ROCHESTER, N.Y. – RIT men’s hockey coach Wayne Wilson announced the seven new members of the program who will be joining the team this coming season.
“Associate Head Coaches Brian Hills and Dave Insalaco have done another great job of bringing in high quality student athletes who will excel both on the ice and in the classroom,” said Wilson. “We are bringing in a goalie, two defenseman and four forwards who we anticipate will challenge for quality minutes and make an immediate impact while helping us achieve our goals of winning an Atlantic Hockey Championship and representing our league in the NCAA Tournament.”
Check back in the coming days as the rest of the class is announced.
Tanner Andrew – Forward – Virden, Manitoba – Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL)
Coach Hills Says: Tanner is a skilled right-handed forward who has very good speed and acceleration. He is agile, plays a clever game and his versatility has allowed him to play all three positions up front. Tanner was one of the top playmakers in the MJHL a year ago with the Virden Oil Capitals. His skill and vision allowed him to quarterback of one of the top power play units in the league as he sees the ice well and plays an unselfish game. He finished the 2019-20 season with 25 goals and 30 assists for 55 points in 47 games, finishing eighth in the league in points per game to be voted a second team all-star. This past year after a shortened MJHL season, Tanner moved to British Columbia to play for the Chilliwack Chiefs, totaling eight goals and five assists in 20 games and was awarded the Unsung Hero Award. We envision Tanner to be an entertaining, offensive player for the Tigers who can also kill penalties with his speed and athleticism.
Gianfranco Cassaro – Defenseman – Nobleton, Ontario – Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)/UMass-Amherst
Coach Insalaco Says: Gianfranco is an offensive-minded defenseman who can facilitate offensively and is good on the power play. Transferring from UMass after two seasons, including 10 appearances during last winter’s national championship run, he previously made 89 appearances during two seasons with the Youngstown Phantoms (USHL), registering 44 points on 11 goals and 33 assists. He tallied 35 points (9 goals, 26 assists) in 51 games during 2018-19 season, finishing 11th in points and sixth in goals among the league’s defenseman. He also spent two seasons with the Toronto Jr. Canadians (OJHL) where he was a teammate of current RIT senior forward of Jake Joffe (Toronto, Ontario), earning OJHL First Team All-Prospect honors in 2017 after totaling 51 points (19 goals, 32 assists) in 57 games.
Grady Hobbs – Forward – Deloraine, Manitoba – Dauphin Kings (MJHL)
Coach Hills Says: Grady was one of the most exciting players in the MJHL during the 2019-20 season due to the energy he plays with and the compete level he brings to the ice on a consistent basis. He has very good acceleration, likes to get in on the forecheck, is not afraid to get involved physically, shoots the puck extremely well and likes to score goals. He was voted MVP of the MJHL and a first-team all-star a year ago with the Dauphin Kings after leading the league with 43 goals and finishing second with 81 points while playing in all 60 regular season games. This past season, Grady only had the chance to play in six games but continued his point producing ways as he had seven goals and four assists. A right-shooting forward, Grady showed his versatility playing both right wing and left wing during his junior hockey career. Tiger fans will like the excitement that Grady can bring to the game with his energy and ability to produce offensively.
Evan Miller – Forward – Nigara-on-the-Lake, Ontario – Wellington Dukes (OJHL)
Coach Hills says: Evan comes to RIT from the Wellington Dukes, who have sent us a number of very good players over the years, including current Tigers Elijah Gonsalves (Scarborough, Ontario) and Andrew Rinaldi (Pierrefonds, Quebec), along with Jordan Ruby and Abbott Girduckis from the past. We hope Evan will be just as impactful and successful. Evan is a very skilled left-shot forward with good speed and hockey sense. He has excellent vision and very good hands which make him an effective offensive player. The Dukes were limited to scrimmages last season due to the pandemic, but Evan had a very good rookie season in the OJHL a year ago, totaling eight goals and 13 assists in 22 games. He also combined for 50 points in 44 games with 23 goals and 27 assists as an 18 year old playing the previous season in the GOJHL. We anticipate Evan will be able to contribute to the Tigers’ offense for the next four years.
Thomas Scarfone – Goalie – Montreal, Quebec – Surrey Eagles (BCHL)
Coach Insalaco Says: Thomas is an extremely hard-working goaltender who is athletic and technically sound. He made 43 appearances for the BCHL Surrey Eagles over the last two seasons, compiling a 2.50 goals against average and a .922 save percentage. He finished the 2020 playoffs with a 4-2 record, including a 38-save performance in Game 7 of the Eagles’ 3-2 upset of the top-seeded Chilliwack Chiefs. He also finished the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season with a 7-1-1 record while compiling a 1.85 GAA and a .930 save percentage. Scarfone also played prep hockey at Stanstead College.
Doug Scott – Defenseman – North Vancouver British Columbia – Humbolt Broncos (SJHL)
Coach Insalaco Says: Doug is a strong-skating, puck-moving defenseman who can facilitate offensively at both the offensive blue line and off the rush. He spent the previous two seasons with the Humbolt Broncos (SJHL), serving as captain during the 2020-21 season after totaling 30 points on 10 goals and 20 assists during 26 appearances during the 2019-20 season. He also made 54 appearances for the Cowichan Valley Capitals (BCHL) during the 2018-19 season where he was a teammate of current RIT defenseman Dimitri Mikrogiannakis (Aurora, Ontario), after playing 57 games with the Coquitlam Express (BCHL) the year before.
