ROCHESTER, N.Y. (October 20, 2023) – In its first road trip of the season, the Sacred Heart University men's ice hockey team got off to a fast start on Friday, as John Jaworski (Grinnell, Iowa) scored in the first five minutes at RIT. The host Tigers struck three times in the second period though, and stymied the Pioneers in the third, to pull out a 4-2 victory in the Atlantic Hockey opener for both teams at the Gene Polisseni Center.
 
SHU (0-3-0, 0-1-0 AHA), which struggled to put 60 minutes together in its season-opening series against Colgate last week, held its own in one of the toughest road rinks in the league. RIT posted a 30-28 advantage in shots on goal, but needed a 17-9 margin in the third to do so. With the final goal being an empty-netter, special teams stood as the difference in what was effectively a one-goal game. The Pioneers came up empty on four power-play chances, while RIT cashed in once in its three tries, as part of its second-period surge.
 
The Pios got things started early, with some nice puck movement deep in the zone. From the left-wing corner, Mark Cheremeta (Parkland, Fla.) fed the puck behind the net for Braeden Tuck (Calgary, Alberta). The co-captain quickly shuttled it out front for Jaworski, who was left unattended between the hash marks. He buried a shot from there for his first of the campaign, at the 4:09 mark.
 
RIT (2-1-0, 1-0-0 AHA) got things level early in the second, after Hunter Sansbury (Lomita, Calif.) hauled down Carter Wilkie from behind, resulting in a penalty shot. The reigning Atlantic Hockey Player of the Year did not miss, as he flipped the puck upstairs on the right side on the attempt, to level the score with his third of the year, at 3:30.
 
The final six minutes of the frame would be eventful, with the two teams combining for three goals, as RIT took a 3-2 lead into the second intermission. Cody Laskosky gave the Tigers their initial lead at 14:05, with a rebound goal from the doorstep on the power play for his third of the season.
 
SHU answered just 71 seconds later, on a 4-on-2 rush into the offensive end. From the right side, Liam Izyk (Blackie, Alberta) worked the puck across to Jake Bongo (Ridgefield, Conn.) on the left. Bongo in turn found the trailer, Dante Fantauzzi (North York, Ontario) in the right circle for the latter's first of the season.
 
The 2-2 tie would not last long either though, as RIT took the lead for good less than three minutes later, just 17 seconds after an unsuccessful SHU power play expired. Gianfranco Cassaro put a long blast home from the left point at 17:59, his second of the year.
 
From there, the Tigers clamped things down in the third. The Pioneers had power play opportunities at 8:53 and at 15:35, but were only able to muster a pair of shots between the two chances. SHU got Chase Clark (Williamsville, N.Y.) off for the extra attacker late, but it only led to an empty-net goal from Laskosky to create the 4-2 final.
 
Clark (0-3-0) finished with 27 saves against 30 shots in the SHU crease. Tommy Scarfone (2-1-0) stopped 26 of 28 at the other end for RIT.
 
The two teams wrap up the weekend and season series on Saturday in Rochester, with a 5:05 p.m. puck drop.