ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT men’s hockey team heads to Blue Cross Arena in downtown Rochester for the Atlantic Hockey Conference championship weekend. On Friday, the third-seeded Tigers face No. 2 seed Canisius in the second AHC semifinal at 8:35 p.m. If RIT wins, they will play the winner of No. 1 seed Robert Morris and fifth-seeded Mercyhurst in the championship on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. The winner of the AHC Championship will advance to the NCAA Division I Tournament.
Tickets are $16 for adults and $12 for students. Fans can buy tickets at the Gene Polisseni Center or at www.ticketmaster.com.
RIT enters the weekend having won five straight games. The Tigers advanced to the Atlantic Hockey Semifinals for the sixth time in eight seasons after sweeping No. 7 Air Force by scores of 2-1 and 7-3 in the best-of-three quarterfinal series from the Gene Polisseni Center. On Friday, Matt Garbowsky (St. George, Ontario/Powell River Kings) and Josh Mitchell (Osoyoos, British Columbia/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) scored, while Jordan Ruby (Tavistock, Ontario/Wellington Dukes) made 25 saves. The following night, Brad McGowan (Langley, British Columbia/Surrey Eagles) recorded RIT’s first four-goal game since the team moved to Division I in 2005 and first overall since Feb. 1, 2003, as RIT rolled to a 7-3 win. The line of McGowan, Mitchell, and Garbowsky combined for 11 points, while Ruby made 24 saves.
Garbowsky, a Hobey Baker Award candidate, leads Division I with 635 face-off wins, is tied for the national lead with 26 goals, and is tied for fourth with 50 points. He is one goal and one point shy of tying the Division I team record in both categories. Garbowsky is just the second player since RIT moved to the Division I level to reach 50 points in one season. The Tigers have the second highest scoring threesome in the country this season in Garbowsky, Mitchell, and McGowan, who have combined for 138 points (Boston University has highest with 159). That trio has combined for 53.5 percent of all RIT goals this season (60-of-112).
McGowan was named the Atlantic Hockey Player of the Week, while Brady Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers) was the league’s Rookie of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday. McGowan has 13 goals and 20 points over the last 11 games, while Mitchell has seven goals and 17 assists over his last 14 games.
RIT is seventh nationally in penalty-killing percentage at 87.7 percent. The Tigers are also sixth nationally, averaging 34.5 shots on goal per game. RIT has won five straight games, out-scoring its foes 23-8 over that span. The Tigers are 12-4-2 over its last 18 games, sixth nationally in scoring (3.61 goals per game) and ninth defensively (2.11) during that stretch.
The Tigers are 4-4 all-time at Blue Cross Arena in the Atlantic Hockey playoffs, going 3-2 in the semifinals and 1-2 in championship games. Overall, RIT is 18-9 in the postseason at the Division I level, having won the 2010 Atlantic Hockey Championship, advancing to the Frozen Four. It is RIT’s first appearance in the semifinals since 2012.
Canisius enters Friday’s game with an 18-11-7 record, having finished second in the AHC standings with a 15-7-6 mark. The Golden Griffins advanced to the semifinals after knocking off No. 8 seed Sacred Heart in the quarterfinals, winning by scores of 2-0, 2-1. Canisius comes into the weekend having won six of its last seven games, and is out-scoring its opponents, 93-81 this season. Ralph Cuddemi leads the Golden Griffins in scoring with 38 points on 22 goals and 16 assists. Shane Conacher is right behind with 36 points on 10 goals and 26 assists. In goal, Keegan Asumndson is 13-7-4 with a 1.96 goals against average and .930 save percentage.
Robert Morris is the No. 20 team in the USCHO.com Division I national poll. The Colonials won the Atlantic Hockey regular season title with a 19-5-4 mark in league play and are 24-7-5 overall. Robert Morris advanced to the semifinals after defeating No. 11 seed Niagara in the quarterfinals, winning by scores of 4-2 and 6-3. Cody Wydo leads the team in scoring with 41 points on 19 goals and 22 assists. Zac Lynch is right behind with 39 points on 17 goals and 22 assists. The Colonials are the fourth highest scoring team in the nation, out-scoring their opponents, 130-86. In goal, Dalton Izyk is 15-4-0 with a 2.51 goals against average and .925 save percentage. The Colonials are 39-13-8 over their last 60 games dating back to the start of the 2014 calendar year.
Mercyhurst enters Friday’s game with an 18-15-4 record, finishing fifth in the AHC standings with a 14-11-3 mark. The Lakers won a hard-fought three-game series over No. 4 Bentley in the quarterfinals. Mercyhurst won 1-0 in overtime in game one last Friday before Bentley came back to win game two, 5-3 on Saturday. On Sunday, Mercyhurst was down 2-0 late in the third period before rallying with three goals for the win. Daniel Bahntge leads the team in scoring with 35 points on 13 goals and 22 assists. Kyle Just and Matthew Zay are right behind with 32 and 21 points, respectively. The Lakers are being out-scoring their opponents, 114-111. In goal, Brandon Wildung is 10-9-3 with a 2.48 goals against average and .923 save percentage.
RIT went 1-0-1 against Canisius this season, skating to a 3-3 tie at the HARBORCENTER on Nov. 14, while winning 3-0 the following night. Garbowsky scored a hat-trick the first night and added a goal and an assist the next evening.
The Tigers were 1-3-0 against Robert Morris this season. Robert Morris won on home ice by scores of 6-3 and 4-2 on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. The Colonials clinched the AHC regular season title, 4-3 on Feb. 20, while RIT won by the same score the following night. McGowan had a hat-trick and added an assist in the RIT win.
RIT won both meetings against the Lakers to end the regular season at the Gene Polisseni Center, 8-0 on Feb. 27 and 2-1 in overtime the next night. The line of Garbowsky, McGowan, and Mitchell combined for 11 points in the 8-0 win, while Myles Powell (Courtenay, British Columbia/Cowichan Valley Capitals) scored an empty-net overtime goal the following evening.
