ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Perhaps Rochester Institute of Technology should rename November the Matt Garbowsky month.
Garbowsky scored two goals and two assists Friday night to up his monthly total to eight goals and four assists.
“The whole line [is playing great]; they just see each other,” RIT coach Wayne Wilson said. “They’re working hard, skating well and are unselfish. And Matt is the bulldog. He’s the pivotal guy, and the other guys are playing great as well.”
“He’s on a nice run right now [and] he’s a very good player,” Sacred Heart coach C.J. Marottolo added. “You have to be aware of him on the ice.”
Garbowsky’s efforts along with the team’s one power play and two shorthanded goals allowed the Tigers easily defeat Sacred Heart, 5-1.
“We got what we deserved tonight,” Marottolo said. “I thought our transition game wasn’t very good, and they exploited us off the rush.”
Despite a first period dominated by RIT in all facets of the game, the first goal wasn’t scored until under 15 seconds left.
Josh Mitchell picked up a loose puck behind the net and quickly fed a wide open Garbowsky in the slot. Garbowsky immediately let fly a one-timer which blew by Andrew Bodnarchuk’s glove.
Teddy bears littered the ice after the goal due to a special promotion where they will be donated to Rochester General Hospital’s Child Life Services.
Sacred Heart came out with more fire in the second period and earned an early power play for their efforts. However, it was RIT which scored in bizarre fashion.
Bodnarchuk’s came out to the side boards to play the puck and had it stolen from him by Garbowsky. He sent the puck back to Danny Smith. With the goalie unable to scramble back in time, Connor Doherty slid across the ice to block the inevitable shot.
Unfortunately, Smith flubbed the shot. Thus, Doherty slid past the goal before the slower than expected puck reached the area to creep into the empty net for the 2-0 lead.
Ten minutes later, RIT took a 3-0 lead on another Garbowsky laser sighted shot. This time from the left circle, Garbowsky patiently waited before sending a wrister just inside the far post.
The Pioneers finally got on the scoreboard at 18:31. A defensive breakdown allowed Ben Lake to cut across the crease and deposit a backhander past a sprawled Jordan Ruby.
The goal ended Ruby’s shutout streak at 119:11 going back to the third period of last Friday’s game against Canisius. He wound up with 25 saves for the win.
RIT responded quickly in the third period scoring seconds after a power play started. Garbowsky won the faceoff and Brad McGowan’s shot was blocked, but Mitchell was left all alone to easily put the rebound around the goalie for the 4-1 lead.
Five minutes later, RIT had their second shorthanded goal with a perfectly executed two-on-one. Brandon Thompson passed it to McGowan who blew a one-timer slapshot past Bodnarchuk.
RIT is now 9-0-1 in their last 10 games against Sacred Heart. The two teams square off again Saturday night.
