ROCHESTER, N.Y. – RIT senior forward
Christian Catalano scored two goals, including what proved to be the game-winner with 2:53 left in regulation, as the Tigers defeated visiting RPI, 5-4, Saturday night.
Tied, 1-1, after the first, RIT outscored the Engineers, 3-2, in the second for a 4-3 lead into the third. RPI tied the score with 7:41 left in regulation, but Catalano scored the deciding goal with under three minutes on the clock to clinch the victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED
RIT got on the board with a power play goal at 4:41 of the first. First-year forward
Lucas Romeo dropped a pass from the right faceoff circle to sophomore defenseman
Matthew Mania, who sent a puck to first-year forward
Ryan Shaw at the point. Shaw scored on a long wrist shot through a crowd over Engineer goaltender Ethan McCallum's glove.
RPI evened the score with 3:55 remaining as Rainers Rullers scored as the first penalty of a 5-on-3 power play expired.
RIT retook the lead at 4:51 of the second. Junior defenseman
Ryan Williams threw a puck on goal from the top of the right faceoff circle that trickled between McCallum's pads on the crease before first-year forward
Matthew Wang cleaned up the loose puck.
RPI bounced back 2:01 later after Filip Sitar dropped a backhanded a pass through the left faceoff circle to Jordan Gavin, who scored on a one-timer under Tiger sophomore goaltender
Collin Mackenzie.
The Tigers retook the lead with back-to-back goals in a two-minute stretch midway through the second. Catalano fought through a defender on the crease to tip a rebound past McCallum at 9:15 before first-year
Nathan DellaDonna cleaned up a loose puck on the crease at 11:20.
RPI got one back with 5:01 on the clock after Benjamin Yurchuk stole a puck at the blue line to create an odd-man attempt finished by Alfred Lindberg.
The Engineers tied the game with a power play goal at 12:19 of the third after working a puck to Rullers at the right dot for a shot inside the near post.
RIT moved ahead for good in the closing minutes after junior defenseman
Mason Croucher snuffed an RPI shot at the Tiger blue line that deflected back to Romeo in the neutral zone. Catalano took a short pass and skated through two players behind the rest of the Engineer defense to roof a backhanded shot inside the top-right corner of the goal.
GAME NOTES
- After being held to 10 goals in their first five games of the season, the Tigers notched a season-high five tallies Saturday night.
- Falling, 4-1, in Friday's opener, RIT came back to earn its first D1-era victory over RPI in seven all-time meetings dating back to 2005.
- Shaw, Wang and DellaDonna all scored their first collegiate goals during the game.
- Mackenzie finished the night with 23 saves, including 12 in the first period, to earn his first RIT victory.
- RIT end the game with a 30-27 shot advantage.
- RIT finished 1-for-6 on the power play, while RPI converted two chances on six opportunities.
WHAT'S NEXT
RIT heads to Army for a pair of Atlantic Hockey America contest next Friday (7:05 PM) and Saturday (4:05 PM).
