Air Force Academy
RIT
Air Force beats RIT, 4-3, in overtime
10/25/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Oct. 25, 2014
Air Force beats RIT, 4-3, in overtime
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - Senior Scott Holm scored the game-winner in overtime and Chris Truehl made a career-high 38 saves as Air Force beat RIT, 4-3, in an Atlantic Hockey Association game, Saturday, Oct. 25, at the Academy's Cadet Ice Arena. Air Force snapped a four-game losing skid and improved to 2-4-0 overall this season, 2-2 in the AHA. RIT fell to 2-3-0 overall and 1-1 in the league.
The game-winner by Holm was Air Force's only lead in the series. The Falcons trailed 3-2 late in the third and pulled the goalie in favor of the extra attacker. On the rush, Max Hartner made a cross-ice pass to Chad Demers on the right wing and the senior tied the game with 1:33 left in regulation. In overtime, RIT had just killed an Air Force power-play and the Falcons had a faceoff in the offensive end. Johnny Hrabovsky fired a shot through traffic from the left point that was saved by Mike Rotolo. A.J. Reid and Holm crashed the net and Reid's rebound attempt was saved. Holm then lifted the puck over Rotolo's pad with 1:10 left in the extra period.
Just six minutes into the game, Truehl made the best save of the night as Todd Skirving fired a wrister from the slot, but the Falcon sophomore dove to his right and made a stick save to keep the game scoreless. The Tigers did get on the board as Brad McGowan scored on the rush with a wrister from the left circle at 8:29. His third of the season came from Matt Garbowsky and Alexander Kuqali. Late in the period, the Falcons tied the game as freshman Matthew Meier scored his first career goal. Ben Carey started the rush and George Michalke took the puck down low. Johnny Hrabovsky tipped the centering pass to Meier in the slot who scored at 16:52.
Early in the second period, RIT had a 14-2 shot advantage and took a 2-1 lead on Josh Mitchell's second goal of the series. On the power play, Brad McGowan found Mitchell open in the slot at the 7:26 mark. Late in the period, the Falcons again tied the game. A pair of freshman combined for the goal as Tyler Ledford won a power-play faceoff in the offensive zone and Phil Boje's shot from the point beat Rotolo at 15:08.
The Tigers again took the lead as Skirving scored at 4:02 of the third period. Skirving collected a loose puck in the slot and gave RIT a 3-2 lead. Danny Smith and Myles Powell assisted on the play. With 3:31 left in the third and the Falcons on the power play, Air Force pulled its goalie. It was after the penalty expired that Demers tied the game with 1:33 left, his third goal of the season.
In overtime, RIT was called for too many men on the ice and Air Force went on the power play, but the Tigers killed it without allowing a shot on goal. Each team had three shots on goal in overtime. All three of Air Force's came on the final play as Holm scored the eighth game-winner of his career.
RIT outshot Air Force, 41-26, in the game. The Tigers had a 29-11 shot advantage after the first two periods. Rotolo made 22 for the Tigers. AFA was 1-for-8 on the power play while RIT was 1-for-4.
"RIT was the better team tonight," head coach Frank Serratore said. "Chris Truehl gave us a chance to win and I'll credit our guys in that they never quit. That has to always be part of our DNA. The game could have been over early, but Truehl was terrific and our guys got it done at the end."
Air Force travels to Grand Forks, N.D., for the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame game Saturday, Nov. 1, against North Dakota at 7:37 pm CT at the Ralph Engelstad Arena.
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