WEST POINT, NY – The RIT (8-10-4, 6-6-3 Atlantic Hockey Association) men’s hockey team came into the weekend needing a sweep to make a jump in the AHA standings. With a 4-2 win on Saturday night over Army (7-12-3, 7-7-3 AHA) the Tigers completed the sweep, earning four important points in the standings.
“I thought it was a great effort by us all weekend long,” said RIT Head Coach Wayne Wilson. “We played hard and were very smart all weekend long. We’re right in the hunt now. We’ve got to keep working hard and getting better.”
Adam Mitchell (Crofton, MD) and Jeff Smith (Spokane, WA) each scored a pair of goals, and Adam Hartley (West Vancouver, British Columbia) dished out three assists to lead the Tigers. Mike Colavecchia (Maple, Ontario) and Chris Saracino (St. Louis, MO) each had an assist and Josh Watson (Lititz, PA) picked up his seventh win of the season allowing two goals and making 21 saves.
RIT outshot the Black Knights 40-23 and were 1-for-2 with the man advantage, while holding Army to zero goals in two power play chances. Ryan Leets took the loss for Army allowing three goals and making 36 saves.
RIT led 2-0 after the first period on a pair of goals by Adam Mitchell (Crofton, MD). The Tigers fired 12 shots on net to nine for the Black Knights.
Mitchelll gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead at 10:21 on his seventh goal of the season. Chris Saracino (St. Louis, MO) started the play passing to Adam Hartley (West Vancouver, British Columbia) in the RIT zone. Hartley found Mitchell who used a nice toe-drag move to get himself free. He sent a wrist into the top shelf over Army goalie Ryan Leets’ shoulder.
Mitchell made it 2-0 at 14:35 on a nice give-and-go play between he and Mike Colavecchia (Maple, Ontario). Hartely dug the puck out of the corner and got it to Colavecchia. He and Mitchell worked the give-and go and Mitchell placed another wrist shot past Leets for his eighth tally of the season. The goal was Mitchell’s 50th career point in a Tigers sweater.
Josh Watson (Lititz, PA) was excellent in the first period stopping all nine shots he faced. His best coming with 8:23 to play in the period on a partial break by Shane Hearn. He tried to beat Watson with a shot to the glove side, but Watson stuck the glove out and snatched the puck out of the air.
Army scored twice and the Tigers scored once in the second period. Josh Richards scored at 1:22 of the period off an assist from Cheyne Rocha. He took advantage of a RIT turnover deep in their own zone and beat Watson with a backhanded shot to make it 2-1 RIT.
Jeff Smith (Spokane, WA) tallied his ninth goal of the season and third of the weekend at 5:17 of the second to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead. He took a feed from Hartley and jammed home a one-timer from the slot to give the Tigers a two-goal edge.
Joe Kozlak tallied at 9:44 to cut the RIT lead back to a goal on his fifth goal of the season. Willie Faust had the assist on the play.
Plenty of action at both ends of the ice for both teams in the third period. Watson and the Tigers were under fire in the third period as Army fired 10 shots on net. But RIT and Watson held tough turning away all 10 shots. He made two of his 10 saves with 7:42 to play and RIT on the penalty kill. Army fired a shot that Watson turned aside and had to react and make another off the rebound keeping the Tigers up on the scoreboard.
Leets was excellent for the Black Knights making 12 of his 36 saves in the third period. One chance coming late in the period for Andrew Miller (West Dundee, IL/Jacobs) who found himself alone in front of the Army net. The puck wouldn’t calm down and Leets was able to make the save to keep it a one-goal game at the time.
With the Army net empty and RIT on the power play, Smith capped off the weekend with his fourth goal of the weekend and second of the evening at 19:35.
RIT returns to action on Friday, Jan. 25 when the Tigers host AHA rival #15 Niagara at 7:05 pm. These two teams met back on December 12, skating to a 2-2 tie in Niagara Falls, New York.
