'Saders can't figure out RIT.

• Position: SPORTS

Byline: Rich Garven

WORCESTER - The Holy Cross men's hockey team was powerless against RIT for a second straight game.

The Crusaders followed up their 0-for-6 effort on the power play in Friday's whitewash of a loss by going 0 for 7 with a man - or two-man advantage - in a 3-1 defeat last night at the Hart Center.

Meanwhile, the Tigers netted all their goals on the power play, including the backbreaker by senior Brennan Sarazin with 8:52 gone in the third period. Sarazin, voted MVP of this winter homecoming contest, cleaned up a rebound on a three-shot sequence.

"We did a great job five-on-five, we limited them in odd-man rushes, we limited them in all the things they like to do," HC coach Paul Pearl said. "We just didn't kill a penalty in a big spot, and that put the game out of reach when it got to 3-1. We could still come back, obviously, but goals were so hard to come by, and our power play just isn't clicking."

After going unbeaten in nine games in January, the Crusaders are 0 for 4 in February and find themselves 10-15-5 (9-12-3 AHA). They dropped a spot to seventh place in the conference after absorbing their 13th straight defeat to RIT.

The Tigers are 19-10-1 (18-5-1) and moved a point ahead of Air Force into first place after winning for the 13th time in 14 games. They're 4-0 against Holy Cross this season with a 19-4 advantage in goals.

Junior goalie Ian Dams stood out in the loss. He finished with 31 saves, including 13 in the second period - five of them coming in a sensational two-minute stretch.

"I though Ian played very, very well," Pearl said. "He controlled his rebounds and made a couple of good saves. That's what you need, though. We expect that out of him."

The first period was evenly played. The Crusaders...