ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Rochester Institute of Technology head men’s ice hockey coach Wayne Wilson announced five captains for the 2021-22 campaign. Dan Willett (Bayville, N.Y.) and Will Calverley (Scarborough, Ontario) will serve as co-captains while Nick Bruce (Fall River, Nova Scotia/Johnstown Tomahawks), Andrew Petrucci (Toronto, Ontario) and Kobe Walker (Lloydminster, Alberta) were named alternate captains.
“This is a great group of leaders and we look forward to them guiding our team in what we anticipate will be a full schedule with our fans out in full force once again,” said Wilson. “This is a character group which will provide great direction in our pursuit of another Atlantic Hockey Championship and NCAA Tournament bid.”
Willett will trade the “A” he wore last season for a “C” this coming year. Tabbed a First-Team Atlantic Hockey-West All-Conference selection this past season, blue-liner led RIT and tied for 12th in Atlantic Hockey with 30 blocked shots and also tied for first for RIT with 14 assists and was fourth with 18 points He will lead all Tiger returners next season with 61 career assists while ranking second with 70 career points over 128 games played the last four seasons.
Calverley will also swap letters after serving as an alternate captain last winter. Named only the fourth All-American in Division I program history after landing AHCA Second-Team honors last winter, he was also tabbed the Atlantic Hockey-West Co-Player of the Year as well as the Best Defensive Forward. The first-team all-conference pick finished the season ranked fourth in the nation and first in Atlantic Hockey with 1.39 points per game while tying for first in the league with 25 points and second with 12 goals. Calverley will return with 64 career points on 32 goals and 32 assists in 87 career appearances the last three seasons.
Bruce was the Tigers’ fifth-leading scorer during the 2020-21 season, tying for third with 12 assists with four goals for 16 points. Appearing in 18 games during his fourth season in an RIT sweater, the forward will return with 79 career games played along with 40 career points on 10 goals and 30 assists.
Petrucci completed his third season with the program last winter, totaling three points on three goals during 19 games played. He will return with 69 career games played and 13 career points on seven goals and six assists.
Walker’s third season with the squad included 14 points on six goals and eight assists during 17 appearances last winter. In 82 career games played, the forward has accumulated 38 points on 17 goals and 21 assists.
RIT finished an abbreviated 2020-21 season with a 9-9-2 record while earning the third seed in the West pod for the Atlantic Hockey Tournament with a 7-5-1 conference mark. The Tigers fell at second-seeded Canisius in the best-of-three quarterfinals.
(RIT Men’s Hockey Photo)
