ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT men’s hockey team returns home to celebrate Valor Week and play a pair of contests against Atlantic Hockey Association foe Holy Cross this weekend. Both Friday and Saturday’s games from the Gene Polisseni Center start at 7:05 p.m.
Tickets for both contests are available at the Gene Polisseni Center and Gordon Field House Box Offices, by calling (585) 475-4121, or by visitingwww.rithockey.com. All active military, veterans, and first responders will be able to buy tickets for just $5.00.
RIT will celebrate Valor Week bracketed by contributions from the RIT men’s and women’s hockey teams with the online auction of special military themed game-worn jerseys. The men will wear the jerseys this weekend, while the women will don them on Nov. 14-15 vs. Penn State. The jersey auction will start at 10 a.m. on Veterans Day, Tuesday, Nov. 11 and end at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 18. Visitwww.ritathletics.com for more information.
All funds generated from the auctions will be distributed to a number of local agencies serving veterans of the Greater Rochester area through the all-volunteer “One Team One Fight” effort. Each player’s jersey will bear a special patch remembering the men and women in the Greater Rochester area who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan. Every player will carry a military name patch on the right chest of the jersey with the last name of each of these men and women. The team will also honor fallen Rochester Police Officer and veteran Daryl Pierson on one sleeve, as well as the “One Team One Fight” phrase on the back. RIT is honored to be part of a larger community effort to recognize and remember all of our veterans. Click here for more information on the Greater Rochester “One Team One Fight” organization.
RIT (2-5-0, 1-3-0 AHA) will look to get back into the win column after dropping a pair of contests at AHA leader Robert Morris over the weekend, falling 6-3 on Friday and 4-2 on Saturday. On Friday, Brady Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers) and Mark Golberg (Ottawa, Ontario/Cumberland Grads) scored their first collegiate goals, while Matt Garbowsky (St. George, Ontario/Powell River Kings)added a goal and an assist, and Josh Mitchell (Osoyoos, British Columbia/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) notched a pair of helpers. On Saturday, Garrett McMullen(Churchville, NY/Trail Smoke Eaters) and Danny Smith (Edmonton, Alberta/Sherwood Park Crusaders) scored, while Jordan Ruby (Tavistock, Ontario/Wellington Dukes) made 38 saves, including 24 in the second period.
Mitchell leads the squad with nine points on two goals and seven assists, while Garbowsky is right behind with eight points on three goals and five helpers.
Holy Cross enters the weekend with a 2-4-2 mark overall and is 2-0-2 in league play, tied for second with six points. Last weekend, the Crusaders went 1-0-1 against league foe Sacred Heart, winning 3-0 on Friday and skating to a 2-2 draw on Saturday. Jake Bolton and Logan Smith lead the team in scoring with five points each. Bolton has three goals, while Smith has four assists. Holy Cross is getting out-scored 21-15 by its opponents this season. In net, Matt Ginn has played in all eight games with a 2-4-2 mark, 2.48 goals against average and .923 save percentage.
It is a rematch of the 2014 AHA First Round Series, which Holy Cross won in three hotly contested games, including two that went to overtime. RIT is 23-10-4 all-time against Holy Cross and 19-5-4 at the Division I level. RIT and Holy Cross will also meet on Feb. 13-14, 2015 at Holy Cross.
Both games will be aired live on Time Warner Cable Sports Channel 26. As always, Gene Battaglia and John DiTullio are on the call from the Gene Polisseni Center. The contests will be broadcast over the airwaves on WITR 89.7 FM and witr.rit.edu, and on America One. Live stats are also available for both contests.
Come out and support your Tigers in their first season at the Gene Polisseni Center and help the Greater Rochester “One Team One Fight” organization.
