ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A penalty that saw two power-play goals, but only one count, was the difference in RIT’s 2-1 victory over Air Force in Game 1 of the three-game Atlantic Hockey quarterfinal series.
All three goals were on the power play with Josh Mitchell getting the third period game-winner.
Jordan Ruby, making his first start in four games, got the win with 25 saves.
“Overall, it was a good college hockey game, very tight checking, and we were able to get the second and decisive goal,” RIT coach Wayne Wilson said. “There wasn’t a lot of room out there. No one was open too much. I thought we were very sound defensively. We gave up a couple of chances. We missed a couple. Garbowsky and Mitchell came up big for us.”
“I thought it was a really good game – playoff hockey, intense, physical, tight,” added Air Force coach Frank Serratore. “Penalties ended up being the difference in the game. It gets down to special teams and goaltending in the playoffs. I thought both goalies were terrific.”
Gallery: RIT opens Atlantic Hockey quarterfinals with win over Air Force
Brad McGowan lit the lamp on the first power-play opportunity for RIT in the third period, but the goal was waved off because of a hand pass.
Instead, Mitchell wound up scoring at 4:57 when his crossing pass deflected off a defender, fooling Chris Truehl who was going the wrong way. The goal was setup due to Air Force’s inability to clear the puck seconds earlier.
“They got a fortuitous bounce,” Serratore said. “Their guy’s shot was supposed to go post to post. I thought we had it under control. It ends up going off our defenseman into our net.”
After a scoreless first period, the teams traded power-play goals in a 1:05 span during the second period.
At 12:26, Matt Garbowsky was called for slashing. During that penalty, fortunes changed very quickly.
RIT initially controlled play, getting an odd-man situation down low. McGowan had an open net to shoot at for a shorthanded goal only to have Truehl’s glove come out of nowhere to snatch the puck on the line.
A minute later, Air Force was on the scoreboard.
Ruby made an excellent save on Tyler Rostenkowski’s shot. The rebound came out to the left slot where Chad Demers fired it into the open near side as Ruby had no time to recover.
Shortly afterward, RIT tied it on its own power-play goal at 15:19. Garbowsky took a pass down low with his back to the net. He spun around to the left slot and lifted a shot over the sprawling goalie.
It was the first RIT goal against Air Force in the postseason, having been shutout in three previous occasions, all in Rochester.
In the waning seconds of the period. The Falcons had excellent point-blank opportunities, but Ruby rescued the Tigers with some of his best saves of the night.
The two teams go at it again for Game 2 Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST.
“This means nothing,” Wilson said. “It’s a big six period game we’re trying to win. We got a whole new game tomorrow. We start from scratch. It’s certainly not going to be easy. We know that.”
“We got to find a way to win tomorrow,” Serratore added. “All of our focus and energy is going to be on our season not ending tomorrow.”
