ROCHESTER, N.Y.- The Sacred Heart University Men's Ice Hockey team (5-5-1 overall, 5-3-0 AHA) racked up an impressive nine goal night defeating Atlantic Hockey rival RIT (7-2-2 overall, 4-1-2 AHA) by final score of 9-5. The Pioneers look for two-game sweep tomorrow afternoon with a 5:05 p.m. scheduled puck-drop at the Gene Polisseni Center in Rochester, N.Y.

First Period 

• The Pioneers dominated the opening period racking up five goals.
• SHU fired off 18 shots on goal in the period while holding RIT to just four.
• The Pioneers jumped on the scoreboard early as a goal by sophomore Austin Magera (3^rd on the year) just 0:55 seconds into the first gave SHU an immediate 1-0 lead. Junior captain Marc Johnstone was credited with the assist.
• Less than a minute later, SHU kept the attack going with a goal by senior Vito Bavaro 1:37 into the period off assists by junior Michael Gilroy and Johnstone for his seventh of the season and put the Pioneers ahead 2-0.
• After a four minute lag in the period, the Pioneers kept on raking goals as junior Jordan Kaplan nailed his second goal of the season off assists by senior Max Luukko and Vito Bavaro 5:18 into the period to give SHU a 3-0 lead.
• Three minutes later, the barrage of goals by the Pioneers continued as senior Jason Cotton found ripped a shot passed the netminder on the power-play 8:36 into the period to put SHU ahead 4-0. Assists were rewarded to senior Mike Lee and first-year Braeden Tuck.
• After a goal by RIT's Jake Joffee 14:46 to make the score 4-1, SHU answered one more time in the half courtesy of a goal by sophomore Todd Goehring 15:24 into the period to give the Pioneers a commanding 5-1 lead at the end of the opening half.

Second Period 

• The Pioneers continued its dominance in the second period as SHU racked up another 18 shots on goal while holding RIT to nine.
• In the period, sophomore goalie Josh Benson recorded eight saves on the nine shots faced.
• The offensive attack for SHU remained as senior Vito Bavaro cashed in his second goal of the day this time on the power-play 9:39 into the period off assists by sophomores Austin Magera and Nick Boyagian to give SHU a 6-1 lead.
• Less than a minute later 10:19 into the period SHU once again went on the power-play and a goal by senior Austin McIlmurray (his 7^th on the year) off assists by Lee and Tuck to put the Pioneers ahead 7-1.
• A goal by the Tigers off the stick of Andrew Rinaldi 15:32 into the period narrowed the SHU lead to 7-2 to close the second period.
• SHU dominated the second period on the power-play going 2-2.

Third Period 

• The Tigers outshot the Pioneers nine to eight in the final period.
• RIT came out firing in the final period as an early goal by Kobe Walker 0:37 into the period narrowed the Pioneers lead to 7-3.
• Just four minutes later, Walker slipped a second goal passed sophomore goalie Josh Benson 4:18 into the period to tighten the SHU lead to 7-4.
• The Pioneers didn't let RIT get away with two goals without a goal of their own as first-year Jeppe Urup recorded his collegiate goal off a pair of assists by Boyagian and Goehring to give SHU a solid four goal lead 4:56 into the period.
• After Nick Bruce of RIT was able to score the Tiger's fifth goal of the game 7:46 into the period the Pioneers hammered in the nail in RIT's coffin as Kaplan recorded his second goal of the game off assists by McIlmurray and sophomore Ryan Steele to give SHU the eventual 9-5 victory.

Notes

• SHU went 3-5 on the power-play while holding RIT to going just 1-4.
• Senior Vito Bavaro and junior Jordan Kaplan each tallied two goals on the night contributing to four of the teams nine goals on the night.
• Sophomore goalie Josh Benson picked up his fifth win of the year as he recorded 17 saves on 22 shots faced.
• Senior Austin McIlmurray recorded his sixth power-play goal of the season to up his ranking in the national stats to being tied for first in the country in power-play goals.