“RIT has a great hockey tradition and tonight was another step in that tradition,” said Tiger head coach Wayne Wilson, referring to the school’s NCAA Division II national championship in 1983 and Division III title in 1985.
RIT's Sean Murphy scored two goals in the Tigers' 6-1 win over Sacred Heart in the Atlantic Hockey tournament title game Saturday in Rochester, N.Y.
The 3,298 fans at Blue Cross Arena had barely settled into their seats when the Tigers got a chance at an extended power play after the Pioneers’ David Berube was assessed with a major penalty for checking from behind and a game misconduct 1:48 into the first period. RIT’s Cameron Burt scored the game’s first goal less than 30 seconds later — the first of his five points on the night — to give the Tigers a 1-0 advantage. RIT took a 2-0 lead late in the first period with another special-teams goal, this one a shorthanded effort by Mark Cornacchia 19 seconds prior to intermission.
The Tigers exploded for three goals in the second period. Sean Murphy converted a feed from Burt 68 seconds into the period to make the score 3-0, and Jeff Smith scored 11 minutes later to give RIT a four-goal cushion. Then, with Sacred Heart’s Matt Gingera in the penalty box for high sticking, RIT’s Tyler Brenner scored a power-play goal with 56 seconds left in the period to advance his team’s edge to 5-0.
Sacred Heart finally got on the board 3:48 into the third period when Eric Delong scored his 15th goals of the season. RIT’s Murphy provided the final margin of victory with his second goal of the game with 2:04 left in regulation.
RIT goaltender Jared DeMichiel stopped all but one of the 33 shots he faced, while Sacred Heart netminder Steven Legatto made 33 saves.
ATLANTIC HOCKEY ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
G – Jared DeMichiel, RIT
D – Dan Ringwald, RIT
D – Chris Tanev, RIT
F – Tyler Brenner, RIT
F – Cameron Burt, RIT (MVP)
F - Patrick Knowlton, Sacred Heart
