Men's Hockey | 2/7/2018 9:24:00 AM

ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT men's hockey team heads on the road for a rare three games in four-day stretch starting this weekend. The Tigers will play two games at Atlantic Hockey foe Robert Morris on Friday, Feb. 9 and Saturday, Feb. 10. From there, RIT will head to Erie to face Mercyhurst on Monday, Feb. 12. All three games will begin at 7:05 p.m.
 
In what has turned out to be one of the most competitive Atlantic Hockey seasons to date, just nine points separate first through tenth place in the league standings with just three weekends of play remaining. Robert Morris enters the weekend third with 26 points, while Mercyhurst is right behind in fourth with 24 points. RIT is tied for ninth with 19 points.
 
RIT (10-15-2, 9-11-1 AHA) enters the weekend looking to get back in the win column after suffering a pair of home losses to Bentley last time out, falling 4-3 and 5-2. Nick Bruce (Fall River, Nova Scotia/Johnstown Tomahawks) scored his first collegiate goal on Friday night, while Adam Brubacher (Elmira, Ontario/Powell River Kings) and Erik Brown (Keene, Ontario/Kemptville 73's) also hit the back of the net. On Saturday, Shawn Cameron (Sherbrooke, Quebec/Cumberland Grads) and Gabe Valenzuela (Brampton, Ontario/North York Rangers) scored for the Tigers. Ian Andriano (Barrie, Ontario/Ottawa Jr. Senators) played both games in goal for RIT, making 28 saves on Friday, while stopping 22 shots Saturday.
 
Myles Powell (Courtenay, British Columbia/Cowichan Valley Capitals), who recorded three assists last weekend against Bentley, leads the team in scoring with 26 points on eight goals and 18 assists. Brown, who played in his 100th career game Friday, leads the team and is tied for tenth nationally with 17 goals. Valenzuela is third on the team in scoring with 23 points. Andriano has started the last six games in net for the Tigers.
 
Robert Morris (13-13-2, 12-8-2 AHA) has won three straight contests and is 8-2-1 over its last 11 games. Last weekend, the Colonials swept a road series at Sacred Heart, winning by scores of 4-1 and 3-1. Brady Ferguson, the 2017 AHA Leading Scorer Award Winner, leads the Colonials and is tied for fifth nationally with 37 points on 12 goals and 25 assists. Alex Tonge is right behind with 31 points on 12 goals and 19 assists. Five different Colonials have at least 20 points. In goal, Francis Marotte is 12-9-2 with a 2.47 goals against average and a .917 save percentage.
 
Mercyhurst (13-10-4, 10-7-4 AHA) is currently riding a seven-game unbeaten streak (5-0-2). The Lakers were off last weekend, but earned three points at AHA foe Army West Point on Jan. 26-27, skating to a 2-2 tie in the opener and rolling to a 6-1 win. Derek Barach leads the Lakers in scoring with 27 points on 11 goals and 16 assists, while Jack Riley is right behind with 24 points, including a team-best 14 goals. The Lakers feature eight players with at least 17 points. In goal, Brandon Wildung is 12-9-4 with a 2.83 goals against average and a .917 save percentage.
 
This weekend marks the third and fourth meetings between RIT and Robert Morris this season. RIT swept Robert Morris from the Gene Polisseni Center on Nov. 10-11 by scores of 5-3 and 5-2. Brown scored the game-winning goal in both wins, while Valenzuela added four assists and Logan Drackett (Calgary, Alberta/Calgary Canucks) stopped 53 shots in the two wins. Robert Morris leads the all-time series between the two schools, 12-11-4.
 
Monday's contest is the second of four meetings between RIT and Mercyhurst this season. The two teams were originally scheduled to play on Dec. 29-30, but the games were postponed due to excessive snow in Erie. Mercyhurst defeated RIT, 6-3 on Jan. 16. Derek Barach scored two goals and added an assist to lead the Lakers. Adam Brubacher (Elmira, Ontario/Powell River Kings) had a goal and an assist for RIT. The two teams will end the regular season with a pair of games at the Gene Polisseni Center on Feb. 23-24.
 
Video for all three games is available online. All three games will be aired on WITR 89.7 FM and Fox Sports 1280 with Ed Trefzger and Scott Biggar on the call. Live stats will also be available for the three contests (RMU – Mercyhurst).