Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Despite a goal and an assist from Greg Miller, the Cornell men's hockey team dropped a 5-3 contest to Rochester Institute of Technology on Saturday night at Lynah Rink. Cornell slips to 0-2 on the year, while RIT moves to 2-4-1 on the season with the victory.

Tyler Roeszler and Rodger Craig scored for Cornell, with Mike Devin, Sean Collins, Locke Jillson, John Esposito and Vince Mihalek each tallying an assist on the night. Andy Iles got his first career start and picked up 18 saves in the losing effort for the Big Red.

For RIT, Adam Hartley had a pair of goals and Andrew Favot had a goal and an assist. Jeff Smith and Mike Janda also chipped in goals, with Tyler Brenner, Cameron Burt, Chris Haltigin and Tyler McReynolds each adding an assist. RIT netminder Jan Ropponen stopped 28 shots in earning his first victory of the year.

Cornell was held scoreless on the power play in five chances, while RIT scored a pair of goals in five power-play opportunities, including Hartley's game-winner with 5:46 to play in regulation.

RIT struck first, scoring twice in the first period to take a 2-0 lead into the first intermission, but Cornell came out after the break on a roll. Roeszler cut the deficit to one just 55 seconds into the period, as Mike Devin sent a puck on net from the point that Roeszler caught, gloved down and wristed into the back of the net. Then, less than two minutes later, Craig scored his first career goal on a two-on-one breakaway with Miller, beating Ropponen and knotting the score at two. 

RIT then took the lead at the 12:56 mark of the second period when, off a faceoff, the puck went to RIT's Jeff Smith outside the crease to the left of Iles. A Cornell defenseman reached in to try to clear the puck away, but ended up knocking it into the Cornell goal instead, giving RIT a 3-2 lead after two periods.

In the third, Miller scored at the 10:48 mark of the period, jamming home a shot from the top of the crease with Esposito and Mihalek picking up assists. The point was the first for Mihalek, a sophomore who made his collegiate debut in the contest.

RIT would take the lead three and a half minutes later, however, when Hartley scored his second power-play tally of the night. The Tigers added an empty net goal off the stick of Mike Janda with 23 seconds to play to cap the scoring.

Cornell returns to action on Friday when it opens up ECAC Hockey play, traveling to St. Lawrence for a 7 p.m. contest at Appleton Arena in Canton, N.Y.