ERIE, Pa. – The RIT Men's Hockey team skated to a 2-2 tie at Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) rival Mercyhurst, Friday. Following a scoreless overtime, the Tigers won the penalty shootout, 2-0.
RIT first-year forward
Evan Konyen scored in the opening minutes of the second period, before the Lakers tallied twice to carry a 2-1 lead into the third. Tiger first-year forward
William Moore tied the game with 8:52 left in regulation. First-year forward
Zach Wigle and Konyen later scored to seal the penalty shootout win.
Sophomore goaltender
Jakub Krbecek totaled 18 saves, including two in overtime, before stopping both shots he faced during the deciding penalty shootout.
HOW IT HAPPENED
RIT opened the scoring 2:59 into the second. Sophomore defenseman
Mason Croucher cleared a puck out of the Tiger end that was knocked down by a Laker defender in the neutral zone. Senior forward
Philippe Jacques fought the puck lose in the neutral zone, tipping a pass forward to a charging Konyen, who snapped a shot between Mercyhurst goaltender Charles-Edward Gravel's pads.
Mercyhurst bounced back with a power play goal with 4:17 on the clock following a Tiger elbowing penalty, Dominik Bartecko controlled a puck along the end boards and sent a pass from behind the right post to Sean James in the slot for a finish inside the right post.
The Lakers pulled ahead with a short-handed goal 2:43 later. A Tiger shot from the point deflected around the Mercyhurst net and out along the right boards. Caleb Price beat a RIT player to the puck and broke the other way for a two-on-one break, sliding a puck to Bartecko in the opposite faceoff circle for a one-time under Krbecek's outstretched glove.
RIT tied the game at 11:08 of the third after a Mercyhurst turnover at the top of the Tiger zone. Junior forward Chistian Catalano jumped on the loose puck and headed the other way, before finding Moore at the top of the right faceoff circle for a shot that scored over Gravel, near post.
COACH THOMAS SAID
"We fell asleep in the second period for a stretch. A poor puck decision by us on the power play leads to a two-on-one that they score on. But you know what? The resolve, the ability to fight back, that was important.
"We are still learning how to find that 60-minute game. We were in control for large parts of the game, but had lapses where we gave them a little bit of air and they made the most of it. You credit them--they had a really good game plan against us. We were doing a good job managing it, but then we fed into exactly what they wanted. But we responded. I thought we carried the play again in the third, and while it would have been nice to find a way to win in overtime, at this stage of the season points and wins are what you're looking for and those were a huge two points.
"Guys are stepping up and it's good because if you want to go on a playoff run, you need different people capable, and more importantly, know they can at any moment be a difference maker for you. And we've had a lot of different guys step up."
GAME NOTES
- Moore scored a goal in his third-straight game and for the fourth time in five outings. He also tallied at 8:05 of the third period in last Saturday's 3-3 tie versus visiting Niagara that ended in a 1-0 shootout win for the Tigers. Moving into a tie for second on the squad with Catalano at eight goals, he started the streak with what proved to be the game-winner in the 4-2 win at Niagara (Jan. 23)
- After having a five-game point streak snapped last Saturday, Konyen tallied his team-leading 11th goal of the season, including his third in four games. In 10 games since returning from the holiday break, he has totaled 11 points on seven goals and four assists.
- Catalano logged his ninth assist and 17th point of the season while Jacques was credited with his fourth assist and eighth point.
- RIT finished the game with a 41-20 advantage in shots on goal, doubling up the Lakers in shot attempts, 66-33.
WHAT'S NEXT
RIT will take on the host Lakers in a rematch on Saturday (Jan. 31) slated for a 5:05 p.m. faceoff.
