Men's Hockey takes 6-4 loss to visiting Canisius

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The RIT Men's Hockey team lost to visiting Canisius, 6-4, in Atlantic Hockey America action, Tuesday. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Canisius got on the board with a power play goal at 7:28 of the first following a Tiger tripping penalty. Kash Rasmussen attempted to redirect a shot from the point by Jack Budd on the crease, but knocked the puck down outside the left post. Rasmussen followed the loose puck and spun around for a shot over first-year Tiger goaltender Jakub Krbecek's blocker.
• The Golden Griffins took a 2-0 lead after Mikey Colella cleaned up a rebound after Krbecek made the initial save on an attempt by Alex Cicero at the end of a rush at 15:45.
• RIT got on the board 3:30 into the second. Junior forward Philippe Jacques won a faceoff to left of the Canisius goal back to first-year defenseman Tristan Allen, who slid a puck across the top of the zone for a one-timer by graduate student defenseman Dimitri Mikrogiannakis. Jacques stuck his stick out in the slot and redirected the shot over Ben Bonisteel's shoulder into the top-right corner of the goal.
• The Golden Griffins took a 3-1 lead at 9:52 after Stefano Bottini took a cross-ice feed from Carter Patterson in the left faceoff circle and picked the far post past a screened Krbecek.  
• RIT responded just over three minutes later for a 3-2 game. Sophomore forward Tyler Fukakusa pushed a puck through the neutral zone to the top of the Canisius zone to sophomore forward Christian Catalano, who held onto the puck to evade a diving Canisius defender before backhanding a pass to sophomore forward Matthew Wilde in the slot for a short finish over Bonisteel's blocker at 13:05
• Canisius started the third period with two goals by Alton McDermott in a 17-second span for a 5-2 lead at 2:54. McDermott first took advantage of a Krbecek miscue behind the Tiger goal, before scoring from close range off a feed from Matt Vermaeten at the end of a rush.
• RIT got one back on the power play after Allen scored on a shot from the top of the right faceoff circle through traffic at 4:29, but Canisius answered 27 seconds later after Kyle Haskins redirected a shot from the point by Hunter Andrew over Krbecek's blocker to retake a three-goal lead, 6-3.  
• The Tigers closed the scoring with 1:28 left in regulation. Graduate student forward Nick Cafarelli tipped a shot from the left faceoff circle by junior forward Tyler Mahan into a crowded net front, before junior forward Simon Isabelle scored the loose puck that trickled outside the right post.    

GAME NOTES

• RIT finished the night with a 33-25 edge in shots, including a team-high seven by Catalano.
• The Tigers also ended the game with an 84-46 advantage in shot attempts, as Canisius compiled 31 blocked shots.
• RIT went 1-for-5 on the power play while killing two of three Golden Griffin power play attempts. 
• Isabelle scored his team-leading seventh goal of the season.
• Wilde has 12 points (6G/6A) in nine games this season.
• Fukakusa scored his team-leading 18th point and 14th assist while extending a six-game point-scoring streak. 
• Krbecek ended the game with 19 saves - his first outing in 11 appearances this season without at least 30 saves. 

WHAT'S NEXT
RIT hosts Robert Morris for a two-game Atlantic Hockey America set this Friday and Saturday (Dec. 6-7). Faceoffs are scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and 5:05 p.m., respectively.