No. 19 RIT uses strong third to split with Ice Hockey

SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - The No. 19 Rochester Institute of Technology won a 5-2 Atlantic Hockey Association contest against the American International College ice hockey team on Saturday, December 9 to split the weekend series.

AIC is now 10-7-0 overall and 7-3-0-0-1-0 in the AHA.

The Tigers struck first on a turnover in the offensive zone, as Philippe Jacques cut off a clearing attempt and found Tyler Mahan wide open in front of the net for a goal at 7:18.

The Yellow Jackets countered on a nearly identical play early in the second. It was Julius Janhonen who knocked a clearing attempt down and slid the puck quickly to Alexander Malinowski. Jordan Biro had turned back to the netfront when Janhonen cut off the clear, and Malinowski was able to get him the puck. Biro maneuvered around goalkeeper Tommy Scarfone and tucked in his second of the year at 5:53.

That opened up a deluge of scoring. Elijah Gonsalves put RIT back on top at 10:43 on a feed from Gianfranco Cassaro. Shortly after, AIC drew a penalty, and the Balise Toyota Power Play clicked; Dustin Manz won the draw and ultimately was able to generate a shot that Scarfone saved, but the rebound bounded to Alfred Lindberg, who banked it off the back of Scarfone's leg and into the net at 14:19 to tie the game with his fourth of the year.

Unfortunately for AIC, on the very next shift, RIT regained the lead. Gustav Blom was loose in the slot and he fired through a screen for the eventual game-winner at 15:30.

RIT struck right away in the third, as Gonsalves netted his second of the game just 0:35 in, and Mahan sprung Simon Isabelle for a shorthanded breakaway at 3:57.

AIC kept pushing, and played a large portion of the third with a sixth attacker; though they did not concede another, they did not score, with the closest opportunity coming when Casey McDonald's redirect clanked off the right post. 

AIC closes the first half with a two-game series at Canisius University; the battle between the teams that have won the last five Atlantic Hockey Association crowns will begin on Friday, December 15 at 7:05 p.m. at the LECOM Harborcenter.