Men's Hockey | 12/4/2012 3:29:00 PM

Click here for RIT Game Notes -- Click here for Sacred Heart Game Notes

ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT men's hockey team returns home to play its final home games of the 2012 calendar year, as Atlantic Hockey Association foe Sacred Heart comes to Ritter Arena on Friday and Saturday. Both games will get underway at 7:05 p.m. Tickets still remain for both contests.

Locker Room Sports and Salvatore's Pizzeria are Friday's game sponsors, while Tim Horton's will sponsor Saturday's contest.

RIT (2-8-3, 1-5-2 AHA) will look to snap a Division I school record six-game winless streak this weekend. On Sunday, the Tigers dropped a heartbreaker in overtime to Air Force, 3-2. Andrew Miller (Chicago, IL/Chicago Steel) scored his first collegiate goal for the Tigers, while Brad Reid (Delta, British Columbia/Coquitlam Express) added a shorthanded goal, RIT's first of the 2012-13 season. Josh Watson (Lititz, PA/Powell River Kings) made 24 saves in defeat. The loss snapped a remarkable 9-0-17 record in the extra frame dating back to Oct. 24, 2009.

Adam Mitchell (Crofton, MD/Baystate Breakers) leads the team in scoring with 13 points on six goals and seven assists. Greg Noyes (Lucan, Ontario/Salmon Arm Silverbacks) and Chris Saracino (St. Louis, MO/Green Bay Gamblers) are both tied for eighth among defensemen nationally with 0.93 points per game. Each player has 11 points in 13 games, tied for second on the team in scoring with Jeff Smith (Spokane, WA/Tri-City Storm). The penalty-killing unit has allowed just two goals over its last 34 chances spanning eight games to improve to 82.5 percent on the season. RIT is 57th out of 59 teams nationally in scoring defense, allowing 4.23 goals per game. In net, Watson is 2-4-2 with a 3.19 goals against average and .899 save percentage.

Sacred Heart (0-12-2, 0-9-2 AHA) is looking for its first win of the season. Last weekend, the Pioneers dropped a pair of games at Niagara, 5-3 and 5-2. Sacred Heart is being outscored 66-31 this season and are allowing the most goals per game (4.71). Brian Sheehan and Eric Delong lead the team in scoring with 12 points apiece this season. Sheehan has a team-best six goals, while Delong leads the team with eight assists.  In net, Steven Legatto and Andrew Bodnarchuk have split time this season. Legatto is 0-6-1 with a 4.13 goals against average and .891 save percentage, while Bodnarchuk is 0-5-1 with a 5.43 goals against average and .874 save percentage.

The Tigers lead the all-time series between the two schools, 12-4-2 and are rising a five-game unbeaten streak against the Pioneers. Last season, the Tigers recorded back-to-back shutouts against Sacred Heart on the road, 10-0 and 3-0. The 10 goals scored are the most in a single-game for RIT at the Division I level. Mike Colavecchia (Maple, Ontario/Lindsay Muskies) had a hat-trick and an assist in that contest, while Greg Noyes (Lucan, Ontario/Salmon Arm Silverbacks) tallied two goals and dished out two assists.

Tickets are available for both games at the Gordon Field House and Activities Center Box Office or by phone at (585) 475-4121. Fans can also purchase tickets at www.rithockey.com. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for RIT faculty, staff and alumni and $5 for students with ID. Fans can also buy special reserved seats in Section 100 or 101 for $13 (adults), $11 (faculty/staff/alumni) or $8 (students). Buying a reserved section ticket will guarantee you a seat for the game.

Both games will be aired live on Time Warner Cable Sports channel 26 or 1026 for high definition subscribers with Gene Battaglia and John DiTullio bringing you the action from Ritter Arena.  In addition, both games will be broadcast over the airwaves on WITR 89.7 FM and witr.rit.edu. Live stats are also available here.

Come out and support the Tigers as they begin their quest for the 2013 Atlantic Hockey Championship.