ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT men’s hockey team celebrates Brick City Homecoming and Family Weekend on Saturday, as perennial power Boston College, ranked No. 7 in the current USCHO.com Division I poll, comes to Blue Cross Arena for non-conference contest beginning at 7:05 p.m. On Friday, RIT will host its annual “Skate With the Tigers” event at the Gene Polisseni Center, starting at 7 p.m.
It will be a reunion of sorts for Boston College head coach Jerry York, RIT head coach Wayne Wilson and associate head coach Brian Hills. York coached Wilson and Hills at Bowling Green State University in the early 1980s. Click here for an in depth feature on the trio in the most recent RIT University Magazine.
The Tigers come into Saturday’s game with a 1-1 record after splitting a pair of games last weekend at the Gene Polisseni Center, defeating St. Lawrence, 5-2 in front of 3,103 fans Friday, while falling to Clarkson in front of a crowd of 3,502 Saturday. On Friday, Alexander Kuqali (Pittsburgh, PA/Sioux City Musketeers) andBrad McGowan (Langley, British Columbia/Surrey Eagles) had two goals apiece, while Josh Mitchell(Osoyoos, British Columbia/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) tied a career-high with three assists and Jordan Ruby(Tavistock, Ontario/Wellington Dukes) stopped 21 shots. On Saturday, Ken MacLean (Concord, MA/Kalamazoo Wings) made his first home start, stopping a career-best 31 shots, while allowing just two first period goals.
Cameron, who scored just one goal in 32 games last season, scored a goal in both games last weekend. Kuqali’s two goals on Friday matched his total from the previous 57 games, dating back to Dec. 2012. His first goal on Friday was No. 3 in NCAA Hockey’s Top-Five Plays of the Week, which came out on Oct. 14. Click here to view.
In addition, RIT will wear special warm up jerseys that will be auctioned off via silent auction during the game, with proceeds going towards international tiger conservation efforts, as part of the university’s Tigers for Tigers organization.
The Eagles come into Saturday’s game looking for their first win of the season after falling to No. 17 UMass Lowell by a score of 5-2 last Friday. Ryan Fitzgerald and Chris Calnan scored, while Thatcher Demko made 19 saves.
Boston College has eight current players who have been drafted by NHL teams, including first round picks Michael Matheson (Florida, 2012) and Alex Tuch (Minnesota, 2014). Three current Eagles were second round picks.
Tonight will mark the second meeting between the two schools, as Boston College defeated RIT, 6-0 in the championship game of Minnesota’s Dodge Holiday Classic on Dec. 30, 2007.
Saturday’s game will be the fifth straight sellout RIT has enjoyed at Blue Cross Arena for its annual Brick City Homecoming and Family Weekend contest.
Saturday’s game will be aired live on Time Warner Cable Sports channel 26 with Gene Battaglia and John DiTullio bringing you the action from Blue Cross Arena. In addition, the game will be broadcast over the airwaves on WITR 89.7 FM and witr.rit.edu. Live stats are also available here.
On Friday, the team will hold its annual “Skate with The Tigers” event at 7 p.m. at the Gene Polisseni Center. Admission is $5.00 and includes the event, a team picture, autographs from your favorite players, and a tour of RIT’s new locker room. Skate rental is available at Ritter Arena to bring over to the Polisseni Center. All proceeds from the event will go to “Hockey Coaches Care”, the official charitable foundation of the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA).
“Hockey Coaches Care” was created by hockey coaches to assist members of the amateur hockey community in the United States. It has been designed to help a coach or family member or other member of the greater amateur hockey community who is ill or injured in an accident or who has lost a job or has in some other way come upon hard times.
Come out and support your Tigers this weekend and make RIT’s 2014 Brick City Homecoming and Family Weekend a memorable one.
