RIT Seniors End Careers with Loss to Wisconsin at Frozen Four

RIT seniors end Careers in loss to Wisconsin at Frozen Four

Courtesy of RIT Sports Information

DETROIT, MI – The RIT men’s hockey team (28-12-1) had its magical season ended by Wisconsin (28-10-4), 8-1 in front of  record crowd of 34,954 fans at the NCAA Frozen Four Semifinal at Ford Field on Thursday evening. The loss snapped RIT’s program record 12-game winning streak.

It was RIT’s first trip to the Frozen Four in just its fifth season of Division I play. The Tigers were the first team from the Atlantic Hockey Association to advance to the Frozen Four. RIT set countless school records along the way, including most wins (28), longest winning streak (12), and fewest goals allowed per game (2.18).

RIT, ranked No. 9 in the latest USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine national poll, struggled against the No. 2 Badgers, getting into penalty trouble that ultimately hurt them. Wisconsin scored three times on five power-play attempts in the second period to pull away.

Wisconsin out-shot RIT, 37-14.  RIT's 14 shots were a season-low.  The Badgers were 3-for-7 with the man-advantage, while RIT was 1-for-3.

Tyler Brenner (Linwood, Ontario) scored RIT’s lone goal, slamming in a perfect cross-ice feed from Dan Ringwald (Oakville, Ontario) on the power-play in the final minute of the second period. Andrew Favot (King City, Ontario) also assisted on the goal. Ringwald fed a perfect diagonal cross ice feed to Brenner, who buried the shot for his 15th goal of the season and fifth of the postseason.

The RIT power-play goal was its 50th of the season, tying a school record set last season.

RIT netminder Jared DeMichiel (Avon, CT) could not be faulted on any of his six goals allowed. He stopped 25 shots and had his personal 12-game winning streak snapped. DeMichiel started the final 19 games of the season. DeMichiel ended the season with a 27-10-1 record. His 27 wins led all of Division I. 

Shane Madolora (Salinas, CA) played 2:33 in the third period, while Jan Ropponen (Espoo, Finland) played the final 2:32 for RIT.

Brendan Smith tallied five assists for the Badgers, who play either Boston College for the 2010 NCAA Frozen Four Championship on Saturday at 7 p.m. Derek Stepan two goals and two assists.  Blake Geoffrion and Justin Schultz recorded two points each in the win.

Wisconsin goaltender Scott Gudmandson stopped 14 RIT shots in the win.

Before tonight’s game, the Tigers allowed just 16 goals during their 12 game-winning streak, outscoring foes 53-16.

RIT Head Coach Wayne Wilson said that the slow start put RIT in a hole they could not recover from.

"Wisconsin put us on our heels right from the start," said Wilson, who a Division I Championship as a player with Bowling Green in 1984.  "Their defensemen were able to look up the ice and move the puck really well."

The Badgers came out and put RIT in an early hole, scoring just 1:21 in en route to a 2-0 lead after one period of play.

Wisconsin got on the board just 1:21 in, as John Mitchell slammed in a rebound past DeMichiel from in tight after the RIT goaltender made the initial save on Cody Goloubef. Mitchell was unmarked in front and was able to put the puck past DeMichiel. Justin Schultz also assisted on the goal.

It would be only the second time in the last 14 games that RIT did not score first. In addition, it was the first time that RIT trailed in a game since Feb. 27 against Canisius, the regular season finale, a span of 414:07.

Stepan made it 2-0 Wisconsin at the 9:38 mark of the period, tipping a point shot by Ryan McDonagh past DeMichiel for the goal.

DeMichiel made a tremendous save moments later to keep the score 2-0, robbing Ben Street on a partial breakaway in front, sprawling to keep the Tigers down just two.

RIT had a couple of good chances in the period, including a hard wrist shot by Cameron Burt (Detroit, MI) from the slot with 6.8 seconds left in the period that Gudmandson made a nice save on. Sean Murphy (Owatonna, MN) nearly converted on a rebound earlier in the period, but was turned aside by Gudmandson.

The Badgers wasted no time making it 3-0, 2:18 into the second period, as Jordy Murray slammed in a perfect feed in front by Aaron Bendickson.

Schultz gave Wisconsin at 4-0 lead a few minutes later, taking a rebound off the back boards on the power-play and slamming the puck inside the goal post and past DeMichiel, who looked to have the puck covered. The play was reviewed and determined a good goal.

Michael Davis and Geoffrion scored 5-on-3 power-play goals later in the period to make it 6-0 Badgers. RIT ran into significant penalty problems that led directly to those two goals.

The Tigers made history two weekends ago, defeating top-seeded Denver, 2-1 in the NCAA East Regional Semifinal and third-seeded New Hampshire, 6-2 in the championship at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y. to reach the Frozen Four.

"Playing in an atmosphere like this is something I will never forget and always cherish," said Burt, a native of Detroit.

RIT reached the NCAA Tournament after winning the Atlantic Hockey Championship on March 19-20, defeating Canisius in the semifinal, 4-0, and Sacred Heart 6-1 in the championship.

Tonight’s contest was the first meeting between the two schools. The eight goals allowed was the most the Tigers surrendered at the Division I level.

RIT is now 10-4 all-time in the postseason at the Division I level. The Tigers finished 6-1 this postseason.

The crowd of 34,954 was the largest to ever see a hockey game played in an indoor venue, and largest crowd RIT has ever played in front of.

Tonight was the final contest for seniors Alan Mazur (Burnaby, British Columbia), Stevan Matic (Burnaby, British Columbia), Brent Alexin (West Seneca, NY), Ringwald, and DeMichiel. That group led the Tigers to a 91-48-11 mark in their four seasons, including a 77-26-9 mark in AHA play. In addition, junior Tyler Mazzei (Kelowna, British Columbia), who graduated in just three years, also played in his final contest.

"I'm very proud of what this team accomplished and hos they performed this year," said Wilson.  "We have a great group of seniors who set the bar high for future teams."