NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – A slew of penalties created plenty of scoring opportunities for the Purple Eagles hockey team and the RIT Tigers as they concluded their weekend series at Dwyer Arena. RIT capitalized on three-of-nine chances while Niagara went scoreless on seven power plays, and that was the difference in Niagara’s 4-2 loss Saturday night.
Tanner Lomsnes and Sam Rennaker picked up goals for the Purple Eagles, who built a 2-1 lead seven minutes into the second period but could not hold on. Guillaume Therien surrendered four goals on 22 shots through the first two periods. He was relieved by Joe O’Brien in the third period, who made nine saves to close the game.
Despite being outshot 10-3 in the opening period, Niagara ended the first 20 minutes locked in a 1-1 tie with the Tigers. Derian Plouffe broke into the RIT zone and launched a shot on net that was turned away, but Lomsnes crashed the net and shot the rebound home for the game’s first goal at the 12:19 mark of the first. Garrett McMullen tallied for RIT 4:28 later to knot the game at one goal apiece.
Rennaker picked up his fourth goal of the season in the second period to put the Purple Eagles ahead. With RIT goaltender Mike Rotolo down on the opposite side, Rennaker forced a rebound in from the top of the crease past two RIT defenders.
The Tigers’ Todd Skirving tied the game at two with nine minutes left in the second period, and after the play Rennaker was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for contact to the head. On that ensuing five-minute power play, RIT scored two goals in similar fashion. At the 13:24 mark of the second period, a shot from Greg Amlong deflected off a Niagara defender right to Erik Brown, who buried a shot past a sprawling Therien. Exactly two minutes later, RIT’s Myles Powell was the beneficiary of a bounce that caught Therien off guard and set up a wide shooting lane for the goal.
The third period was filled with penalties as both teams had four power-play chances to add to their scoring totals. The Purple Eagles had six shots on their power plays and 12 overall for the period, but they could not crack Rotolo, who earned the win with 24 saves in the game.
Niagara now enters a three-week break for the holiday season. The team returns to action just after the new year, as the Purple Eagles travel to Sacred Heart to face the Pioneers on Jan. 2 and 3. Both games are slated for 7:05 p.m. opening faceoffs.
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