RIT Tigers men's ice hockey
| RIT Tigers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Rochester Institute of Technology |
| Conference | AHA |
| Head coach |
Wayne Wilson 20th season, 346–235–63 (.586) |
| Captain(s) |
Erik Brown Abbott Girduckis |
| Arena |
Gene Polisseni Center Capacity: 4,300 Surface: 200' x 85' |
| Location | Henrietta, New York |
| Student section | RIT Corner Crew |
| Colors |
Orange and Brown[1] |
| NCAA Tournament championships | |
|
Division II: 1983 Division III: 1985 | |
| NCAA Tournament Frozen Four | |
|
Division II: 1983 Division III: 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1996, 1999, 2001 Division I: 2010 | |
| NCAA Tournament appearances | |
|
Division II: 1983 Division III: 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 Division I: 2010, 2015, 2016 | |
| Conference Tournament championships | |
|
Division III: (ECAC West): 1984, 1986, 1989, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 Division I: (Atlantic Hockey): 2010, 2015, 2016 | |
| Conference regular season championships | |
|
Division III: (ECAC West): 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 Division I: (Atlantic Hockey): 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11 | |
| Current uniform | |
 | |
The RIT Tigers men's ice hockey team is one of two hockey teams representing Rochester Institute of Technology in suburban Rochester, New York. The school's men's team competes in the Division I Atlantic Hockey conference. The team has won two national championships, one each at the Division II and Division III levels. It lost in the semifinals of the Division I "Frozen Four" in 2010.
History
Founding, Division II and Division III
In the fall of 1957, RIT student Jack Trickey founded the Monroe County Amateur Hockey (MCAHA) Association. A group of RIT students made up the majority of one of the teams. In 1958, the RIT Hockey Club was founded, and competed in the MCAHA until the league folded in 1960. The RIT hockey team continued to play against junior varsity and club teams. The RIT student council and athletic committee recommended that hockey be added to the athletic program, and men's hockey later became a varsity sport.[2] The team competed at the Division II and III level for several years, winning a national championship in Division II (1983) and another in Division III (1985), before moving up to Division I in 2005–2006.[3]
NCAA Division I
In their first year (2005–2006) in the Atlantic Hockey Association, the Tigers won the regular-season title, and went on to win two more in the next three years. They were ineligible to compete in the playoffs until the 2007–2008 season. In the 2007–2008 season, the Tigers played in the Mariucci classic in which they stunned the number 12 ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers 4-3[4] but fell to number 14-ranked Boston College 6-0.[5] During the playoffs, they swept Holy Cross but were shut out in the first round of the AHA Tournament 5-0 by the Air Force Falcons, who were without their Hobey Baker finalist Eric Ehn.[6] In the 2008–2009 season, the Tigers played some of their best regular-season hockey (notably an 11-game win streak from December 6 to January 25). They met Holy Cross again in the playoffs and won the series 2–1 but fell in the AHA Tournament to the Mercyhurst Lakers 5-4 in overtime. Highlights of the game include Mercyhurst overcoming a 3-1 deficit and the Tigers tying the game with under a minute left. In the 2009-10 season, their most successful season to date, the Tigers made a historic run all the way to the 2010 NCAA Frozen Four, sweeping Connecticut in the first round and winning the AHA Tournament by beating the Canisius Golden Griffins as well as the Sacred Heart Pioneers to advance to the NCAA tournament as the conference's autobid. The Tigers stunned the Denver Pioneers 2–1 and then finished off the University of New Hampshire Wildcats 6–2 in the east regional in Albany, New York, where they advanced to the Frozen Four. The team's run came to an end in the national semifinals, where they fell to the University of Wisconsin Badgers, 8–1.[7]
