NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – Nineteenth-ranked RIT tied host Niagara, 4-4, in Atlantic Hockey action, Thursday. Following a scoreless overtime, the Purple Eagles finished the night with a 3-2 shootout victory.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• RIT jumped out to a 1-0 lead following a Niagara holding call 20 seconds into the game. Senior forward Cody Laskosky dug a puck off the end boards to first-year forward Matthew Wilde, who sent a pass around the boards to fifth-year defenseman Gianfranco Cassaro in the right faceoff circle. Cassaro dropped a pass down to Wilde, who sent a return pass Cassaro at the right point for a long wrist shot over Purple Eagle goaltender Jarrett Fiske's blocker at 1:14.
• The Tigers took a 2-0 lead at 10:34 after junior forward Tanner Andrew and sophomore forward Simon Isabelle traded the puck into the right faceoff circle on a rush before Andrew threaded a pass to junior forward Grady Hobbs in front of the left post for a short finish.
• Niagara got one back at 14:40 of the first after Shane Ott dropped a pass back to Connor Mylymok in the slot for a goal inside the right post.  
• RIT took a 3-1 lead 1:45 into the second after Wilde knocked a puck off a Niagara player's stick in the slot and found Laskosky open in front for a short finish.
• Niagara scored three goals to open the third period. After Jack Richard scored on a shot from the point at 1:51, the Purple Eagles scored a pair of short-handed goals off Tiger turnovers during a 35-second stretch for a 4-3 lead with 10:34 left in regulation.
• RIT tied the game just over a minute later. Hobbs took a shot from outside the right post that missed the net, but deflected down off an official behind the left post. Andrew backhanded a loose puck back on goal that was saved by a diving Fiske, but Isabelle cleaned up the rebound to knot the game, 4-4, with 9:31 left in regulation.
• The teams played the rest of regulation and a five-minute overtime scoreless, before Fiske made a save on the third round of penalty shots to earn the extra Atlantic Hockey point. 

GAME NOTES

• Cassaro scored his team-leading 12th goal of the season. He entered the night ranked first nationally among defensemen in goals.
• Isabelle, Hobbs and Laskosky all finished with a goal and an assist.
• Scarfone finished the game with 32 saves for his 32nd career game with at least 30 saves.
• RIT converted 2-of-4 power play attempts while killing all five Niagara extra-man opportunities.
• RIT finished the night with a 43-36 shot advantage.
• RIT hadn't allowed two short-handed goals in a game since a 6-4 loss versus Sacred Heart on December 18, 2018. 
• Senior defenseman Dimitri Mikrogiannakis blocked a team-high three shots.
• RIT is 0-3-1 in its last four matchups with Niagara – all on the road.
• The Tigers didn't win for the first time in 14 games this season when building at least a two-goal lead. RIT was also 16-1-1 when leading after two periods. 

WHAT'S NEXT
RIT hosts Niagara on Saturday (Feb. 3) in a 5:05 p.m. Atlantic Hockey faceoff at the Gene Polisseni Center.