Air Force gave RIT too many chances and paid dearly for it Friday night.

Turnovers and penalties helped the visiting Tigers to a 4-1 Atlantic Hockey victory and a split of the teams’ two-game series at Cadet Arena on Friday night.

Four players scored goals for RIT (4-2-0, 3-1-0 Atlantic Hockey), and goalie Tommy Scarfone made 36 saves. Parker Brown and Luke Rowe had Air Force’s goals, both coming when each team had a player in the penalty box, and Guy Blessing made 37 saves.

The victory was RIT’s first in four tries against the Falcons (2-3-1, 1-1-0 AHA) dating to late last season. It also was the first time in five games that an RIT-Air Force game was decided by more than one goal.

Air Force chases the scoreboard

The Falcons fell behind late in the first period when Simon Isabelle scored his second goal in as many nights by capitalizing on an Air Force giveaway in front of Blessing that resulted in a 2-on-1. Carter Wilkie made it 2-0 just 2:20 into the second period on a power-play laser from the inside edge of the left circle.

Tanner Andrew extended the lead with a blast from the top of the left circle with 6:05 to play.

Brown’s goal with 46 seconds left, off a rebound of a Clayton Cosentino backhand, in the second gave the Falcons some hope, but Tyler Mahan rebuilt the three-goal lead halfway through the third. Rowe’s goal came from the left circle with Blessing pulled for an extra attacker during a 4-on-4 situation with 3:14 to play.

Notes: Both teams were determined to keep the penalty box seats warm. The Falcons too five minors and a five-minute major, while the Tigers had six minors and a misconduct. That hurt Air Force more because the Falcons still were without regular defensemen Sam Brennan, Andrew Kruse and Drake Usher as well as center Jake Marti, a key penalty killer.

©First Line Editorial 2022