After seeing Fredonia score two goals in the third period to force overtime, RIT sophomore Matt Moore took matters into his own hands, tallying 3:06 into overtime to give RIT the 5-4 victory.
Saturday’s game went back and forth on the scoreboard, with both teams holding leads at various times. Fredonia found itself trailing 4-2 early in the third period, when the Blue Devils climbed back from their second deficit of the game.
RIT (14-1) got into some penalty trouble early in the third period, and Fredonia took advantage. At the 3:22 mark, with the faceoff in the RIT zone, Dan Showalter won the puck for Fredonia. The puck deflected off a Tiger skate and onto the stick of Matt Crane, who skated down the RIT slot unmarked and scored to make it a one-goal game.
The Blue Devils (5-10-1) continued to battle and the work paid off at 18:13 as the third period wound down. Once again it was Crane, sprinting into the RIT zone with Tiger defenseman Ryan Fairbarn draped all over him. But Crane was able to get off the shot that eluded RIT goaltender Tyler Euverman.
Both teams were aggressive in the overtime, as it was clear that neither was playing for the tie. Each team generated offensive chances, but only RIT was able to convert to win the game. 3:06 into the extra stanza, RIT’s Jerry Galway fed Moore pinching in towards the net. Moore redirected the strong pass past Fredonia goaltender Will Hamele for the game winner.
RIT had taken an initial 1-0 lead early in the first period on a power-play goal by Jason Chafe, the first of three power-play goals the Tigers would score on the night. The first period ended with RIT enjoying a 1-0 lead.
Fredonia came out strong in the second period, scoring twice in the first five minutes of the period to take a 2-1 lead. Christian Fletcher took advantage of an RIT defensive turnover in its zone to score just 32 seconds into the period. Ricky Fumasoli scored at the 4:24 mark by sliding the puck under Euverman for the go ahead goal.
RIT answered back only two minutes later as Mike Tucciarone tallied to tie the game 2-2. The Tigers scored again 14:12 into the second period to retake their one goal lead. Mike Tarantino chipped in a rebound for the goal.
RIT went on the power play as the second period ended, and started the third period on that same power play. Tarantino notched his second power-play goal of the night 21 seconds into the third period by chipping in a rebound lying in front of Hamele. That built up RIT’s 4-2 lead that Fredonia overcame to send the game into overtime.
