ROCHESTER, N.Y. – RIT graduate student forward Elijah Gonsalves scored two goals while junior forward Carter Wilkie added a goal and two assists as the top-seeded Tigers defeated seventh-seeded Niagara, 5-2, in game-two of the Atlantic Hockey Semifinal series.
 
PLAYOFF UPDATE
Coupled with Friday's 4-1 game-one victory, RIT advances to next Saturday's Atlantic Hockey Championship game to host either second-seeded Holy Cross or fifth-seeded AIC with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• RIT jumped out to a 3-0 first-period lead, including 1:17 into the game after first-year forward Matthew Wilde sprung first-year forward Christian Catalano with a long pass from deep in the Tiger zone. Catalano skated down the right side and crossed a feed to first-year forward Tyler Fukakusa in front of the left post for a short finish.
• Gonsalves made it a 2-0 game at 8:43 after taking a drop pass from fifth-year defenseman Gianfranco Cassaro along the left half boards and picking the top corner, far post, with a wrist shot from the left faceoff dot.
• Wilkie later smothered a Niagara shot at the top of the Tiger zone and skated the other way before snapping a shot under Niagara goaltender Jarrett Fiske's glove at 15:55.
• RIT scored with 1:04 left in the second period for a 4-0 lead. Wilkie carried a puck down the left side and slid a pass along the boards back to junior forward Grady Hobbes, who found senior defenseman Dimitri Mikrogiannakis open in the right faceoff circle. Mikrogiannakis beat Fiske with a wrist shot, far post, for his first goal of the season.
• Niagara cut the Tiger lead in half with two goals in a 1:17 span under nine minutes into the third period.
• Shane Ott knocked down a Tiger clearing attempt and fed Jack Richard in the slot, who took a shot that missed outside the left post. However, Ott collected the loose puck behind the right post and threw a puck out front that deflected off a teammates skate as well as two other Tigers inside the left post at 7:25.
• Niagara went on the power play following the goal after a delayed tripping penalty. Carter Randklev took a shot from the point that was initially stopped on an off-balance save by Tiger junior goaltender Tommy Scarfone, but Tyler Wallace cleaned up a loose puck that had fallen into the crease at 8:42.
• Niagara pulled Fiske with 4:01 left in regulation, but it was RIT sealing the game with a tally 43 seconds later. Wilkie won a defensive zone faceoff to graduate student defenseman Ryan Nicholson, who threw a long outlet pass to Gonsalves in the neutral zone. Gonsalves scored from just outside the opposite blue line to close the night. 

GAME NOTES

• RIT will make its sixth Atlantic Hockey Championship game appearance since joining the league in 2008 and first since winning back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016. Only Air Force (eight) has played in more title games in league history.
• RIT improved to 26-10-2 for the second-winningest season in the D1 era – two behind the 28-12-1 mark achieved by the 2009-10 squad which won the program's first Atlantic Hockey Championship en route to an appearance in the NCAA Frozen Four.
• Wilde extended his team-best nine-game point scoring streak, compiling eight goals and four assists during the run, while Catalano notched a point in his sixth consecutive game, totaling nine points on five goals and four assists.
• Scarfone totaled 25 saves to improve to 9-4 in the Atlantic Hockey Tournament. Only allowing four goals in four games this postseason, he owns a .929 save percentage and a 1.91 goals against average in 13 career postseason appearances.
• RIT finished with a 30-27 shot advantage.
• Gonsalves moved up to 15th on the D1-era career scoring list with 103 points on 44 goals and 59 assists to date.
• Wilkie is one point shy of his second-straight 40-point season with 16 goals and 23 assists to date. 

WHAT'S NEXT
RIT awaits the winner of tomorrow's game-three between host Holy Cross and AIC. Holy Cross won Friday's opener, 5-2, before AIC bounced back with a 3-0 shutout in Saturday's other action.