Women's Hockey | 1/13/2011 3:56:00 PM

ROCHESTER, NY - The No. 1 ranked RIT women's hockey team, along with Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority will be teaming up with Geneva General Cardiology Associates to help “Black Out Heart Disease” on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 21-22, 2011 in conjunction with the Tigers showdown at Ritter Arena against ECAC West rival, No. 4 SUNY Plattsburgh. For complete information, click here.

The Tigers will auction off special edition, game worn black jerseys, and sell replica black t-shirts in order to raise money and awareness about heart disease. Friday's game gets underway at 7:05 p.m., while Saturday's contest begins at 3:05 p.m. Admission is free for both games.

The black, game-worn jerseys from RIT's contests against SUNY Plattsburgh are being auctioned off on-line, with bidding to close on Saturday, January 22 at 6 p.m. In addition, the Tigers will sell replica black t-shirts for $10 at both games with 100% of the proceeds going towards “Black out Heart Disease.” T-shirts will also be on sale at RIT's Student Alumni Union Wednesday-Friday, January 19-21 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“Anytime you can team up with a great organization like Finger Lakes Health and bring awareness to heart disease and the impact it has on so many families is a good thing'” said RIT Head Coach #Scott McDonald#. “This is a win-win situation for Finger Lakes Health, RIT and our community. This is going to a huge event between two talented teams, raising awareness for a very important cause.”

On Jan. 21, Geneva General Cardiologist Dr. Joe Gomez, and RIT President Bill Destler will drop the ceremonial first puck. There will be raffles and special giveaways during both contests. Friday's game is a SAAC Tiger Den Event, with special black and orange rally towels to be handed out before each game. Following Saturday's contest, the Tigers will hold a special autograph session at the RITz Sports Zone, where fans can obtain a 2010-11 team photo to be signed by members of the squad.

Plattsburgh and RIT have developed one of the best rivalries in Division III women's hockey since the Tigers moved to the ECAC West in 2007.

The Tigers are currently off to their best start in program history, with a 17-0-0 record, including a 10-0-0 mark in ECAC West play,outscoring opponents, 110-14. They have been the top-ranked program in the country for six straight weeks. Sixteen different Tigers are scoring in double figures, with eight averaging at least a point per game. Since the start of the 2006-07 season, RIT has amassed a 98-19-7 record.

SUNY Plattsburgh has won at least 21 games and made the NCAA Tournament seven straight seasons, winning National Championships in 2007 and 2008. Since entering Division III in 2001, the Cardinals are an astounding 215-38-14. Currently, SUNY Plattsburgh has a 12-2-1 record, and is 8-1-0 in ECAC West play.

The Geneva General Cardiology Associates provide a comprehensive approach to patients with known or possible cardiovascular disease including non-invasive diagnostics.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, (HCM) is a disease of the heart muscle in which a portion of the left ventricle, the heart's major pumping chamber, is thickened from no particular cause. This genetic disorder is common and is passed on from family member to family member. HCM is the leading cause of sudden, unexpected cardiac death in young athletes.

Money raised from next weekend's events will help fund free HCM screenings by the Geneva Cardiology Associates team. The next free HCM screening will be Saturday, March 5 at the Geneva Community Center in Geneva, N.Y. For more information, call (315) 787-4636 or visit www.flhealth.org.

“In addition to hosting the March 5 screening, our health system is committed to continuing to educate the community including parents, teachers, coaches and young people about HCM, and signs and symptoms to watch for and cardiovascular health in general,” said Lara Turbide, Vice President, Community Services for Finger Lakes Health. “We are thrilled to partner with RIT to raise awareness of this disease, which impacts young athletes, and are honored that the No. 1 ranked RIT women's hockey team, world class athletes are playing a pivotal role as ambassadors for such an important cause.”

Fans can also donate directly to Finger Lakes health here.

In addition, both games will be aired live on Time Warner Cable Sports channel 98 or 1026 in stunning high definition for HD subscribers. Gene Battaglia and Chris Lerch will bring you all the action live from Ritter Arena both days.

Don't miss out on an unforgettable weekend of hockey and help “Black Out Heart Disease.”