RIT overcame a 1-0 deficit by scoring three goals in the second period to defeat Manhattanville by a 4-2 score Saturday. With the victory, RIT swept the two-game regular-season series with Manhattanville.
“They have a real good team,” said RIT coach Wayne Wilson. “The game went as we had hoped. We struggled a little in the first period, but then got going in the second.”
RIT tied the game 1-1 six minutes into the second period. Freshman Roberto Oriafiama collected a rebound in front of the Valiant net and roofed the puck for the goal.
Physical play picked up during the latter half of the second period, and RIT was able to gain control of the game offensively. Tiger David Bagley finished off a 2-on-1 break 15:05 into the period to give RIT the 2-1 lead.
“When you get in big games like this,” said Wilson, “you are waiting for those one and two breaks that you can take advantage of.”
And then senior captain Jerry Galway scored the game winner just three minutes later on the power play. Galway put a big blast from the top of the slot into the top left corner of the net, beating Manhattanville goaltender Jon Peczka high stick side.
“RIT’s defense is just so good,” said Manhattanville coach Keith Levinthal. “Anyone who doesn’t vote Jerry Galway player of the year is an idiot. He is so solid in all aspects of the game.”
The Valiants gained a quick 1-0 lead just 1:45 into the game. Mike Camarinos took a shot from along the boards that deflected off an RIT player towards the net. The puck changing direction eluded RIT goaltender Tyler Euverman and found the back of the net to get Manhattanville on the board.
But Levinthal wasn’t happy with the way his team was playing midway through the period and took his timeout to get back to the game plan.
“They outworked us,” said Levinthal. “We were nervous and we weren’t following our game plan. We can’t run and gun with a team like RIT and the players needed to get back on the plan.”
Manhattanville pulled the deficit down to a single goal with a power-play tally 5:47 into the third period. Lee Stubbs sent a slow shot from the left boards towards the RIT net. John Auxier was skating across the slot in front of the RIT net and redirected the shot past Euverman for the goal.
Both teams had good chances throughout the remainder of the third period until RIT put the game away with a goal with 49 seconds remaining. Peczka started towards the Valiant bench to get the extra attacker, but it was just as RIT gained control of the puck in its zone. That caught Peczka in no-man’s land, and Mike Tarantino slid the puck in the vacant net for the goal as Peczka slid back towards it.
