Women's Hockey | 1/8/2014 10:53:00 AM

Click here for RIT Game Notes --- Click here for Syracuse Game Notes

ROCHESTER, NY - The RIT women's hockey team plays its first games at Ritter Arena in 48 days, as College Hockey America rival Syracuse University comes to town for a crucial league game that gets underway at 7:05 p.m. on Friday. After the game, RIT will host its annual Skate With the Tigers from 9:30-10:30 p.m.
 
Skate With the Tigers is free with paid admission into the game and includes a team picture sponsored by the Office of Alumni Relations that can be signed by your favorite RIT players and coaches. There will be a skate rental available as well.
 
Fans who attend the exhibition game receive free admission into Skate With the Tigers and a team photo, but will have to pay the $2 skate rental if they chose to go on the ice.

The Tigers play their final 12 games, all against College Hockey America opponents, starting tonight. RIT is currently third in the CHA standings, a point ahead of Syracuse. The top teams receive a bye into the CHA semifinals.

RIT (9-11-2, 4-3-1 CHA) enters Friday's contest looking to snap a five-game winless streak. Last weekend, the Tigers played their final two non-conference games of the season, losing in overtime to Union by a score of 2-1 last Friday, and skating to a 1-1 draw on Saturday.
 
Five players have at least 10 points for the Tigers this season. #Kolbee McCrea (Wawa, Ontario/Burlington Barracudas) and Kourtney Kunichika (Fullerton, CA/LA Selects)# lead the team in scoring with 14 points apiece. McCrea has a team-best 10 goals, while Kunichika and #Erin Zach (Elmira, Ontario/Cambridge Fury)# both lead the squad with nine assists. In net, #Ali Binnington (Oakville, Ontario/Mississauga Chiefs)# is 8-8-2 with a 2.20 goals against average and .928 save percentage this season. She is tied for seventh nationally with three shutouts and is also 17th nationally in save percentage.
 
Syracuse (10-8-2, 3-3-2 CHA) enters this Friday's game looking to extend its winning streak to four games. Last weekend, the Orange swept a pair of games at Vermont, winning by scores of 4-3 and 3-2. Syracuse is outscoring its opponents, 51-45 this season. Caitlin Roach and Nicole Renault lead the team in scoring with 14 points apiece. Jessica Sibley and Nicole Ferrara have seven goals each to lead the squad. The Orange have six players with at least 10 points. In net, Kallie Billadeau and Jenesica Drinkwater have split time. Billadeau is 4-7-2 with a  2.12 goals against average and .933 save percentage, while Drinkwater is 6-1-0 with a 2.00 goals againet average and .918 save percentage.
 
Friday's game is the first of four meetings between the two schools, with the squad also meeting next Friday in Syracuse, and a home-and-home to close out the regular season on Feb. 21-22. Last year, Syracuse won the season series 4-0-1. The first meeting ended in a 2-2 tie, then Syracuse won the next four games by identical 2-1 scores, with two of the victories coming in overtime, including the CHA Semifinal.
 
Tickets for this weekend's games are available 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. Ticket prices are $5 for adults, $4 for faculty/staff/alumni and $3 for students and youth. RIT student admission is free with valid ID (ticket must be picked up at the box office, one per ID).
 
Both games will be streamed online at witr.rit.edu. Live stats will also be available here. Friday's game will be aired on Time Warner Cable Sports Channel 98 in Rochester, with Gene Battaglia and former RIT women's hockey standout Katie Stack (Batavia, NY/Rochester Edge) '11 bringing you all the action.
 
This is the final season that RIT will play at historic Ritter Arena. In 2014-15, RIT will move into the Gene Polisseni Center, which is expected to seat 4,000 fans. Come out, support the Tigers, and "Rock the Ritter".