Men's Hockey | 1/2/2013 11:24:00 AM

Click here for RIT game notes --- Click here for St. Lawrence game notes

ROCHESTER, NY - The RIT men's hockey team will ring in 2013 with its first games in 23 days, a pair of non-conference road contests at St. Lawrence on Friday and Saturday evening. Both contests from Appleton Arena will get underway at 7 p.m. These are the final two non-conference regular season games for RIT in 2012-13.
 
The Tigers (4-8-4, 3-5-3 AHA) enter 2013 with a three-game unbeaten streak. Last time out, on Dec. 12, RIT recorded a 2-2 tie at No. 16 Niagara. Ben Lynch (Blaine, MN/Lincoln Stars) scored both RIT goals, while Josh Watson (Lititz, PA/Powell River Kings) made 44 saves. Lynch was named the Atlantic Hockey Association Player of the Week on Dec. 17.
 
RIT has already played in six overtime games this season through 16 contests. The Tigers played in a school-record nine overtime contests last season. Watson has a 2.34 goals against average and .928 save percentage since the beginning of November. The RIT power play has a goal in 11 of its last 14 games and is 14 for its last 48 (29.2 percent) after starting the season 0-for-14. Overall, the power play is ranked eighth nationally at 22.6 percent. RIT is starting to generate excellent scoring depth, as six players have at least 10 points and nine are averaging at least 0.5 points per game.
 
Friday's game will officially mark the halfway point of the 2012-13 regular season for the Tigers.
 
St. Lawrence (7-8-2, 1-4-2 ECAC) is playing for the first time since Dec. 15, a 5-2 loss against Vermont. The Saints have lost four straight games and are 2-7-1 in their last 10 games after a 5-1-1 start. St. Lawrence boasts two of the top scorers in Division I this season, forwards Kyle Flanagan and Greg Carey. Flanagan ranks third nationally, averaging 1.56 points per game and has 25 points on nine goals and 16 assists. Carey is tied for ninth in points per game (1.35) and has 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points. The Saints have scored and allowed exactly 47 goals this season. In goal, Matt Weninger has played in all 17 games and has a 2.72 goals against average and .912 save percentage.
 
RIT is 2-7-0 all-time against St. Lawrence, 2-4-0 in the Division I era. Last season, RIT rallied from a 5-3 third period deficit, scoring with nine seconds left in regulation, then got a goal from Adam Mitchell (Crofton, MD/Baystate Breakers) 14 seconds into overtime to defeat the Saints, 6-5 in front of 10,556 fans at Blue Cross Arena. The two teams last meet at Appleton Arena on Oct. 16, 2009 with St. Lawrence pulling out a 3-1 win.
 
Both games this weekend will be aired live online and can be heard as always on WITR 89.7 FM or witr.rit.edu. Live stats will also be available here.