SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts-The American International College ice hockey team suffered its worst defeat of the season, a 5-0 loss at the hands of the two-time defending Atlantic Hockey Conference champion RIT Tigers, in the opening game of a two-game set at the MassMutual Center.

AIC falls to 4-12-6 overall and 3-8-5 in the AHC, while RIT improves to 10-11-1 overall and 10-6-0 in league play.

Head Coach Eric Lang was frustrated by his team's poor performance, stating afterwards that "That was the varsity versus the JV tonightfrom top to bottom, we got pushed around, they outskated us, won every loose puck battle, stronger on their stickswe were never even close, to state the obvious. You get what you deserve."

The Tigers jumped on the board early on when sophomore center Gabe Valenzuela sprung into the zone; his initial drive at the net was turned aside by junior goalkeeper Alex Murray, but the rebound was put into the cage by sophomore left wing Erik Brown at 4:33 for his twelfth of the campaign. RIT extended the lead in the middle of the frame as a turnover behind the net allowed rookie right wing Shawn Cameron to take a one-timer uncontested from the top of the crease, and he buried his third of the season at 11:39.

The Yellow Jackets did improve their play over the course of the second period, outshooting RIT 10-7 in the frame, but thanks to the work of senior goalkeeper Mike Rotolo, AIC could not get on the board.

The wheels fell off in the third period, as RIT scored three times more in a frame that saw them outshoot AIC 22-4. Freshman defenseman Adam Brubacher blasted home a slapshot off the right post at 4:54 for his fifth of the season and a 3-0 RIT lead, and senior center Alex Perron-Fontaine potted his first of the season by jamming home a second-chance opportunity from the right side of the crease at 13:50.

RIT finished off the scoring with another tally by Brown, as his right wing slapshot on the power play hit the cage at 18:34 for his thirteenth of the season.
Murray, who was by far AIC's best player, made 35 saves in the defeat, falling to 2-6-2 on the season; Rotolo's 18-save shutout improves his record to 10-11-1 on the campaign.

The two teams will meet again Saturday at 2:05 p.m.