In the 2010–2011 season, the Tigers played in the Maverick stampede but lost both their games against number 4-ranked St. Cloud State and the University of Nebraska-Omaha. The Tigers won yet another regular season title and made it all the way to the AHA championship game, where they fell to the Air Force Falcons by a score of 1-0. Air Force goaltender Jason Torf made 40 saves in the contest.[8] In the 2011–2012 season, the Tigers struggled early on, but bounced back in the second half of the season, eliminating the Bentley Falcons after falling behind 1-0 in the first round series of the Atlantic Hockey playoffs, but prevailing in their next two games. They advanced again to the AHA championship game where they eliminated Niagara in overtime but fell, yet again, to the Air Force Falcons, getting shut out 4-0.[9] The Tigers struggled over the next two seasons, as they finished 2012–2013 with a record of 15–18–5, their first losing record since joining Atlantic Hockey.[10] This was also the first time they were unable to advance to the Atlantic Hockey semifinals at Blue Cross Arena, as they defeated American International College in the first round, but were swept by the Niagara Purple Eagles in the second round, losing in overtime in the second game.[11] The following year (2013-2014), the Tigers played their final season at their home ice rink, Frank Ritter Memorial Ice Arena. The Tigers only won 6 out of 16 games at their home arena.[12] Although they struggled that season, the Tigers participated in the "Frozen Frontier," a 10-day hockey festival at Rochester's Frontier Field outdoor baseball stadium.[13] The Tigers took on their AHA rivals, the Niagara University Purple Eagles on December 14. The teams skated to a 2–2 tie in a snow storm and 16 degree temperatures.[14] In their final game at Ritter Arena, the Tigers defeated their long time AHA rival, the Canisius College Golden Griffins 3–1.[15]In the playoffs, the Tigers won the first game in overtime against Holy Cross before getting blown away in game two by a score of 5-1. In the deciding game, The Tigers led 2-0 but Holy Cross came from behind to tie the game in the second period, forcing overtime where they completed the comeback.[16]
The Tigers moved into the 4,300-seat Gene Polisseni Center for the 2014–15 season.[17] Their first season in the Polisseni Center saw the Tigers finish with a 20–15–5 overall record. They played in the Mariucci classic, losing both games against number 9-ranked Massachusetts-Lowell and number 8-ranked Minnesota. In the playoffs, they swept the Air Force Falcons in the second round after receiving a bye in the first round. The Tigers went on to defeat Canisius in the semifinals of the AHA Tournament by a score of 2-1 and the Meryhurst Lakers in the championship game by a score of 5–1 to win the Atlantic Hockey championship and advance to the NCAA Division I tournament for the second time in program history. The Tigers knocked off the Minnesota State Mavericks in the first round of the NCAA tournament 2-1, becoming the first #16 seed to defeat the top overall seed since the 16-team format was implemented in 2003.[18] There would be no repeat, however, of the 2009-2010 run to the Frozen Four as the Tigers fell to the University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks in the following round by a score of 4–0, ending their playoff run.[19] In the 2015–16 season, the Tigers lost home ice in the first round to Mercyhurst as they were swept in their last two games of the regular season on home ice, however the Tigers returned the favor in the postseason by sweeping the Lakers on the road. The Tigers once again were in the AHA tournament and faced the Air Force Falcons once again. The Tigers trailed 1-0 heading into the third and it would appear that they were headed to another shutout loss, but Andrew Miller scored with under 3 minutes left in the third to even the score. In overtime, the Tigers completed their comeback winning 2-1. The Tigers would then claim the Atlantic Hockey championship once again, convincingly defeating the Robert Morris Colonials by a score of 7–4, to advance to the NCAA Division 1 tournament for the second consecutive season.[20] The team's playoff run ended in the first round of the east regional in Albany, NY by the #1 rankedQuinnipiac Bobcats by a score of 4–0.[21]. The 2016-2017 season was a down year for the Tigers as they flirted with the .500 mark within their conference and were unable to defeat any non-conference teams. They faced Niagara in the first round of the playoffs losing a close one 5-4 in game 1 but shutting them out 5-0 in game 2 setting the stage for the deciding game 3. They were unable to complete the comeback as the Purple Eagles ended the Tigers season winning 4-1.
