RIT and Sacred Heart Survive the Semis for Showdown in Atlantic Hockey Championship

RIT and Sacred Heart Survive the AHA Semifinals for a showdown in the Atlantic Hockey Championship

Top-seeded RIT to face second-seeded Sacred Heart in the Atlantic Hockey Championship Game Saturday night at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, N.Y.  The first time in Atlantic Hockey history that the top two seeds will face-off in the AHA Tournament Final.

The top-seeded Tigers recorded their eighth shutout of the season, which breaks a team record. RIT goaltender Jared DeMichiel (Avon, CT) picked up his sixth solo shutout of the season, stopping all 20 shots he faced. He was not tested often, but made a handful of great saves at important times.

DeMichiel lowered his goals against average to 2.03 on the season, and raised his save percentage to .920.

The Tigers have allowed just 12 goals during their nine-game winning streak. They have 39 goals during that stretch. RIT is now 16-3-0 since Jan. 8.

RIT scored twice in the first period, and once in the second and third periods. Tyler Brenner (Linwood, Ontario), Andrew Favot (King City, Ontario), and Alan Mazur (Burnaby, British Columbia) scored power-play goals for RIT. Mike Janda (Glen Ellyn, IL) added an even strength goal.

Favot added an assist, while Cameron Burt (Detroit, MI) and Dan Ringwald (Oakville, Ontario) each had two assists. Favot and Burt now both have 40 points apiece on the season to lead the squad.

Ringwald has 99 career assists, while Mazur now has 99 career points.

RIT’s power-play was sensational, scoring three times in eight chances. The Tiger penalty-killing unit was equally as impressive, killing off all seven Canisius power-play attempts. RIT now has 23 power-play goals over its last 13 games.

The Tigers out-shot Canisius, 30-20.

RIT Head Coach Wayne Wilson was pleased with his team’s play and relieved to get into the championship game.

“It was complete team effort for all 60 minutes,” said Wilson. “I think we weathered the storm well for the first few shifts. This was the first time in three seasons I thought we completely ready for this game. We were very focused.”


The Tigers could not convert on a minute of 5-on-3 power-play time, but finally got on the board at the 14:52 mark while on a 5-on-4 man-advantage. Brenner converted a perfect redirection of a shot by Ringwald from the left boards to give RIT a 1-0 lead. Haltigin also assisted on the goal, extending his point-scoring streak to seven straight games. The goal was Brenner’s 11th of the season.

RIT went up 2-0 just 48 seconds later, as great work along the boards allowed Mark Cornacchia (Unionville, Ontario) to feed the puck to Janda at the right point. Janda’s shot went through a great screen set up by Taylor McReynolds (Sherwood Park, Alberta) and eluded Morrison, who never saw the shot. The goal was Janda’s fifth of the season.

DeMichiel made two huge saves on Preston Shupe at the end of the 5-on-3 right as the second period got underway.

RIT took a commanding 3-0 lead at the 8:41 mark, 11 seconds into a 5-on-3 power-play, as Favot finished off a nifty, three-way passing play at the side of the net for his 13th goal of the season.  Cameron Burt (Detroit, MI) went point-to-point with Ringwald, who fired a one-touch pass to Favot, who was all alone in tight.

Mazur sealed the win for RIT late in the third period, as his blast from the high slot hit a Canisius defender and got past Morrison. The power-play goal was Mazur’s eighth of the season. Favot and Burt assisted on the goal.

The Tigers snapped a five-game losing streak at Blue Cross Arena. RIT’s nine-game winning streak is the longest currently in all of Division I.

RIT is now 7-3 all-time in the postseason at the Division I level. They have scored at least four goals in nine of the 10 contests.

Patrick Knowlton (Colorado Springs, CO) slammed a shot into the roof of the net with 42 seconds remaining in regulation to lift the Pioneers to a 2-1 victory over Air Force in the AHA semifinals tonight in Rochester, NY. Freshman Steven Legatto (Kelowna, BC) made 32 saves as SHU knocked off the three time defending conference champions.

Sacred Heart (21-12-4) had another opportunity towards the end of the frame as Nick Johnson (Windsor, CT), tied for the NCAA lead in goals with 27, was turned away by a good save on a wrap around. The Falcons would get a power play to end the first period but their best chance was stopped by SHU netminder Legatto, who went into the splits to make a glove save on a Tim Kirby slap shot. The two teams went into the first intermission still in a scoreless tie.

Sacred Heart would get the game’s opening goal 9:46 into the period as Erik Boisvert (Drummondville, QC) lit the lamp for the 13th time this season. Eric Delong (Oakville, MB) stayed strong on his skates after an Air Force hit and tossed a shot on Volkening. Boisvert dove into the slot and back handed the rebound into the cage to give SHU a 1-0 advantage. The Falcons had an opportunity with a short handed rush to knot the game before the second intermission. However, senior captain Corey Laurysen (Ottawa, ON) got back to break up the two-on-one rush and preserve the Pioneer lead at 1-0 after two periods.

Kozlak intercepted a SHU pass in the defensive end with three minutes remaining and skated in alone on Legatto.  The SHU netminder just got a shoulder on the junior's high hard wrist shot to make the save.  Falcons head coach Frank Serratore pulled his goaltender for the extra attacker with 1:39 remaining.  After a timeout and a faceoff win Air Force capitalized on a scrum in front of the SHU net knocking in the game tying goal.  Lamoureux was the one who finished the play with his 22nd goal of 2009-10. 

The Pioneers never blinked and skated into the offensive end after the ensuing draw.  Dave Jarman (Toronto, ON) found himself with the puck behind the Air Force net.  He made a perfect pass onto the tape of Knowlton who left no doubt, pounding the puck top shelf for what would prove to be the game winner.  The goal was the latest regulation game winner in AHA semifinal history. 

The win propels Sacred Heart into the program's second ever Atlantic Hockey championship game.  The Pioneers will look for the teams first ever AHA title tomorrow night as they take on the #1 seed RIT Tigers at the Blue Cross Arena, game time is set for 7:05 pm.