WATERTOWN, MA — Four different players scored goals, as the RIT men’s hockey team (2-3-1, 2-1-0 Atlantic Hockey Conference) opened the weekend series against Atlantic Hockey foe Bentley with a 4-1 victory on Friday night at the John A. Ryan Skating Center.
Brady Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers) tied a career-high with three assists, while Gabe Valenzuela (Brampton, Ontario/North York Rangers) recorded a goal an assist. Chase Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers), Adam Brubacher (Elmira, Ontario/Powell River Kings), and Erik Brown (Keene, Ontario/Kemptville 73’s) also scored. Senior goaltender Mike Rotolo (Rochester, NY/Cedar Rapids Roughriders) made 21 saves for his second victory of the season.
The Tigers out-shot the Falcons 34-22 in the win, while scoring on their only power-play chance of the evening. RIT killed off all three Bentley power-plays. The two teams combined for 14 minor penalties.
“I liked the way we played for all 60 minutes,” said RIT head coach Wayne Wilson. “We moved the puck pretty well, created a lot of chances, and played well defensively. It was a pretty workmanlike effort all the way through.”
Chase Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers) opening the scoring for the Tigers, as he made no mistake on RIT’s lone power-play of the night, firing a slap shot from the left point off a pass from his Myles Powell (Courtenay, British Columbia/Cowichan Valley Capitals) into the back of the net for his third goal of the season, 10:13 into the contest.
RIT would add to its lead with 1:08 left the opening frame, while the two teams were playing 4-on-4, as Brubacher fired a rocket from the right point off a face-off win by Powell for his third goal of the season. All four players on the ice for RIT touched the puck in a span of a few seconds, as Powell won the draw right to Caleb Cameron (Sundridge, Ontario/Listowel Cyclones), who tipped a pass back to Brady Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers) at the left point. Norrish fired a quick past to Brubacher for the tally.
RIT held a 17-5 edge in shots after one period.
Bentley got on the board in the second period, as Dino Balsamo found a rebound off a shot by Jake Kauppila and put it past Rotolo. The shots in the second period were much closer, as Bentley held a 12-11 edge.
The third period saw back-and-forth play right out of the gate, until just past the midpoint, when Valenzuela potted a highlight reel goal, his third of the season. With both teams skating 4-on-4, Valenzuela took a pass from Abbott Girduckis (Belleville, Ontario/Wellington Dukes) on a 3-on-2 rush, made a nifty toe-drag move and fired the puck top shelf past Argue.
Bentley kept pushing later in the third period, but an empty net goal by Brown from the Falcons blue line with 1:19 left sealed the win for the Tigers. Brown, who now leads the Tigers with four goals this season, has scored in each of the last three games.
“We created offense without putting ourselves in bad defensive situations,” said Wilson. “We’re going to have to do a lot more of the same tomorrow night.”
RIT leads the all-time series between the two schools, 20-11-2.
RIT will return to action on Saturday for the second game in the weekend series with Bentley. Puck drop will be at 7:05 p.m. at the John A. Ryan Skating Center in Watertown, Mass.
