ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT men’s hockey team returns to action this weekend with a home-and-home series against Atlantic Hockey foe Canisius College. Friday’s contest from the Gene Polisseni Center starts at 7:05 p.m., while Saturday’s game from HARBORCENTER in Buffalo is at 7:35 p.m.
Tickets for Friday’s game are available at the Gene Polisseni Center and Gordon Field House Box Offices, or by calling (585) 475-4121 or by visiting www.rithockey.com.
RIT (10-12-1, 10-7-0 Atlantic Hockey) enters the weekend tied for third in the Atlantic Hockey standings with 20 points, just two points out of first place. Canisius (8-10-5, 7-4-4 Atlantic Hockey) is right behind in fifth place with 18 points, having played two less games than RIT.
RIT is 2-2-0 in January. Last weekend, the Tigers split a pair of Atlantic Hockey games at American International, winning 5-0 on Friday and losing 5-3 Saturday. Erik Brown (Keene, Ontario/Kemptville 73’s) scored twice for his third two-goal game of the season in Friday’s win. Shawn Cameron (Sherbrooke, Quebec/Cumberland Grads) and Alex Perron-Fontaine (St. Mathieu de Beloeil, Quebec/Chilliwack Chiefs) also scored, while Adam Brubacher (Elmira, Ontario/Powell River Kings) added a goal and an assist and Garrett McMullen (Churchville, NY/Trail Smoke Eaters) set a career-high with two assists. Mike Rotolo (Rochester, NY/Cedar Rapids Roughriders) made 18 saves for his first shutout of the season and fifth of his career. On Saturday, RIT rallied from a 3-1 third period deficit to tie the game at 3-3 before AIC scored two late power-play goals. Ryan Kruper (Sherwood Park, Alberta/Sherwood Park Crusaders) and Darren Brady (Lake Orion, MI/New Jersey Titans) had a goal and an assist apiece, while Chase Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers) also scored.
Brown is tied for 17th nationally with 13 goals, and has already reached career-highs in goals (13) and points (21), in 23 games played this season, as both totals lead RIT. Brubacher leads all Atlantic Hockey rookies in scoring during league play and is plus-14 in 17 conference contests. He was named the Atlantic Hockey Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday. Rotolo went over the 2,000-save plateau for his career last weekend, becoming the first RIT goaltender in the Division I era to do so.
Canisius earned three points at league foe Air Force last weekend, winning 4-1 on Friday and skating to a 2-2 tie Saturday. Goaltender Charles Williams stopped 84 of 87 shots over the weekend to be named the Atlantic Hockey Goaltender of the Week. Williams has appeared in 18 games this season and is 8-6-3 with a 2.06 goals against average and a .941 save percentage, which is second among all Division I goaltenders. Nick Hutchison and Ryan Schmelzer lead the team in scoring with 12 points apiece. Hutchison has seven goals and five assists, while Schmelzer has five goals and seven assists.
RIT leads the all-time series between the two schools, 60-22-2, including a 21-12-1 edge since the Tigers moved to Division I in 2005. This weekend marks the third and fourth regular season meetings between the two schools this season. Canisius won both meetings earlier in the season, by scores of 1-0 and 2-1, on Nov. 4-5, despite RIT holding an 85-43 edge in shots. Williams made 84 saves in the two contests for the Golden Griffins.
Both games will be aired live on Time Warner Cable Sports 26 in Rochester, with Gene Battaglia and John DiTullio on the call from the Polisseni Center Friday. The new pregame show with host Kevin Roche airs at 6:30 p.m. Friday as well. Saturday will have Kevin Sylvester and Randy Schultz on the call from Buffalo. In addition, both contests will be broadcast over the airwaves on WITR 89.7 FM and witr.rit.edu. Streaming video and live stats (Friday – Saturday) will be available.
