ROCKVILLE, MD—Based on last year's 16-9 regular season record the Highlanders have their hands full this weekend, as they are in one of the top brackets at the 2012 ACHA D-II Showcase.  
 
The opening round contest was a dogfight with the powerful University of Kentucky "Cool Cats" for the first half of the game as the teams traded chances and goals.  
 
Kentucky opened the scoring and NJIT answered with a goal by Corrado Mancini, assisted by Dave Smetaniuk, to tie it.  The Cool Cats took the lead again near the end of the period, and in the second period Mancini tied it up again.  
 
Then the tide began to shift as Kentucky capitalized on a good bounce and some great hustle to pick up a rebound from a long shot and take the lead for good.
 
The third period was all Kentucky as the Highlanders battled, but nothing seemed to go their way.  
 
In the meantime Kentucky turned a few power plays into goals and the game was out of reach.