ROCHESTER, NY – For the second time in the Division I era, the RIT men’s hockey team will head to the NCAA Tournament. The third-seeded Tigers (19-14-5) defeated No. 5 seed Mercyhurst University (19-16-4), 5-1 in the Atlantic Hockey Championship in front of 3,554 fans at Blue Cross Arena on Saturday night.
The Tigers will find out their opponent and game time for the 2015 NCAA Division I Tournament on Sunday at noon, as the NCAA Selection show will air on ESPNU. It is RIT’s second trip to the NCAA Tournament, having advanced to the Frozen Four in 2010.
The Tigers scored three times in a span of 3:57 late in the third period to seal the win. Brad McGowan (Langley, British Columbia/Surrey Eagles) had two goals and added an assist, while Josh Mitchell (Osoyoos, British Columbia/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) added a goal and two assists. Atlantic Hockey Tournament Most Valuable Player Matt Garbowsky (St. George, Ontario/Powell River Kings) won 25-of-35 faceoffs, and added two assists. RIT’s top line combined to finish plus-9 on the evening.
Andrew Miller (Chicago, IL/Chicago Steel) and Matt Abt (Leduc, Alberta/Whitecourt Wolverines ) also scored for the Tigers, who enter the NCAA Tournament having won seven straight games. In goal, senior Jordan Ruby (Tavistock, Ontario/Wellington Dukes) was excellent, stopping 27 of 28 shots for his fourth straight victory. He improved to 10-7-4 this season with a 2.11 goals against average and .923 save percentage.
“It was another tight game until the end,” said RIT head coach Wayne Wilson, who won his 300th game at RIT in the AHC Semifinal yesterday. “We waited for our opportunities, played a different type of game, and were rewarded. Not being here (at Blue Cross Arena) for the last two years made us a hungrier team. Our seniors did a great job leading the team to this championship.”
Stephen Hrehoriak scored Mercyhurst’s lone goal early in the third period, cutting RIT’s lead to 2-1. Goaltender Brandon Wildung made 31 saves in the loss.
RIT out-shot Mercyhurst, 36-28. The Tigers were 0-for-4 with the man-advantage, while Mercyhurst was 0-for-3.
Neither team scored in an entertaining first period, with RIT out-shooting the Lakers, 16-8.
The Tigers had a goal called back with just over four minutes left in the opening period, as Chase Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers) threaded a pass across the crease on a power-play that McGowan tipped into the air. McGowan swatted the loose puck out of midair, but it was ruled he struck it with a high stick. The play went to video review and was confirmed.
Late in the period, RIT had two golden chances, as Caleb Cameron (Sunridge, Ontario/Listowel Cyclones) whistled a shot wide from the slot. The rebound caromed out in front to Myles Powell (Courtenay, British Columbia/Cowichan Valley Capitals), who was all alone, but Wildung dove across to make a great save, keeping the game scoreless.
RIT tallied a pair of goals to take a 2-0 lead over the Lakers after two periods of play.
Just 2:03 into the period, Abt deflected in a centering feed from Mark Golberg (Ottawa, Ontario/Cumberland Grads) for his second collegiate goal, both against the Lakers, opening the scoring. Michael Holland (Cambridge, MA/Chicago Steel) fired a long pass up to Caleb Cameron (Sunridge, Ontario/Listowel Cyclones), who deflected the puck to Golberg at the Lakers line. Coming down the left wing, Golberg centered a pass that caromed off the skate of Abt, who was charging the net. The puck looked to hit Abt’s skate and bounce off a Mercyhurst defender’s skate past Wildung for the goal.
Right before the halfway mark of the period, RIT’s top line struck on an incredible passing play, as McGowan came into the zone on a 3-on-2 and fed Garbowsky in the slot. The RIT captain faked a shot and found Mitchell all alone at the left side of the net; Mitchell made no mistake in slamming the puck into the open side past a sprawling Wildung for his 15th goal of the season.
