to lead the No. 18 Tigers to a 3-2 comeback win at Canisius, Friday, in Atlantic Hockey action.
RIT (19-7-1, 15-3-1 AHA) trailed, 2-0, at the 11:16 mark of the second period, but came back to knot the game with a pair of goals in the next five minutes by junior forward
Cody Laskosky and senior forward
Andrew Petrucci, setting up the eventual game-winner at the end of regulation.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Mastrodonato scored both of Canisius's goals, opening the scoring 2:02 into the game off a feed from Max Kouznetsov, before finishing a possession off a Tiger turnover with 9:44 on the second-period clock.
- RIT answered 40 seconds later after Laskosky beat the Canisius defense back on a rush and flipped a backhand over goaltender Jacob Barczewski's blocker into the top left corner of the goal with 9:04 remaining in the second.
- Petrucci tied the game with 3:25 left in the period, fighting through a crowd to score on a shot from the slot as he went down to one knee.
- Facing off to the left of the Canisius goal with 12 seconds left in regulation, senior forward Caleb Moretz won the draw back to senior forward Elijah Gonsalves, who threw a puck to Nicholson at the top of the zone. Nicholson wristed a shot from long distance inside the right post past a screened Barczewski for his first goal of the season.
GAME NOTES
- Sophomore goaltender Tommy Scarfone totaled 26 saves to improve to 17-5-1 this season.
- The Tigers improved to 7-1-1 in their last nine games.
- Wilkie was credited with an assist on Laskosky's goal for his team-leading 32nd point of the season. He also won 18-of-28 faceoffs.
- Hansen-Bukata notched his team-leading 20th assist of the season.
- Laskosky's goal was his 20th point of the season and 35th of his career.
- Gonsalves' assist was his 65th career point.
- RIT came back to win after trailing by two goals for the fourth time this season.
WHAT'S NEXT
RIT and Canisius faceoff in a rematch in Rochester on Saturday (Feb. 4) at 7:05 p.m.