Men's Hockey | 1/3/2017 11:33:00 AM

ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT men's hockey team returns home to play its first two games of the 2017 calendar year, hosting Sacred Heart University for a pair Atlantic Hockey Conference games on Friday, Jan. 6 and Saturday, Jan. 7 from the Gene Polisseni Center. Game times for both contests are at 7:05 p.m.
 
Tickets for both games are available at the Gene Polisseni Center and Gordon Field House Box Offices, or by calling (585) 475-4121 or by visiting www.rithockey.com. Youth tickets are free for both games with the purchase of an adult ticket.
 
The two-time defending Atlantic Hockey Champion Tigers play their final 15 regular season contests against league foes starting this weekend. RIT (8-10-1, 8-5-0 Atlantic Hockey) enters the weekend tied for third in the league standings with 16 points. Last time out, the Tigers fell to Bowling Green, 3-0 on Dec. 30 from the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio. Mike Rotolo (Rochester, NY/Cedar Rapids Roughriders) made 21 saves.
 
Ten players have at least 10 points for RIT this season. The Tigers boast the 12th best power-play in Division I at 22.4 percent. Myles Powell (Courtenay, British Columbia/Cowichan Valley Capitals) leads the team in scoring with 16 points on 10 goals and six assists. Erik Brown (Keene, Ontario/Kemptville 73's), Caleb Cameron (Sundridge, Ontario/Listowel Cyclones), and Brady Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers) have 15 points apiece. Norrish leads the team with 15 assists. In net, Rotolo has played in all 19 games this season and has a 2.64 goals against average and an .897 save percentage.
 
RIT is 12-5-3 in the month of January over the last two seasons, including a 7-1-2 mark last January.
 
Sacred Heart enters the weekend with a 6-12-2 overall record and is 4-10-0 in league play, tenth in the conference standings. Last weekend, the Pioneers dropped a pair of home games to Air Force, losing by scores of 3-2 and 3-1. Justin Danforth leads the team in scoring with 16 points on three goals and 13 assists, while Jordan Minello and Evan Jasper are right behind with 15 points apiece. Minello has a team-best 11 goals. Goaltenders Brett Magnus and Nathan Perry have split time in net. Magnus has played in 12 games and is 4-7-1 with a 3.39 goals against average and an .890 save percentage, while Perry is 2-5-1 with a 2.74 goals against average and an .896 save percentage in 11 contests.
 
This weekend marks the only two regular season meetings between the two schools this season. RIT leads the all-time series between the two schools, 21-5-2. Last year, RIT won both meetings at Sacred Heart by scores of 3-1 and 5-3. RIT has won the last four meetings between the two schools and is 13-1-1 in the last 15 meetings dating back to the 2009-10 season.
 
Both games will be aired live on Time Warner Cable Sports 26 in Rochester, with Gene Battaglia and John DiTullio on the call from the Polisseni Center. The new pregame show with host Kevin Roche airs at 6:30 p.m. In addition, both contests will be broadcast over the airwaves on WITR 89.7 FM and witr.rit.edu, while streaming video and live stats will available.
 
Come out and support the Tigers as they attempt to win their straight Atlantic Hockey Championship.