ROCHESTER, NY – Senior Hobey Baker Award Candidate Matt Garbowsky (St. George, Ontario/Powell River Kings) picked up his second hat-trick of the season and classmate Brad McGowan (Langley, British Columbia/Surrey Eagles) became the eighth player since RIT moved to Division I to record 100 career points, as the RIT men’s hockey team (14-14-5, 13-9-5 AHC) scored a season-high eight goals in a 8-0 win over Atlantic Hockey rival Mercyhurst (16-13-4, 14-10-3, AHC) at the Gene Polisseni Center on Friday night.
With the win, RIT moves into a tie for fourth place with the Lakers with 31 points. RIT could gain sole possession of fourth with a tie or win tomorrow night and could move as high as third. The Tigers clinched a first round bye and will advance to the quarterfinals, that will take place from March 13-15.
Garbowsky became the second player in RIT’s Division I history to record two hat-tricks in a season, joining Matt Smith, who did so on back-to-back nights on March 7-8, 2008. Garbowsky also tallied a hat-trick at Canisius on Nov. 14. The senior forward also added an assist, giving him his third four-point night of the season. Garbowsky is now second nationally with 24 goals and third with 46 points.
McGowan tallied a pair of goals and added an assist, giving him seven points on five goals and two assists over his last two games. He recorded his 100th career point on a power-play goal 54 seconds into the third period. McGowan now has 39 goals and 61 assists for his RIT career.
Linemate Josh Mitchell (Osoyoos, British Columbia/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) dished out a career-high four assists, as RIT’s top-line combined for 11 points and was plus-11 on the evening. Mitchell moved into a tie for third nationally with 30 assists. It is his second four-point night of the season.
Freshman defenseman Matt Abt (Leduc, Alberta/Whitecourt Wolverines ) scored his first collegiate goal late in the first period, while Andrew Miller (Chicago, IL/Chicago Steel), and Caleb Cameron (Sunridge, Ontario/Listowel Cyclones) also scored for the Tigers. Brady Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers), Danny Smith (Edmonton, Alberta/Sherwood Park Crusaders), and Brandon Thompson (Vancouver, British Columbia/Handsworth) added two assists apiece for RIT, who dominated in every facet of the game, out-shooting Mercyhurst, 44-25, while winning 56-of-81 draws. Garbowsky was 20-4 at the face-off circle, while Smith was 15-4.
Goaltender Mike Rotolo (Rochester, NY/Cedar Rapids Roughriders) picked up his second straight win, first shutout of the season, and third of his RIT career, stopping all 25 shots he faced. Rotolo is 7-1-1 over his last nine starts, dating back to Jan. 10.
RIT was 1-for-3 with the man-advantage, while Mercyhurst was 0-for-3. Mercyhurst goaltender Brandon Wildung got the start, stopping 16-of-21 shots before being replaced by Spencer Bacon 6:15 into the second period after RIT’s fifth goal. Bacon made 20 saves on 23 shots.
The eight-goal margin of victory was RIT’s largest at the Gene Polisseni Center and biggest overall since a 10-0 win over Sacred Heart on Jan. 14, 2012. The eight goals allowed by Mercyhurst were the most given up in three years.
“We gave a consistent effort for 60 minutes tonight,” said RIT head coach Wayne Wilson. “I was very happy with how we played on both ends, we did a great job shutting a good offensive team in Mercyhurst down. We are building momentum towards the playoff run.”
RIT’s top line struck with a brilliant goal to open the scoring 4:07 in, as Garbowsky found himself all alone in front after a feed from Mitchell after McGowan made a great move on a defender after a RIT face-off win. Garbowsky, 1-on-1 with Wildung, made a brilliant deke to get the goaltender out of position and deposit his 22nd goal of the season.
RIT’s big line struck again nearly six minutes later, as Garbowsky caused a turnover, made a great pass to Mitchell, who fired a cross-ice pass to McGowan all alone at the right side of the net. McGowan got Wildung to over-commit and roofed a wrist shot just under the crossbar in tight for his 15th goal of the year, making it 2-0.
Abt, who fired four shots on goal in the opening period, scored his first collegiate goal with 1:27 left in the frame, firing a shot home through traffic from the slot after Smith had his original shot blocked. Thompson also assisted on the goal, giving RIT a 3-0 lead.
The Tigers added three more goals in the middle stanza to go up 6-0 after 40 minutes of play.
Garbowsky made it 4-0 RIT, 3:01 into the second with one of the best individual efforts of the season. a highlight-reel goal while RIT was shorthanded. Garbowsky took a feed from Brady Norris in the neutral zone, dragged the puck through the legs of a Mercyhurst defenseman, and slipped a backhander from in close past Wildung for his second of the game and 23rd of the season.
Just over three minutes later, Miller netted his seventh of the season, taking a feed from Brandon Thompson (Vancouver, British Columbia/Handsworth) in front and backhanding a shot past Wildung. Smith also assisted on the goal.
That goal ended the Mercyhurst freshman goaltender’s night, as Bacon came on in relief.
Garbowsky tallied the hat-trick at the 11:21 mark of the period, taking a feed from Mitchell as the trailer on a 3-on-2 break, ripping a shot from the high slot that glanced off Bacon’s arm and in to make it 6-0 Tigers. Chase Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers) also assisted on the goal, Garbowsky’s 24th of the season.
Rotolo came up big with a handful of good stops on a Mercyhurst power-play not long after, preserving the shutout.
RIT kept coming in the third period, scoring two more times. McGowan netted his second of the game and 100th career point 54 seconds into the third period, as the Tigers were on a power-play, taking a perfect feed from Mitchell at the right side of the Mercyhurst net and roofing a shot past Bacon for his 16th goal of the season, making it 7-0.
Cameron would close out the scoring just under three minutes later, taking a feed from cross-ice feed from Myles Powell (Courtenay, British Columbia/Cowichan Valley Capitals) and burying a shot into the open net for his eighth goal of the season.
It is the first game between these two long-time rivals this season. RIT leads the all-time series between the two schools, 31-18-6, including a 15-9-3 mark since moving to Division I in 2005. Both teams were also part of the ECAC West Conference in Division III from 1988-99. Mercyhurst won all three meetings between the two schools, outscoring RIT 15-7 in those contests.
The two teams wrap up the regular season Saturday night from Ritter Arena at 7:05 p.m. RIT will honor seniors Garbowsky, McGowan, Brad Reid (Delta, British Columbia/Coquitlam Express), Jordan Ruby (Tavistock, Ontario/Wellington Dukes), Thompson, and student manager Joe Vicario before the game.
“A lot is on the line tomorrow night,” said Wilson. “We want the first round bye and home ice for the quarterfinal round.