In the 2017-2018 season, the Tigers started the season with their first game at Blue Cross Arena for Brick City weekend against the Number 14th ranked Northeastern University. It was the first meeting between these two schools. RIT jumped out to a 3-0 lead only to see Northeastern comeback and tie it. The Tigers performed well during the first half of the season but slumped during the second half. The Tigers finished with an overall record of 14-18-2 and a 13-14-1 for 27 Points within their conference. Junior Erik Brown set a new school record with 28 goals during the season (including exhibition games) and also led the entire Atlantic Hockey Conference. His 28 goals was also 2nd overall in Division 1 hockey. In the playoffs, the Tigers faced the Sacred Heart Pioneers. Both teams split the first two games with both games heading to overtime. The Tigers prevailed in Game 1 scoring quickly in overtime to take a 1-0 series lead. The Pioneers prevailed in Game 2 after tying the game late in the third and finally ending it during triple overtime (the longest game in program history). In the deciding game, the Pioneers jumped out to a 2-0 lead early in the first and held the fort the rest of the way to clinch the series concluding the Tiger's season.
Season-by-season results
Division I
| Season | GP | W | L | T | Finish | Playoffs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | 37 | 15 | 20 | 2 | 6th, AHA | Lost in AHA Tournament first round, 5-4, 3-4, 0–2 (Sacred Heart) | Game 2 loss was the longest game in program history, ending in 3OT |
| 2016–17 | 37 | 14 | 22 | 1 | 6th, AHA | Lost in AHA Tournament first round, 4-5, 5-0, 1–4 (Niagara) | |
| 2015–16 | 39 | 18 | 15 | 6 | 5th, AHA | Won AHC Tournament Lost in NCAA East Regional semifinal, 0–4 (Quinnipiac) |
|
| 2014–15 | 40 | 20 | 15 | 5 | T-3rd, AHA | Won AHC Tournament Lost in NCAA Midwest Regional final, 0–4 (Omaha) |
First season at Gene Polisseni Center Forward Matt Garbowsky finalist for Hobey Baker Award Became first ever NCAA Tournament #16 seed to defeat the #1 overall seed |
| 2013–14 | 37 | 12 | 20 | 5 | 9th, AHA | Lost in AHA Tournament first round, 3–2 (OT), 1–5, 2–3 (OT) (Holy Cross) | Participated in Frozen Frontier Last season at Ritter Arena |
| 2012–13 | 38 | 15 | 18 | 5 | T-7th, AHA | Lost in AHA Tournament quarterfinal, 2–3, 1–2 (OT) (Niagara) | |
| 2011–12 | 39 | 20 | 13 | 6 | 3rd, AHA | Lost in AHA Tournament final, 0–4 (Air Force) | Won Catamount Cup |
| 2010–11 | 38 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 1st, AHA | Lost in AHA Tournament final, 0–1 (Air Force) | |
| 2009–10 | 41 | 28 | 12 | 1 | 1st, AHA | Won AHA Tournament Won NCAA East Regional Lost in NCAA Frozen Four, 1–8 (Wisconsin) |
Coach Wayne Wilson won Spencer Penrose Award |
| 2008–09 | 38 | 23 | 13 | 2 | T-1st, AHA | Lost in AHA Tournament semifinal, 4–5 (OT) (Mercyhurst) | |
| 2007–08 | 37 | 19 | 12 | 6 | 2nd, AHA | Lost in AHA Tournament semifinal, 0–5 (Air Force) | Forward Simon Lambert finalist for Hobey Baker Award |
| 2006–07 | 34 | 21 | 11 | 2 | 1st, AHA | Ineligible (transition year) | |
| 2005–06 | 33 | 9 | 22 | 2 | N/A | Ineligible (transition year) | First D-I season |
NCAA Tournament appearances
| Year | Bracket | Location | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | East Regional | Times Union Center | Denver | W 2–1 |
| New Hampshire | W 6–2 | |||
| Frozen Four | Ford Field | Wisconsin | L 1–8 | |
| 2015 | Midwest Regional | Compton Family Ice Arena | Minnesota State | W 2–1 |
| Omaha | L 0–4 | |||
| 2016 | East Regional | Times Union Center | Quinnipiac | L 0–4 |
Players
Current roster
As of August 23, 2018.[22]
| No. | S/P/C | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Christian Short | Senior | G | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 1995-10-12 | Vaughan, Ontario | Surrey (BCHL) | — |
