ROCHESTER, NY – Junior captain Myles Powell (Courtenay, British Columbia/Cowichan Valley Capitals) scored 21 seconds into overtime to lift the RIT men’s hockey team (5-7-1, 5-5-0 AHC) to a wild 2-1 win over Army West Point (6-4-1, 6-3-0 AHC) in front of 2,621 fans at the Gene Polisseni Center Saturday evening. It is the second weekend sweep for the Tigers in league play this season.
After Army West Point won the opening face-off in overtime, the puck was chipped into the defensive zone. An Army player tried to clear down the ice, but had the attempt intercepted by RIT defenseman Adam Brubacher (Elmira, Ontario/Powell River Kings). Brubacher fired a hard shot from the left point that Powell was able to redirect off the right post and in past Army West Point goaltender Parker Gahagen for his fifth goal of the season.
Powell, who now has three career overtime game-winners, also assisted on a first period goal by Abbott Girduckis (Belleville, Ontario/Wellington Dukes). For the second straight evening, RIT goaltender Mike Rotolo (Rochester, NY/Cedar Rapids Roughriders) was tremendous, turning aside 21 of 22 Army West Point shots, including several key saves.
“That was a great sweep for us this weekend and a really hard fought game by both teams tonight,” said RIT head coach Wayne Wilson. I thought Mike (Rotolo) came up really big for us, made some key saves. We still have some growing to do as a team, but I’m happy where we’re at right now.”
Zach Evancho scored for the Black Knights, who came into the weekend leading Atlantic Hockey with 12 points. Gahagen played well in the loss for Army West Point, stopping 21 shots.
In what was a tight checking battle all evening, RIT out-shot the Black Knights, 23-22. Army was 0-for-2 with the man-advantage, while RIT had just one power-play attempt on the evening, going scoreless.
RIT would strike with the only goal in a defensive oriented the first period with 6:44 left, as good forechecking by Garrett McMullen (Churchville, NY/Trail Smoke Eaters) led to a turnover behind the Army West Point net. Powell scooped up the loose puck and fed Girduckis, who was streaking towards the net. Girduckis fired a wrist shot from in tight over the glove of Gahagen for his first goal of the season.
Powell had a tremendous chance in the opening minutes of the game, while RIT was shorthanded. He took a feed in the neutral zone and with a full head of speed, came in on a breakaway. Powell cut across the crease went to the backhand, but Gahagen was there to make a tremendous pad save to keep the game scoreless.
Rotolo’s best save of the period came on a redirection by Conor Andrle. A Black Knights player fired the puck towards the net from the right wing on the rush. The past went off a RIT defenseman and right off Andrle in tight. Rotolo was able to follow the puck and make a tough save.
The Black Knights would seize the momentum in the second period, holding RIT to a season-low five shots on goal, while tying the game, 1-1 late in the frame.
Rotolo would be called upon to make a big shoulder save on a hard shot by Trevor Fidler that also clanged off the post after hitting the goaltender.
Evancho would even the game on an odd-man rush with just 2:42 left in the period, as he took a feed from Dominic Franco in the neutral zone right after Gahagen made a big save on Shawn Cameron (Sherbrooke, Quebec/Cumberland Grads), skated in and fired a shot over the glove of Rotolo for his fourth goal of the season.
In the third period, both teams pushed, but could not get the go-ahead goal. Rotolo had to make three big saves to keep it tied. He first stopped Ian Mansfield on a 2-on-1 rush with just under 10 minutes left, then robbed Taylor Maruya in the slot a minute later. With 5:30 left, Rotolo flashed a quick glove hand on a shot by Brendan Soucie.
RIT had one great chance foiled with 4:10 left, as Gabe Valenzuela (Brampton, Ontario/North York Rangers) had Erik Brown (Keene, Ontario/Kemptville 73’s) streaking towards the net on a back door feed with the open side, but an Army West point defender lifted Brown’s stick at the last minute.
Rotolo became RIT’s all-time leader in career saves at the Division I level, ending the night with 1,795, surpassing Jordan Ruby, who had 1,787 saves for the Tigers from 2011-15. Jamie Morris is RIT’s all-time leader in saves at the Division III level, with 3,275 from 1995-99.
RIT leads the all-time series between the two schools, 17-3-6 and is 9-2-3 against Army West Point on home ice. Last night, the Tigers scored five third period goals en route to a 6-2 win. The line of Danny Smith (Edmonton, Alberta/Sherwood Park Crusaders) (one goal, three assists), Ryan Kruper (Sherwood Park, Alberta/Sherwood Park Crusaders) (four assists), and Shawn Cameron (Sherbrooke, Quebec/Cumberland Grads) (two goals, one assist) combined for 11 points and Rotolo made 32 saves.
RIT is right back in action on Wednesday, Nov. 23, as they head to league foe Mercyhurst. Opening faceoff from the Mercyhurst Ice Arena is 7:05 p.m.
