ROCHESTER, N.Y. – March 23, 2024 – Forwards Elijah Gonsalves and Matthew Wilde scored twice and Tommy Scarfone turned away 24 shots to lead RIT to a 5-2 over AIC in the 2024 Atlantic Hockey Championship on Saturday.
 
The victory was RIT’s fourth AHA Postseason title in the program’s history. With the win, RIT earns Atlantic Hockey’s automatic berth into the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship.
 
“This was certainly another tough game against AIC,” RIT head coach Wayne Wilson said following the game. “Our penalty killing was outstanding, and then when the power play got its opportunities, we capitalized quickly there as well. I think the thing I can say about this team, probably more so than a lot of other teams I've coached, is contributions came from everyone.”
 
RIT trailed early as AIC jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a Jordan Biro breakaway goal with 15:54 left in the first period. The lead held until 8:04 left in the period when Tiger defenseman Dimitri Mikrogiannakis netted his second of the season from the half-wall to knot the game at 1-1.
 
RIT took the lead with 3:54 left in the period when Gonsalves pounced on a long rebound at the top of the right faceoff circle and blasted it past AIC’s Nils Wallstrom for a 2-1 advantage. AIC answered with just over a minute remaining in the period when Biro tipped a Brian Kramer shot from the point past Scarfone for his second goal of the period to deadlock the game heading into the first intermission.
 
RIT capitalized on an AIC penalty early in the second period when freshman Matthew Wilde banged home a rebound for a 3-2 lead just 1:48 into the frame. The goal was Wilde’s sixth point of the postseason and would hold up as the eventual game-winner. Gonsalves and Wilde would add empty-net goals in the third period for the final margin.
 
“It hurts right now,” AIC head coach Eric Lang said. “But it's as good a moment as I've had here at AIC. Just in terms of what our guys were able to overcome, be it injuries or winning two playoff series on the road and then coming to a hostile environment like this and being a shot away inside of a couple minutes to getting things tied up.”

Gonsalves’ four points (2g-2a) on the night gave him 10 points (4g-6a) for the tournament to finish as the 2024 AHA Postseason’s leading scorer. The point total is the most by an RIT player in an Atlantic Hockey Postseason and earned him 2024 Most Outstanding Player honors.
 
Atlantic Hockey Postseason MOP
Elijah Gonsalves, Gr., F, RIT
 
2024 Atlantic Hockey Postseason All-Tournament Team
Forward: Elijah Gonsalves, Gr., RIT
Forward: Tyler Fukakusa, Fr., RIT
Forward: Jordan Biro, Sr., AIC
Defenseman: Gianfranco Cassaro, Sr., RIT
Defenseman: Nico Somerville, Sr., AIC
Goaltender: Tommy Scarfone, Jr., RIT

About the Atlantic Hockey Association
The Atlantic Hockey Association is marking its 21^st season of competition in 2023-24. The 11-team NCAA Division I conference consists of, American International College (Yellow Jackets), Bentley University (Falcons), Canisius College (Golden Griffins), The College of the Holy Cross (Crusaders), Mercyhurst University (Lakers), Niagara University (Purple Eagles), Rochester Institute of Technology (Tigers), Robert Morris University (Colonials), Sacred Heart University (Pioneers), the United States Air Force Academy (Falcons) and the United States Military Academy (Black Knights). For more information, visit atlantichockeyonline.com.