ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Holy Cross men's ice hockey team defeated RIT, 9-2, Friday night at the Gene Polisseni Center.
 
Holy Cross improves to 16-11-2 (15-4-2 AHA) on the season with the win, while RIT moves to 7-21-1 (6-14-1 AHA) with the loss.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Senior John Gelatt opened the scoring 2:19 in the first period, tipping in a shot by sophomore Will Troutwine.
• Senior Liam McLinskey added to the Crusader lead three minutes later, skating the puck the length of the ice and sending a shot into the top left corner for his league-leading 18^th goal of the season.
• Gelatt picked up his second of the game at the 10:56 mark of the opening period on the power play, sending a one-timer into the net off a pass by freshman Matt Kursonis.
• RIT found the back of the net with 4:29 to play in the first on a delayed penalty call to cut the Crusader to lead to 3-1, though sophomore Jack Stockfish responded 27 seconds later to regain the three-goal lead.
• The Crusaders scored three power play goals on a five-minute major, beginning with Gelatt's third of the game with 2:35 to go in the first. Junior Timothy Heinke scored just over a minute later, tipping in a pass across Stockfish, followed by a blazing wrist shot by sophomore Will Elias with 40 seconds to play, settling the score at 7-1 in favor of the Crusaders going into the first intermission.
• Stockfish netted the lone goal of the second period, the Crusaders' fifth power play goal of the game, sending a one-timer in off a pass by Elias.
• Gelatt picked up his program-record fourth goal of the game 2:26 into the third period, making a move around a defender before sending a wrist shot past the RIT netminder.
• RIT scored a shorthanded tally three minutes later, but that would be all they would get.

 
BEYOND THE BOX:

• Senior Thomas Gale recorded 18 saves over the first two periods, while freshman Malachi Klassen backstopped the third period.
• Stockfish led the Crusaders at the faceoff dot, finishing the night with a .692 win percentage.
• Gelatt's four goals broke the program record for most goals by a single player in a game, and his hat trick was the first of his career. His hat trick in the first period was the fourth in program history.
• The Crusaders' seven goal margin of victory tied the program record, a feat that has been achieved three times previously.
• The seven goals, 13 assists, and 20 points tied the program records for single-period totals, set on Nov. 11, 2005 against Mercyhurst.

 
UP NEXT:

• The two teams will faceoff again tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 8, at 5 p.m.

 
Be the Power of Purple and celebrate Holy Cross' 10th Giving Day on February 7 & 8 — because when you make a gift, you make an impact!
 
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