Men's Hockey | 3/4/2014 11:21:00 AM

Click here for RIT Game Notes --- Click here for Holy Cross Game Notes

ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT men's hockey team begins the postseason this weekend by traveling to face eighth-seed Holy Cross in an Atlantic Hockey Association best-of-three first round series from the Hart Center. Friday and Saturday's contests get underway at 7:05 p.m., and if necessary, Sunday's game will begin at 5:05 p.m.
 
RIT finished ninth in the AHA standings this season. It is the first time since joining the AHA and becoming eligible for the postseason in 2008 that RIT will not host a playoff game in any round.
 
RIT (11-18-5, 10-14-3 AHA) enters the postseason riding a three-game winning streak after sweeping Canisius in a home and home series last weekend, winning in Buffalo, 1-0 on Friday and 3-1 in the final game at Ritter Arena on Saturday. RIT finished its 46-year run at Ritter Arena with a 434-165-1 mark.
 
Senior Mike Colavecchia (Maple, Ontario/Lindsay Muskies) leads the team in scoring with 29 points on 12 goals and 17 assists. Classmate Greg Noyes (Lucan, Ontario/Salmon Arm Silverbacks) has 23 points on five goals and 18 assists. Eight players have at least 16 points. Junior captain Matt Garbowsky (St. George, Ontario/Powell River Kings) returned to the lineup last weekend after missing the last 24 games due to injury. In net, freshman Mike Rotolo (Rochester, NY/Cedar Rapids Roughriders) is 8-7-3 with a 2.72 goals against average and .912 save percentage. He was named the AHA Goaltender of the Week on Tuesday for the third time this season.
 
The RIT power-play is eighth nationally at 22.1 percent. (33-for-149). RIT's penalty-killing unit is up to 16th nationally at 83.9 percent. The Tigers have allowed just five power-play goals over the last 14 games, killing off 60 of its opponents last 65 attempts with the man-advantage (92.3 percent)
 
Holy Cross (12-19-3, 11-13-3 AHA) enters the postseason on an 8-4-1 run over its last 13 games. Last weekend, the Crusaders wrapped up the regular season by splitting a two-game series against Army. Adam Schmidt leads the team in scoring with 25 points on 13 goals and 12 assists. Mike Barrett has chipped in with 10 goals, while Matt Vidal leads the way with 16 assists. Holy Cross has been outscored by its opponents, 99-82 this season. In net, Matt Ginn is 9-18-3 for the Crusaders, recording a 2.80 goals against average and .914 save percentage.
 
The Tigers are 22-8-4 all-time against Holy Cross, 18-3-4 at the Division I level. Holy Cross is 2-0-2 against RIT over the last four meetings. The Tigers defeated the Crusaders in both the 2008 and 2009 AHA Quarterfinals series, winning in two games in 2008 and three games in 2009. The two teams met in Rochester on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1., skating to a 3-3 tie the first night, while Holy Cross scored three third period goals to erase a 2-1 deficit and win 4-2 the second night.
 
RIT is 16-8 all-time in AHA Postseason contests since becoming eligible for the league's postseason in 2007-08. The Tigers are 0-2 on the road in the AHA postseason. Last season, RIT was the No. 8 seed and defeated No. 9 American International in two games in the first round, before falling in two one-goal losses to top-seed Niagara in the second round.
 
All weekend games will be broadcast over the airwaves on WITR 89.7 FM and witr.rit.edu and on America One. Live stats are also available for both contests.