ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT men’s hockey team (18-14-6) is going to the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament for the second straight year and third time in seven seasons after knocking off top-seed Robert Morris (24-11-4) 7-4 in the Atlantic Hockey Championship from Blue Cross Arena on Saturday.
The Tigers successfully defend their Atlantic Hockey title and find out who and where they play in the NCAA Tournament when the bracket is announced at noon on Sunday. The NCAA Selection show will be aired on ESPNU.
The Tigers tied an Atlantic Hockey Championship game record with seven goals and also tied a season-high with tonight’s offensive performance. RIT led 3-2 after one period and 5-3 after two periods, before putting the game away with two third period goals.
Sophomore forward Myles Powell (Courtenay, British Columbia/Cowichan Valley Capitals) was named the Atlantic Hockey Tournament Most Valuable Player after tying a career-high with four points on two goals and two assists. Freshman Liam Kerins (Caledon, Ontario/North York Rangers) tied a career-high with two goals and and was also named to the All-Tournament Team. Todd Skirving (Thunder Bay, Ontario/Sioux Falls Stampede) dished out a career-high three assists. Greg Amlong (O’Fallon, MO/UMass Lowell), Danny Smith (Edmonton, Alberta/Sherwood Park Crusaders), and Gabe Valenzuela (Brampton, Ontario/North York Rangers) added a goal and assist apiece, while Alexander Kuqali (Pittsburgh, PA/Sioux City Musketeers) and Erik Brown (Keene, Ontario/Kemptville 73’s) added two assists apiece.
In goal, Mike Rotolo (Rochester, NY/Cedar Rapids Roughriders) was tested often and made 30 saves for his fourth straight victory, all in the postseason. He improved to 8-7-2 on the season and was also named to the All-Tournament Team.
David Friedmann, an All-Tournament Team selection, led the Colonials with a goal and two assists. Greg Gibson, Matt Cope and Brandon Denham also scored for Robert Morris. In net, Terry Shafer took the loss, stopping 22 shots.
RIT tied a season-high with three power-play goals, going 3-for-6 with the man-advantage. Robert Morris was 2-for-6, as they out-shot RIT, 34-30.
“This is very rewarding, as battled a lot of adversity throughout the season,” said RIT head coach Wayne Wilson. “We believed in ourselves throughout the season and our senior leadership was outstanding.”
The two teams combined for five goals on just 16 shots in the opening period, as RIT held a 3-2 edge.
The Colonials opened the scoring just 1:23 into the contest, as Gibson intercepted a pass in the neutral zone, walked in and fired a shot past Rotolo to the far side.
RIT answered with two goals 2:33 apart to take a 2-1 lead. Just 4:59 into the contest, Kerins took a feed from Skirving in the slot and ripped a shot past Shafer for his 12th goal of the year to tie the game. Amlong one-timed a feed from Powell on the power-play at the 7:32 mark for his seventh goal of the season to give RIT its first lead of the game.
After Friedmann tied the game for Robert Morris at the 10:10 mark, Kerins gave RIT the lead for just five minutes later off a feed from Valenzuela, firing a shot through the legs of Shafer for his second goal of the game.
RIT poured it on in the second period, out-shooting the Colonials, 17-8, while upping its lead to 5-3.
Smith gave RIT a 4-2 lead 8:35 into the frame on a breakaway, as Powell sprung him up the middle of the ice. Smith skated in and beat Shafer with a powerful wrist shot off the post and in for his second goal of the year.
Denham would cut the RIT lead to 4-3 with 5:16 left in the period, getting open in the slot and firing a point-blank shot past Rotolo.
Powell put RIT back up a pair of goals with 3:12 left in the period, converting a feed from Josh Mitchell (Osoyoos, British Columbia/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) in the slot for his 14th goal of the year.
Midway through the third period, Powell would get his second of the night and 15th goal of the year, converting a no look feed from Skirving on the power-play to tap the puck into the open net to make it 6-3. Andrew Miller (Chicago, IL/Chicago Steel) also assisted on the goal.
Cope would cut the RIT lead to 6-4 with 6:58 left on the power-play.
Rotolo was forced to make two big saves with the RIT on the power-play moments later to maintain RIT’s two-goal lead. With 3:32 left, Valenzuela would tack on a big insurance goal converting a rebound off a shot from Kuqali to make it 7-4 Tigers.
Robert Morris would make one last ditch effort, but Rotolo and the RIT defense made the lead stand. As the clock ticked down, RIT players mobbed Rotolo and the celebration was on.
RIT won the season series over Robert Morris, 2-1. Robert Morris leads the all-time series between the two schools, 10-7-4.
It was RIT’s fifth appearance in the Atlantic Hockey Championship game and third league championship. RIT also won titles in 2010 and 2015. The Tigers are 28-12 all-time in the postseason at the Division I level and have won eight straight playoff games against Atlantic Hockey foes. The Tigers are 8-4 all-time in postseason games at Blue Cross Arena.
Last night, RIT defeated No. 2 seed Air Force, 2-1 in overtime to advance to the championship game. Powell scored 12:18 into overtime and Rotolo made 36 saves.
RIT will be making its third NCAA Tournament appearance as a Division I program and 16th overall in program history. RIT won the Division II National Championship in 1983 and Division III title in 1985. The Tigers advanced to the Division I Frozen Four in 2010 and Midwest Regional Championship game last season.
Atlantic Hockey All-Tournament Team
MVP – Myles Powell (Courtenay, British Columbia/Cowichan Valley Capitals), RIT
F – Powell, RIT
F – Liam Kerins (Caledon, Ontario/North York Rangers), RIT
F – David Friedmann, Robert Morris
D – Alexander Kuqali (Pittsburgh, PA/Sioux City Musketeers), RIT
D – Chase Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers), RIT
G – Mike Rotolo (Rochester, NY/Cedar Rapids Roughriders), RIT
