Men's Hockey | 2/17/2015 9:24:00 AM

Click here for RIT Game Notes --- Click here for Robert Morris Game Notes

ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT men's hockey team returns home for its final four games of the regular season. This weekend, the Tigers welcome Atlantic Hockey Conference leader, No. 19 Robert Morris to the Gene Polisseni Center for a pair of games on Friday and Saturday, both at 7:05 p.m.
 
Saturday's game will be aired nationally on TSN2 in Canada on tape delay, starting at 9:30 p.m.
 
Tickets for both contests are available at the Gene Polisseni Center and Gordon Field House Box Offices, by calling (585) 475-4121, or by visiting www.rithockey.com.
 
RIT (12-13-5, 11-8-5 AHC) recorded a split last weekend at Holy Cross, falling 3-1 on Friday and winning 2-0 on Saturday. On Friday, Brandon Thompson (Vancouver, British Columbia/Handsworth) scored a first period goal, while Mike Rotolo (Rochester, NY/Cedar Rapids Roughriders) made 23 saves. The following evening, Brad McGowan (Langley, British Columbia/Surrey Eagles) and Mark Golberg (Ottawa, Ontario/Cumberland Grads) scored second period goals, while Jordan Ruby (Tavistock, Ontario/Wellington Dukes) stopped all 16 shots he faced for his third career shutout, winning the Holy Cross Homecoming Trophy. The 16 shots allowed tied a season-low for RIT.
 
On Saturday, Matt Garbowsky (St. George, Ontario/Powell River Kings) became the seventh player in RIT's Division I history to record 100 career points, doing so on an assist on Brad McGowan (Langley, British Columbia/Surrey Eagles)'s second period goal. He now has 43 goals and 57 assists in 118 games. Garbowsky leads Division I with 503 face-off wins, is tied for second with 21 goals, and tied for fourth with 40 points. Garbowsky has had a hand on 46.5 percent (40-of-86) of RIT's goals this season, among the highest in the nation.
 
Josh Mitchell (Osoyoos, British Columbia/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) is second on the team in scoring with 36 points on 10 goals and 26 assists, while McGowan is third with 28 points on 11 goals and 17 assists. Ruby is 6-6-4 with a 2.14 goals against average and .920 save percentage, while Rotolo is 6-6-1 with a 2.79 goals against average and .899 save percentage. RIT is out-scoring its opponents, 86-77 this season.
 
The Tigers are 7-3-2 over their last 12 games and sit fifth in Atlantic Hockey play with 27 points. The Tigers are three points out of fourth and four out of second. RIT is fifth nationally in penalty-killing at 89.3 percent and sixth, averaging 33.9 shots on goal per game.
 
Robert Morris is the No. 19 team in the USCHO.com Division I national poll. The Colonials can clinch the Atlantic Hockey Regular Season Crown with one point this weekend, as they are 17-3-4 in league play and is 20-5-5 overall. Cody Wydo leads the team and is tied for seventh nationally in scoring with 39 points on 18 goals and 21 assists. Zac Lynch is right behind with 35 points on 15 goals and 20 assists. The Colonials are the fourth highest scoring team in the nation, out-scoring their opponents, 110-71. In goal, Penfield native Terry Shafer and Dalton Izyk have split time. Shafer is 9-2-4 with a 2.02 goals against average and .933 save percentage, while Izyk is 11-3-0 with a 2.61 goals against average and .924 save percentage. The Colonials are 37-11-8 over their last 56 games dating back to the start of the 2014 calendar year.
 
The Tigers and Colonials met earlier in the season on Oct. 30-Nov. 1, with Robert Morris winning both games by scores of 6-3 and 4-2.  Robert Morris leads the all-time series between the two schools, 8-4-4. RIT is 1-2-3 all-time against the Colonials in Rochester.
 
Both games will be aired live on Time Warner Cable Sports Channel 26. As always, Gene Battaglia and John DiTullio are on the call from the Gene Polisseni Center. The contests 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.
 
Come out and support your Tigers in their first season at the Gene Polisseni Center.