Garbowsky’s assist gave him 52 points this season, a RIT Division I team record. He surpassed Simon Lambert, who had 51 in 2007-08.
RIT had a golden chance to go up 3-0, receiving a full two minutes of a 5-on-3 power-play. Unfortunately for the Tigers, they could not get one past Wildung and a penalty was taken with 28 seconds left on the advantage. On the ensuing Mercyhurst power-play, Ruby stole the show, with three huge saves on a scramble in front. Tyler Shiplo fired a shot from the point that Ruby stopped. The rebound came right to Kyle Zay in front and Ruby got a pad out to stop that shot. Jack Riley got a second chance in front, but Ruby was up to the task again, making a huge save to keep the Lakers off the scoreboard.
With the Tigers nursing a one-goal lead late in regulation, Miller took a feed from Brady Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers) in his own zone and chipped the puck past a Mercyhurst defender, setting up a 2-on-1. Using linemate Brandon Thompson (Vancouver, British Columbia/Handsworth) as a decoy, Miller roofed a wrist shot from the slot over the glove of Wildung, off the crossbar and in with 5:15 left to make it 3-1.
McGowan made it 4-1 with 2:39 left, firing a wrist shot past Wildung from the left circle after heavy pressure by his line. Mitchell took a feed from Garbowsky and had his shot blocked. The carom came right to McGowan, who beat a screened Wildng to the far side for his 22nd goal of the year.
Just 1:21 later, Mercyhurst had Wildung on the bench for the extra attacker and McGowan outmuscled a Mercyhurst player for a puck in the neutral zone and fired a shot from just before the red line into the open net for his second of the game and 23rd goal of the season. Mitchell and Brady Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers) would assist on the goal.
Mitchell became the third player (Garbowsky, Lambert) to reach 50 points in a season at RIT. McGowan now has seven goals over his last three games, and 12 over RIT’s seven-game winning streak.
“We are looking forward to the next challenge of whoever we face in the NCAA Tournament and bringing our ‘A’ game,” said Wilson.
RIT advanced to the AHC Championship for the fourth time in eight seasons. The Tigers are 6-4 all-time at Blue Cross Arena in the Atlantic Hockey playoffs, going 4-2 in the semifinals and 2-2 in championship games. Overall, RIT is 23-11 in the postseason at the Division I level, having won the 2010 Atlantic Hockey Championship, advancing to the Frozen Four. The Tigers made three straight AHC championship game appearances from 2010-12.
RIT won all three meetings between the two schools this season. RIT downed the Lakers at the Gene Polisseni Center, 8-0 on Feb. 27 and 2-1 in overtime the next night. The line of Garbowsky, McGowan, and Mitchell combined for 11 points in the 8-0 win, while Myles Powell (Courtenay, British Columbia/Cowichan Valley Capitals) scored an empty-net overtime goal the following evening.
RIT leads the all-time series between the two schools, 33-18-6, including a 17-9-3 mark since moving to Division I in 2005. Both teams were also part of the ECAC West Conference in Division III from 1988-99. It was the second postseason contest between the two schools, as Mercyhurst won the 2009 Atlantic Hockey Semifinal from Blue Cross Arena, 5-4 in overtime.
The Tigers advanced to the championship game after defeating No. 2 seed Canisius, 2-1 in the second semifinal last night. Mercyhurst knocked off top-seed Robert Morris, 4-3 in overtime in the first semifinal.
2015 Atlantic Hockey Championship All-Tournament Team
MVP – Matt Garbowsky (St. George, Ontario/Powell River Kings), F, RIT
F – Matt Garbowsky (St. George, Ontario/Powell River Kings), RIT
F – Brad McGowan (Langley, British Columbia/Surrey Eagles), RIT
F – Andrew Miller (Chicago, IL/Chicago Steel), RIT
D – Brady Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers), RIT
D – Matt Abt (Leduc, Alberta/Whitecourt Wolverines ), RIT
G – Brandon Wildung, Mercyhurst
