ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT men’s hockey team (8-8-1) had its five-game winning streak snapped, falling at home to Providence College (6-6-3), 5-1 in front of 2,584 fans at the Gene Polisseni Center on Friday night.
Chase Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers) scored his sixth goal of the season early in the third period for the Tigers. In net, Mike Rotolo (Rochester, NY/Cedar Rapids Roughriders) made 39 saves, as Providence held a 44-37 edge in shots.
Ryan Tait (two goals, one assist) and Ryan Pinho (one goal, and two assists) had three points apiece to lead the Friars, while Jacob Bryson also scored and Josh Wilkins recorded a pair of assists. Hayden Hawkey stopped 36 of 37 RIT shots to pick up his sixth win of the season.
Providence was 1-for-3 with the man-advantage, while RIT was 0-for-1. The Tigers had scored 25 goals in the previous five games, all wins, before tonight’s setback.
“I thought we played scared in the first period, which we haven’t done in a long time,” said RIT head coach Wayne Wilson. “That was disappointing, as we need to be way better than that. I thought we played much better in the second period and probably should have been rewarded with a goal, but we let it get away from us in the third.”
The Friars would score twice in a dominating first period, out-shooting RIT 17-7. The Friars would get on the board first, at the 6:50 mark, as Pinho would collect a rebound in front after Rotolo made a tremendous save on Wilkins and score his fifth goal of the season. Just 2:43 later, Bryson would fire a shot off the back boards on a power-play that kicked right out and off the skate of Rotolo and in to make it 2-0.
RIT would get three great chances later in the period, but could not convert. Garrett McMullen (Churchville, NY/Trail Smoke Eaters) had a golden chance in front after a scramble smothered by Hawkey. Caleb Cameron (Sundridge, Ontario/Listowel Cyclones) would steal a pass at his own blue line and come in all alone on Hawkey, but the big Providence netminder stood his ground to make the save. Moments later, Shawn Cameron (Sherbrooke, Quebec/Cumberland Grads) and Danny Smith (Edmonton, Alberta/Sherwood Park Crusaders) had chances in close denied as well.
The Tigers came out flying in the second period, firing a season-high tying 22 shots, but could not solve Hawkey, who made several big saves.
Todd Skirving (Thunder Bay, Ontario/Sioux Falls Stampede) had a tremendous chance at the side of the net on a rebound off a shot by McMullen, but the puck trickled off his stick.
Moments later, Adam Brubacher (Elmira, Ontario/Powell River Kings) fired a shot from the slot on a power-play that Hawkey got a piece of, but the puck got by him before glancing off the top pf the net and out. Later in the frame, Hawkey made perhaps his best save of the night, robbing Brady Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers) from point-blank range in front off a great feed from Caleb Cameron (Sundridge, Ontario/Listowel Cyclones).
Despite RIT putting on all the pressure, Providence would make it 3-0 with 4:48 left in the frame, as Wilkins caused a turnover behind the RIT net off a defensive zone faceoff and centered a pass in front to Tait, who beat Rotolo to the far side from in close for his first goal of the season.
The Tigers would get on the board just 1:14 into the third, as Chase Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers) would take a feed from Erik Brown (Keene, Ontario/Kemptville 73’s) after great work by Ryan Kruper (Sherwood Park, Alberta/Sherwood Park Crusaders) behind the net, cut to the goal, and fire a shot off of Hawkey and in for his sixth goal of the season, making it 3-1 Friars.
Rotolo would make his best save of the night moments later, as Garrett Gamez came in all alone on a breakaway. Gamez tried to go to the backhand and beat Rotolo between the legs, but the RIT goaltender got across to make the save.
The Friars would put the game away with two goals in 2:31 midway through the third period. Tait would redirect a point shot from Jake Walman for his second goal of the game to make it 4-1. MacPhee slammed home a rebound off a shot from Robbie Hennessey with 5:46 left to complete the scoring.
Tonight marked the first ever meeting between the two schools.
RIT and Providence wrap up their regular season series on Saturday from the Gene Polisseni Center at 7:05 p.m. RIT will hold its annual Tiger Toss, where fans will be urged to bring a new stuffed animal to the game and throw it on the ice after RIT scores its first goal of the game.
