Men's Hockey falls in OT to Holy Cross, 1-0, in Atlantic Hockey Semifinal Game 1
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – RIT fell, 1-0, in overtime to visiting Holy Cross in Game 1 of their best-of-three Atlantic Hockey Tournament Semifinal series, Friday night.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Crusader defenseman Nick Hale stole a puck off a Tiger forward and sent a long outlet pass through the Neutral zone to a streaking Liam McLinsky at the opposite blue line. McLinsky converted the ensuing one-on-one chance with Tiger sophomore goaltender Tommy Scarfone, slipping a short forehand under his pads at the 8:01 mark of overtime for the deciding tally.
GAME NOTES
- RIT outshot Holy Cross, 40-23, including 27-7 through the first two periods.
- Holy Cross goaltender Jason Grande stopped all 40 shots he faced for his first collegiate shutout.
- Entering the weekend ranked 10th nationally with 3.39 goals per game, the Tigers were shutout for only the second time this season and first time since a 5-0 setback to visiting Princeton (Nov. 26).
- RIT fell to 5-5 in 10 Atlantic Hockey Tournament semifinal contests, all-time and is 9-6 in 15 overtime tournament games.
- This is the first season in the 20-year history of the league the semifinals are being played in a best-of-three format. The semifinals were previously decided in one game.
- RIT has dropped the opening game of a best-of-three Atlantic Hockey Tournament playoff series five previous times, but has come back to win three of them (2009 Quarterfinals vs. Holy Cross, 2012 Quarterfinals vs. Bentley, 2019 1st Round at Sacred Heart).
- RIT is the top-seed for the Atlantic Hockey Tournament, while Holy Cross is the seventh seed.
- Sixth-seeded Niagara jumped out to a 1-0 series lead at fourth-seeded Canisius with a 2-1 victory in the night's other semifinal action.
WHAT'S NEXT
RIT hosts Holy Cross in game-two on Saturday (March 11) at 7:05 p.m. The Tigers will look to force a deciding game-three on Sunday (March 12) at 5:05 p.m.
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