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men's hockey players skating for the puck
Caroline Sherman
3
Mercyhurst MER 10-23-3
4
Winner RIT RIT 24-11-1
Mercyhurst MER
10-23-3
3
Final
4
RIT RIT
24-11-1
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 OT 1 F
Mercyhurst MER 2 1 0 0 3
RIT RIT 1 1 1 1 4

Game Recap: Men's Hockey |

Men's Hockey defeats Mercyhurst, 4-3, in OT; advances in Atlantic Hockey Tournament

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – RIT senior defenseman Gianfranco Cassaro scored the game-winning goal 3:09 into overtime to clinch the Tigers' 4-3 victory over visiting Mercyhurst in Game 2 of the Atlantic Hockey Tournament Quarterfinals, Saturday.
 
UPDATE: Coupled with Friday's 5-3 victory, top-seeded RIT completed the sweep of the eighth-seeded Lakers to advance to next weekend's semifinals against seventh-seeded Holy Cross. The Crusaders upset second-seeded AIC in their best-of-three series, including a 4-3 OT victory in Sunday's finale. 

The best-of-three semifinal series will be played at the Gene Polisseni Center next Friday-Sunday, Mar. 10-12.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • Mercyhurst opened the scoring at 4:36 of the first period. Cade Townend blasted a shot from the point that trickled under RIT sophomore goaltender Tommy Scarfone's pads and was tipped over the line by Mickey Burns.
  • Tiger first-year Xavier Lapointe took a feed across the top of the zone and evened the score on a blast from the left faceoff circle at 10:42 of the first period.
  • The Lakers retook the lead at 7:23 after Eric Esposito stole a puck in the neutral zone and skated back to beat Scarfone, one-on-one, with a backhanded shot inside the left post.
  • Mercyhurst opened a 3-1 lead at 14:57 of the second after Marco Reifenberger snapped a wrist shot over Scarfone's glove from the left faceoff circle.
  • RIT made it a one-goal game with a power-play goal with1:47 left in the second. First-year forward Simon Isabelle collected a puck at the top of the slot and scored on a wrist shot that changed direction after glancing off a Laker defender in front.
  • Junior forward Cody Laskosky tied the game, 3-3, with 16:14 left in the third. Cassaro skated a puck from center ice all the way around the Laker net before backhanding a pass to Laskosky from behind the left post for a stick-side finish from the slot.  
  • RIT killed the remaining 1:56 of a penalty to start overtime, before Mercyhurst was whistled for having too many players on the ice with 17:39 on the clock. Senior forward Caleb Moretz dug a puck off the left half boards and got the puck to Laskosky at the point. Laskosky slid a puck to Cassaro at the top of the right faceoff circle for a one-timer off the bottom of the cross bar into the top-left corner of the net for the game-winner. 
GAME NOTES
  • RIT improved to 20-8 in Atlantic Hockey Tournament quarterfinal games, including a 14-3 home mark, while advancing to the semifinals for the 10th time in 12 quarterfinal showings.
  • Cassaro's OT game-winner was his 30th point and 13th tally of the season. He finished the regular season tied for first among the nation's defensemen in goals.  
  • Scarfone was credited with 32 saves for his 13th 30-plus save effort of the season while improving to 21-9-1 this winter.
  • Lapointe's goal was the first of his career in a Tiger sweater. 
  • RIT finished the game with 44 shots – the second-highest total this season after finishing with 52 in Friday's decision.
  •  Mercyhurst goaltender Tyler Harmon was credited with 40 saves in the loss. He also stopped 47 shots in Friday's setback. 
WHAT'S NEXT
RIT hosts Holy Cross while fourth-seeded Canisius will host sixth-seeded Niagara in the tournament's other semifinal. Stay tuned to AtlanticHockeyOnline.com and RITathetics.com for further information about the tournament.