Men's Hockey | 12/29/2009 5:40:39 PM

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ROCHESTER, NY - The RIT men's hockey team rings in the 2010 calendar year with a pair of non-conference games at Minnesota State University on Fri., Jan. 1 and Sat., Jan. 2.  Friday's game begins at 8:37 p.m., while Saturday's contest gets underway at 8:07 p.m.  It will be RIT's final two non-conference games of the season.

RIT (9-6-1, 9-2-1 AHA) looks to start a new winning streak, after having its 10-game unbeaten streak snapped by Niagara, 3-2, on Dec. 12.  Five Tigers have at least 11 points.  Andrew Favot (King City, Ontario/) leads the squad with 13 assists and 18 points.  Dan Ringwald (Oakville, Ontario/) and Cameron Burt (Detroit, MI/) are right behind with 14 points.  Defenseman Alan Mazur (Burnaby, British Columbia/) leads a balanced attack with six goals.  Goaltender Jared DeMichiel (Avon, CT/) has played in all but one game this weekend.  He has an 8-6-1 mark, 2.21 goals against average, and .916 save percentage.

RIT boasts the 10th best defense in Division I, allowing just 2.31 goals per game this season.  RIT is receiving four votes in the current USCHO.com Division I Men's Hockey national poll.

The Tigers will be making their second trip to the state of Minnesota in the last three seasons.  On Dec. 29, 2007, RIT shocked the hockey world by defeating nationally-ranked Minnesota, 4-3 in the Dodge Holiday Classic.  The following evening, RIT fell to eventual national champion Boston College.

Minnesota State (9-9-2, 5-8-1 WCHA) last played on Dec. 18-19, recording a 1-1 tie and a 2-1 overtime loss against Nebraska-Omaha.  The Mavericks swept a pair of games at then No. 4 Bemidji State the weekend before.  Minnesota State is receiving 11 votes in the current USCHO.com Division I poll.  Jerad Stewart leads the Mavericks with nine goals and is one of three players with a team-best 16 points.  Zach Harrison and Ben Youds also have 16 points.  Youds, a defenseman, leads the squad with 16 assists.  Goaltender Austin Lee has appeared in 13 games this season, recording a 7-6-0 record, 2.63 goals against average, and .913 save percentage.

RIT leads the all-time series between the two schools, 3-1-0, and played all four games when Minnesota State was previously Mankato State University. It will be the first meeting between the schools since Dec. 6, 1986. RIT advanced against Mankato State in the 1983 NCAA Division II Quarterfinals en route to winning the National Championship.