ROCHESTER, NY – RIT head coach Wayne Wilson announced the men’s hockey captains for the 2017-18 season on Tuesday, May 2. Seniors Matt Abt (Leduc, Alberta/Whitecourt Wolverines ), Brady Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers), Chase Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers), and Myles Powell (Courtenay, British Columbia/Cowichan Valley Capitals) will serve as captains for the Tigers for the upcoming year. The Norrish twins and Powell were RIT’s captains in 2016-17.
“I am really excited about this year’s leadership group,” said Wilson, who recently completed his 18th season behind the bench in 2016-17. “Brady returns as a three-year captain and his brother Chase and Myles will return as second year captains. Matt Abt (Leduc, Alberta/Whitecourt Wolverines ) became a leader last year when our defensive core was decimated with injuries really took charge down the stretch. This group of four will be in charge of bringing a championship back to RIT.”
Abt, the Tim Cordick Award winner as RIT’s top defenseman during the 2016-17 season, played in all 37 games, recording 18 points on four goals and 14 assists to go along with 101 penalty minutes, third most in Division I. He was named the Atlantic Hockey Player of the Week on Feb. 28 and the HERO Sports Division I Men’s Hockey HERO of the Week on March 2. He has career numbers of eight goals, 27 assists, and 35 points in 102 games.
Brady Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers) will enter this final season as one of just two RIT players (Dan Ringwald) to earn All-Atlantic Hockey honors three times. Despite playing in only 21 games due to injury, Brady Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers) earned Atlantic Hockey Second Team All-Conference honors and was RIT’s Art Thomas Leadership Award winner in 2016-17. He recorded a goal and 15 assists, leading all Atlantic Hockey defensemen with 0.93 points per game in league play. In three seasons at RIT, Brady Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers) has 11 goals, 43 assists, 54 points, and is plus-17 in 99 career games. Norrish also joins Matt Garbowsky as the lone three-year captains in RIT’s Division I era.
Chase Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers), the 2016 Atlantic Hockey Defenseman of the Year, also had his 2016-17 season cut short by injury. He played in 23 games, recording 14 points on seven goals and seven assists. The seven goals led all RIT defensemen. In three seasons, Chase Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers) has 47 points on 16 goals and 31 assists in 96 games and was RIT’s Tim Cordick Award winner as best defenseman in 2016. In addition, he was named to the Atlantic Hockey Championship All-Tournament Team and was a first team all-conference pick in 2016.
Powell was second on the team in scoring for the Tigers during the 2016-17 season, recording 13 goals and 24 points in 37 games. On Oct. 29, Powell became the first Tiger in program history to score two shorthanded goals in a period during a 6-3 win at Bentley. Powell, the 2016 Atlantic Hockey Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player, has 66 points on 32 goals and 34 assists in 112 career games.
“All four guys represent our team very well not only on the ice but in the classroom and community,” said Wilson. “Our coaching staff is looking forward to seeing how far these guys can bring our team as the season progresses next year.”
RIT, the 2010, 2015, and 2016 Atlantic Hockey Champions, finished the 2016-17 season with 14 wins and advanced to the First Round of the Atlantic Hockey Tournament.
