ROCHESTER, NY – Junior Gabe Valenzuela (Brampton, Ontario/North York Rangers) and freshman Bryson Traptow (Calgary, Alberta/Camrose Kodiaks) of the RIT men’s hockey team earned Atlantic Hockey Weekly Honors on Tuesday, for the week ending Feb. 11, 2018. Valenzuela was named the AHA Offensive Player of the Week, while Traptow was the Rookie of the Week.
Valenzuela tallied three goals and an assist in lifting RIT to a weekend sweep at Robert Morris. Friday, he got RIT on the board and started the play that set up Abbott Girduckis (Belleville, Ontario/Wellington Dukes)’ second period goal in a 4-3 win. Saturday, Valenzuela had the primary assist on Myles Powell (Courtenay, British Columbia/Cowichan Valley Capitals)’s first period power-play goal then added two goals, one each in the second and third periods, tying a career-high with three points in a 6-2 win. Valenzuela, who earned his third Atlantic Hockey weekly honor of his career, has 27 points (one shy of his career-high) on 10 goals and 17 assists in 30 games this season.
Traptow scored his first two collegiate goals and was plus-3 in helping lead the Tigers to two key road wins at Robert Morris. On Friday, he scored his first collegiate goal that gave RIT a 3-1 lead and was plus-2 in a 4-3 win. Saturday, he tied the game at 2-2 late in the first period, helping lift the Tigers to a 6-2 win. Traptow now has five points in his last six games after scoring one in his first 16. It is the first weekly honor of Traptow’s career.
RIT is back in action this weekend with a pair of games at AHA foe Sacred Heart University. Saturday’s contest will be played at 7:05 p.m. at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Conn. Sunday’s game will be played at Ingalls Rink on the campus of Yale University at 3:05 p.m.