| 2 | |
Adam Brubacher | Junior | D | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 1995-12-13 | Elmira, Ontario | Powell River (BCHL) | — |
| 3 |  |
Spencer Berry | Freshman | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1998-09-26 | White Rock, British Columbia | Langley (BCHL) | — |
| 4 |  |
Brody Valette | Junior | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1995-11-03 | Calgary, Alberta | Whitecourt (AJHL) | — |
| 5 |  |
Dan Willett | Sophomore | D | 5' 6" (1.68 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 1996-02-23 | Bayville, New York | Bloomington (USHL) | — |
| 6 | |
Gabe Valenzuela | Senior | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 1994-12-13 | Brampton, Ontario | North York (OJHL) | — |
| 7 | |
Abbott Girduckis (C) | Senior | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1995-06-28 | Belleville, Ontario | Wellington (OJHL) | — |
| 8 | |
Will Calverley | Freshman | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 1998-07-17 | Scarborough, Ontario | Chilliwack (BCHL) | — |
| 9 | |
Mark Logan | Senior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 1995-04-14 | Calgary, Alberta | Brooks (AJHL) | — |
| 10 | |
Kobe Walker | Freshman | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 155 lb (70 kg) | 1998-04-03 | Lloydminster, Alberta | Lloydminster (AJHL) | — |
| 11 | |
Jake Joffe | Freshman | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 1998-04-30 | Toronto, Ontario | Toronto Jr. Canadiens (OJHL) | — |
| 12 | |
Ryan Kruper | Junior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 1995-01-19 | Sherwood Park, Alberta | Sherwood Park (AJHL) | — |
| 14 |  |
Jake Hamacher | Sophomore | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 1997-04-20 | Corona, California | Dubuque (USHL) | — |
| 15 |  |
Shawn Cameron | Senior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1995-08-30 | Sherbrooke, Quebec | Cumberland (CCHL) | — |
| 16 | |
Erik Brown (C) | Senior | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 1995-09-30 | Keene, Ontario | Kemptville (CCHL) | — |
| 17 | |
Bryson Traptow | Sophomore | F | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1997-04-17 | Calgary, Alberta | Camrose (AJHL) | — |
| 18 | |
Zach Salloum | Freshman | D | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 1997-03-27 | Orleans, Ontario | Ottawa (CCHL) | — |
| 19 |  |
Nick Bruce | Sophomore | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 1996-09-02 | Fall River, Nova Scotia | Johnstown (NAHL) | — |
| 21 | |
Alden Dupuis | Sophomore | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | 1996-11-06 | Edmonton, Alberta | Bonnyville (AJHL) | — |
| 22 |  |
Regan Seiferling | Sophomore | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1997-03-09 | Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan | Yorkton (SJHL) | — |
| 23 |  |
Darren Brady | Junior | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 1996-04-05 | Lake Orion, Michigan | New Jersey (NAHL) | — |
| 24 | |
Chris McKay | Junior | D | 6' 5" (1.96 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | 1996-04-17 | Edmonton, Alberta | Sherwood Park (AJHL) | — |
| 25 | |
Jordan Peacock | Junior | F | 6' 6" (1.98 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | 1995-03-30 | Burlington, Ontario | Burlington (OJHL) | — |
| 27 | |
Andrew Petrucci | Freshman | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 1997-05-21 | Toronto, Ontario | Toronto Patriots (OJHL) | — |
| 28 | |
Merritt Oszytko | Freshman | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 1998-02-21 | Edmonton, Alberta | Fort McMurray (AJHL) | — |
| 30 | |
Logan Drackett | Sophomore | G | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 1998-10-01 | Calgary, Alberta | Calgary Canucks (NAHL) | — |
| 40 | |
