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Canisius University Athletics

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Canisius forward Keaton Mastrodonato and Evan Miller line up for a face off during game action at LECOM Harborcenter on Feb. 3, 2023
Lindy Feider
3
Winner RIT RIT 19-7-1, 15-3-1
2
Canisius CAN 8-14-3, 6-8-3
Winner
RIT RIT
19-7-1, 15-3-1
3
Final
2
Canisius CAN
8-14-3, 6-8-3
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 F
RIT RIT 0 2 1 3
Canisius CAN 1 1 0 2

Game Recap: Ice Hockey |

Late Goal Dooms Hockey in Loss to No. 18 RIT

Ryan Nicholson scored with 11 seconds remaining in regulation to break a 2-2 tie and lift No. 18 RIT to a 3-2 victory over Canisius in Atlantic Hockey Association action Friday at LECOM Harborcenter in downtown Buffalo.
 
Nicholson's game-winning goal capped a three-goal comeback for the Tigers (19-7-1, 15-3-1 AHA), who increased their lead in the league standings to eight points over second-place Sacred Heart with the victory. Cody Laskosky and Andrew Petrucci also scored for RIT while Tommy Sacrfone made 26 saves in goal for the visitors.
 
Senior Keaton Mastrodonato tallied both goals for the Golden Griffins (8-14-3, 6-8-3 AHA). senior goaltender Jacob Barczewski finished with 26 saves between the pipes for Canisius.
 
Tied in the final seconds of regulation, RIT won a faceoff in the offensive zone and worked the puck back to Nicholson at the right point, where he skated in and fired a wrist shot from the top of the right face-off circle that went over the right pad of Barczewski and into the Canisius goal to give the Tigers the win.  
 
Earlier in the game, Mastrodonato staked Canisius to a 1-0 lead just 2:02 into the contest, firing a wrist shot past the blocker of Scarfone from the middle of the slot on a feed from junior Max Kouznestov. Mastrodonato doubled the Griffs advantage to 2-0 at the 11:16 mark of the second, jamming home his own rebound for his second goal of the contest and seventh of the season. Laskosky started the RIT comeback just 40 seconds after Mastrodonato's second tally, beating Barczewski on the breakaway with a backhanded effort to make it a 2-1 contest.
 
Petrucci brought the Tigers level at the 16:35 mark of the second, collecting a loose puck in the middle of the slot and firing a wrist shot past the glove of Barczewski to knot the score at 2-all, setting the stage for Nicholson's heroics in the third.
 
Head Coach Trevor Large's Post Game Comments Game Notes
• Friday's game served as Canisius' first against a nationally-ranked opponent since the 2020-21 season. The Griffs are now 6-8-1 under head coach Trevor Large against nationally-ranked opposition.
• RIT outshot Canisius by a 29-28 margin for the contest, highlighted by a 23-16 edge over the final two periods.
• Both teams were 0-for-4 on the power play during Friday's contest.
• Canisius suffered its first one-goal loss of the 2022-23 season with Friday's setback as it moved to 4-1 in one-goal games this season.
• The Griffs were held to two goals or fewer for the 14th time this season as it dropped to 1-10-3 in those games.
• Mastrodonato tallied multiple goal in a game for the second time this season and the sixth time in his career with his two-goal effort on Friday (Nov. 11, 2022 vs AIC).
• Junior Jackson Decker picked up his 11th assist of the season with the primary helper on Mastrodonato's second goal of the game, moving him into the team lead among defensemen in that category.
• Kouznetsov tallied multiple assists in a game for the first time in his career with his two-assist effort on Friday.
 
Up Next
The teams complete their home-and-home series Saturday with a 7 p.m. contest at the Gene Polisseni Center in Rochester.
 
For complete coverage of the Canisius hockey team, please follow the Griffs on social media at @GriffsHockey on Twitter and Instagram.
 
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