WALTHAM, Mass. – RIT senior forward
Matthew Wilde scored three goals – including the game-tying goal with 30.6 left in regulation - but it was host Bentley taking a 4-3 win in overtime in Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) play, Friday.
Tied, 1-1, after the first period, Bentley scored twice in the second for a 3-1 lead. Wilde tallied his second power play goal of the game early in the third before later forcing overtime with the Tigers skating 6-on-5 in the closing minutes. The Falcons went on to score the deciding goal 1:57 into the three-on-three overtime.
Sophomore defenseman
Nick De Angelis was credited with three assists while first-year forward
Nick Peluso added two.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Bentley opened the scoring at 8:34 of the first after Peter Kramer jumped on a loose puck in the neutral zone off a Tiger turnover and converted the ensuing two-on-one opportunity with a shot inside the right post.
RIT bounced back with a power play goal at 12:52. De Angelis took a shot from the right point that rebounded outside the right post off goaltender Lukas Swedin's pads. Peluso grabbed the loose puck and scooted behind the net to send a pass to Wilde in the left faceoff circle for a wrist under the bar, far post.
The Falcons retook the lead at 5:17 of the second after Josh Giuliani finished a right-wing rush with a backhanded on the crease inside the left post.
Bentley made it a 3-1 game with a power play goal at 10:40. Kellan Hjartarson took a shot from the top of the slot that deflected off the backwall and landed outside the right post for a short finish by James Duerr.
Wilde got the Tigers back within one at 5:41 of the third, smoking a one-timer from the right faceoff circle across Swedin's face inside the far post.
With junior goaltender
Jakub Krbecek on the bench, sophomore
Zach Wigle won an offensive zone faceoff to the left of the Falcon goal back to sophomore defenseman Mattew Mania, who slid a pass to De Angelis at the point. De Angelis slid a pass to Wilde at the top of the right faceoff circle for a one-timer that scored past a partially screened Swedin.
In overtime, Bentley won the game at the end of a right-wing rush on a pass across the slot by Duerr to Saxton Tess for a short finish behind Krbecek.
GAME NOTES
- RIT ended the night with a 32-26 advantage in shots, including a 14-4 edge in the third period.
- Wilde was credited with the 21st hat trick in D1-era program history and first since Carter Wilkie scored three goals in a 7-3 win at Air Force on Feb. 16, 2024.
- Wilde also notched his sixth multi-goal game and first since scoring twice in a 6-3 win over Mercyhurst on Feb. 22, 2025.
- De Angelis assisted all three Tiger goals for a career-high three points and his second career multi-assist game. He was also credited with two assists in a 4-2 upset of second-ranked Michigan State (Oct. 9) last season playing for New Hampshire.
- Peluso added the first multi-point game of his career.
- Krbeck stopped 22 shots, including 11 in the first period.
- RIT converted 2-for-4 power plays after entering the game with two power play goals in 27 chances over its first nine games of the season. It was also the Tigers' first multi-power play goal game since a 3-3 tie at Niagara (Jan. 24) last season.
WHAT'S NEXT
RIT faces off in a rematch at Bentley on Saturday (Nov. 7) starting at 6:00 p.m.
