RIT took control of the game in the second period, scoring four goals against Johnson and Wales — each of a different variety — and cruised to a 10-1 win Saturday night. A power-play tally, a shorthander, an even-strengther, and a four-on-four marker powered RIT to a lead from which it would never look back.
The Tigers scored 1:39 into the first period to take an early lead. Captain Sam Hill hit Mike Tarantino with a pass just outside the J&W zone. Tarantino broke into the zone alone and wristed the puck past netminder Nick Lacroix to get RIT on the board.
The remainder of the first period was listless, with the game flow broken by penalties. Neither team was able to gain any strategic traction on the ice, and the period ended 1-0 RIT.
“It was kind of a tricky first period,” said RIT coach Wayne Wilson. “I was a little concerned, 1-0 after the first period. Our first period is usually our toughest.”
RIT began the second period with a repeat of the first. A power-play goal just 1:29 into the period by Michael Tucciarone got the Tigers going, and they rattled off four more unanswered goals, including David Bagley’s shorthander, to take a commanding 6-0 lead.
The Tigers seemed to be pouring a potpourri of goals onto the Wildcat net, but a power-play goal by J&W momentarily slowed the Tiger onslaught late in the second period. Tom Webster received the puck at center ice off a pass by John Engles and streaked into the RIT zone. Webster wristed the puck on net and beat RIT goaltender Tyler Euverman high stick-side from the top of the circle at the 17:02 mark.
The J&W goal only paused the RIT offense, as Lanner Fayad added another goal for RIT in the waning seconds of the second period to stake RIT to a 7-1 lead.
“We ran out of gas the last two periods,” said Johnson and Wales coach Lou Izzi. “We had no emotion or intensity. We have to get a lot stronger and win the battles in the corners. If you break down and get beat, this is what happens.”
The gas leaked out of the J&W balloon in the third period, and RIT carried play, adding three more goals