Ian Andriano | Sophomore | G | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1996-08-11 | Barrie, Ontario | Ottawa (CCHL) | — |
Staff
- Head Coach: Wayne Wilson
- Associate Head Coach: Brian Hills
- Assistant Coach: Dave Insalaco
- Hockey Operations Director: Bethany Schlegel
- Equipment Manager: Stephen Henchen
- Student Manager: Ryan Stadtlander
- Strength Coach: Nate VanKouwenberg
Alumni
- Matt Garbowsky ('15) – Rochester Americans (AHL)
- Cameron Burt ('12) – Manchester Monarchs (AHL)
- Chris Haltigin ('12) – Bakersfield Condors (ECHL) / Alaska Aces (ECHL)
- Tyler Brenner ('11) – Toronto Marlies (AHL)
- Andrew Favot ('11) – Elmira Jackals (ECHL)
- Jared DeMichiel ('10) – Elmira Jackals (ECHL)
- Bobby Raymond ('10) – Florida Everblades (ECHL) / Binghamton Senators (AHL)
- Brennan Sarazin ('10) – Thousand Islands Privateers (Federal Hockey League)
- Anton Kharin ('09) – Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (CHL)
- Louis Ménard ('09) – Sherbrooke Saint-François (Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey)
- Brent Patry ('08) – Chamonix HC (Ligue Magnus)
- Simon Lambert (ice hockey) ('08) – Olofströms Eishockeyclub (Elitserien)
- Stephen Burns (ice hockey) ('08) – SG Cortina (Serie A)
- Steve Pinizzotto (-) – Hershey Bears (AHL) /Edmonton Oilers (NHL)
- Christopher Tanev (-) – Manitoba Moose (AHL) / Vancouver Canucks (NHL)
Award winners
National
Hobey Baker Award finalists
|
Coach of the Year
Tournament MVP
|
Atlantic Hockey Association
Player of the Year
|
Defenseman of the Year
- 2016 Chase Norrish
Rookie of the Year
- 2017 Adam Brubacher
Tournament MVP
School records
See also
- Category:RIT Tigers men's ice hockey players
- RIT Tigers women's ice hockey
Notes
References
- Venniro, Joe; Jaynes, Steve (2008). 2008–09 Men's Ice Hockey Media Guide (PDF). Rochester, New York: RIT Sports Information Office and University News. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
- "School Colors" (PDF). Identity Manual. RIT. p. 6. Retrieved 27 September 2010. : In the 2000s, school colors changed from Orange and Burnt Umber to Orange and Brown.
- ↑ RIT Identity Manual (PDF). Retrieved August 2, 2016.
- ↑ Matthews, Bob (2010-04-11). "Buffalo Bills face tough question: QB or not QB". Democrat and Chronicle. Gannett Company. Archived from the original on 2010-12-02. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
- ↑ "Men's Hockey Going Division I".
- ↑ "Men's Hockey Defeats #12 Minnesota".
- ↑ "Men's Hockey Loses to Boston College in Finals of Dodge Holiday Classic".
- ↑ "Men's Hockey Falls to Air Force in AHA Semifinal".
- ↑ "Men's hockey has storybook season end in the Frozen Four by falling to Wisconsin".
- ↑ "Air Force wins fourth AHA Championship in last five years with 1-0 win over RIT".
- ↑ "Air Force wins AHA Championship with 4-0 win over RIT".
- ↑ "RIT - Cumulative Season Statistics".
- ↑ "Men's hockey has 2012-13 season come to a close with heartbreaking overtime loss at Niagara".
- ↑ "RIT - Cumulative Season Statistics".
- ↑ "Tigers play 'Frozen Frontier' Dec. 14".
- ↑ "RIT, Niagara tie at wintry Frozen Frontier".
- ↑ "Men's hockey closes out historic Ritter Arena by winning third straight contest, 3-1 over Canisius".
- ↑ "Men's Hockey Advances To Quarterfinals After 3-2 OT Victory Over RIT".
- ↑ "About the Gene Polisseni Center - University Arenas - RIT".
- ↑ "Men's hockey advances to 2015 NCAA Midwest Regional Final after defeating No. 1 Minnesota State".
- ↑ "Men's hockey enjoys tremendous 2014-15 season; Tigers make second appearance in NCAA Division I Tournament".
- ↑ http://www.uscho.com/recaps/2016/03/19/powell-rit-topple-robert-morris-for-second-straight-atlantic-hockey-title/
- ↑ http://www.uscho.com/recaps/2016/03/26/quinnipiac-gets-three-third-period-goals-garteig-shutout-to-advance-past-rit/
- ↑ "2018–19 RIT Men's Hockey Roster". RIT Athletics. 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
