By: Liam Hoffmann
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The RIT Tigers played their first game at Gene Polisseni Center since Dec. 7th and beat the visiting Guelph Gryphons (Ontario, Canada) 5-3 in an international exhibition match. The Tigers scored three first-period goals while keeping Guelph scoreless and RIT never relinquished the lead.
RIT’s schedule did not shake out exactly as anticipated for head coach Wayne Wilson. The Tigers’ first game removed from winter break was on the road at Bowling Green on Dec. 29th.
“This was supposed to be played on the 29th,” Wilson said. “We come back, have three days of practice, and get this game under our belt, where it’s not significant practice all week and then we get into NCAA play, so it was a little bit different. But, this is where I like to play my exhibition game, after Christmas, because guys are off for at least three weeks and you don’t know how much guys have been on the ice and the quality of ice time they’re getting.”
Despite the schedule adjustment, the Tigers’ big first period was led by sophomore forward Christian Catalano’s three points (1+2). That tally stuck for 60 minutes and was a game-high.
“We didn’t have a lot of fans out there because obviously it’s winter break and everybody’s gone but we had to bring our own energy out there and I thought we did that very well,” Catalano said. “We always push for having a good start and I thought we had a great start.”
Three minutes in, Catalano passed down the boards from the blue to the red line where sophomore forward Tyler Fukakusa received it. RIT captain and graduate student defenseman Dimitri Mikrogiannakis skated in at the same time and Fukakusa found him for the one-time goal.
The lead was extended a minute later when Catalano deked out his defender on the right and had no one between the goaltender and himself. When the netminder moved up, Catalano found senior forward Evan Miller alone by the left post and he scored the insurance goal.
Before the first expired, Catalano was rewarded for his earlier assists. Fukakusa skated in to draw the goalie’s attention and passed to the left-open Catalano who nailed goal number three.
Fukakusa ended with two assists for his seventh multi-point game.
“I thought we were a little more creative offensively, pretty good that way, showed some great flashes, I just want a little bit more consistency from them,” Wilson said.
RIT first-year goalie Ethan David played the first 40 minutes in net. He totaled 21 saves and allowed only one goal to protect the Tiger lead.
“He played really well, it’s too bad he couldn’t come out of there with a clean record but that was good for him,” Wilson said.
The Gryphons made things tougher down the stretch. They were more resistant to RIT’s forecheck, and after only eight first-period saves, Guelph made 29 the rest of the way.
“We’ve still got to move pucks quicker out of our zone, be a little stronger on the forecheck,” Wilson said. “They’re a lot more defensive-minded…it’s hard to carry pucks over the middle of the ice and over the blue line. It’s a lot of chipping behind their D and then having to go back and get it.”
Guelph turned from senior Colton Inczne to senior Tanner Wickware between the pipes to start the second. The Tigers scored three goals off 11 shots on goal in the first. The Gryphons also put junior Cal Schell in goal for the third period.
Seven minutes into the middle period, RIT graduate student Nick Cafarelli stole a puck at his blue line and skated in undefended before knocking in a wrist shot to go up 4-0. Two and a half minutes later, the Gryphons found the back of the net when junior forward Anthony Tabak and sophomore forward Nolan Forster skated in side-by-side, passing back and forth before Tubak scored low.
Guelph scored the game’s only man-up goal early in the third after Catalano was assessed two minutes for tripping. Gryphons senior defenseman Tristan De Jong shot from near the blue line and first-year defenseman Dylan Hudon knocked in the rebound to cut the lead to two.
With RIT’s 4-0 lead depleted, the Tigers successfully fended the Gryphons off until Schell was pulled from the goal. Despite junior forward Simon Isabelle’s holding penalty putting RIT down a man, junior forward Tyler Mahan found the back of the empty net for the 5-2 advantage. Before Guelph’s power play expired, senior forward Jacob Winterton scored a 6-on-4 goal with 30 seconds left to make the final score 5-3.
The Tigers will be back to in-conference play next weekend.
“We want to push for good starts,” Catalano said. “Just simple stuff. Battling, getting pucks on net, and winning games. That’s what we’re going to do this semester.”
Next Friday, Jan. 10th, puck drop in Buffalo is slated for 7:00 P.M. when RIT will take on Canisius for the second of three times this season.
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