Men's Hockey | 11/21/2019 10:55:00 AM

ROCHESTER, NY -- RIT travels to West Point, N.Y. for a pair of Atlantic Hockey contests opposite the Black Knights, Friday and Saturday. The Tigers look to get back on track after back-to-back losses to visiting Sacred Heart last week for their first conference setbacks of the season while Army returns home following a two-game sweep (W, 4-1, W, 3-1) of Holy Cross.

FOLLOW LIVE
This weekend's games can be heard on WITR 89.7 FM and Fox Sports 1280 AM with Ed Trefzger and Scott Biggar on the call. Fans can also listen online at witr.rit.edu or foxsports1280.iheart.com. All home games and Atlantic Hockey road contests this season will be streamed by FloSports on a subscription basis at Flohockey.tv.

TIGER TRACKS
RIT had a seven-game unbeaten streak snapped in last Friday's 9-5 setback to Sacred Heart before also dropping Saturday's matchup with the Pioneers, 3-1. On Friday, the Pioneers scored twice in the opening two minutes of play en route to a 5-1 first-period lead that ballooned to 7-1 midway through the second. Back-to-back goals by sophomore forward Kobe Walker (Lloydminster, Alberta/Lloydminster Bobcats) capped a 3-0 RIT surge for a 7-4 score five minutes into the third period, but the Pioneers responded less than a minute later to retake a four-goal lead they would not relinquish.

Saturday saw Sacred Heart break a scoreless tie midway through the second period before taking a 2-0 lead less than a minute into the third. RIT couldn't take advantage of a Pioneer interference penalty with 2:15 left in regulation, yielding an empty-net goal while skating 6-on-4. Freshman forward Caleb Moretz (Fairbanks, AK/Flin Flon Bombers) tallied a power-play tally with 56 on the clock for the final goal of the game.

SHAME, SHAME, SHAME
RIT committed a season-high 11 penalties for 33 penalty minutes (also a season high) in Friday's Sacred Heart setback. The Pioneers took advantage, converting three of seven power-play opportunities, including two in the second period.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
RIT is 5-0-1 in games when leading after the second period and 3-1-1 when leading after the first. The Tigers are also 4-1-1 when scoring first.

DRACKETT SPORTS
Junior goaltender Logan Drackett (Calgary, Alberta/Calgary Canucks) ranks 18th in the NCAA with a 2.04 goals-against average and 16th in save percentage at .931. Starting every game for the Tigers this season, he has allowed 23 goals including two shutouts and three other games holding the opposition to one goal. Drackett was Atlantic Hockey's Goaltender of the Month for October.

BREWED TO PERFECTION
Senior defenseman and co-captain Adam Brubacher (Elmira, Ontario/Powell River Kings) still has not missed a game during his tenure at RIT. His Ironman streak stands at 124 games. He played in all 37 as a freshman (third in team scoring with 6 goals, 17 assists and 23 points), all 37 as a sophomore (fifth in scoring with 9-15-24), and all 38 last season (second in scoring with 7-24-31). Through 12 games this season, he leads the Tigers with seven assists and is second with eight points.

NEW RULES. WHO DIS?
RIT wasted no time putting the new Atlantic Hockey tiebreaker to the test earlier this season. On Nov. 2, the Tigers and visiting Holy Cross became the first league teams to play the usual five-minute, five-on-five overtime period, then the five-minute three-on-three overtime period with the Crusaders finally earning the extra point in the standings by prevailing in a shootout. Six days later, Niagara gained the extra point with a goal in the three-on-three overtime.

STRONG AT BOTH ENDS
Freshman forward Caleb Moretz (Fairbanks, AK/Flin Flon Bombers) has made contributions with and without the puck. He has produced three goals, three assists and six points in 12 games, but even more impressive: His plus/minus is best among the team's forwards at plus-8. Brubacher leads the way at plus-9.

HE'S GOT THE POWER
Senior winger Shawn Cameron (Sherbrooke, Quebec/Cumberland Grads) ranks among the nations leaders with four power-play goals. Tied for fifth nationally entering Friday's game, two of his extra-tallies came in the Tigers' 3-1 season-opening victory at Colgate (Oct. 5).

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY
Sophomore forward Jake Joffe (Toronto, Ontario/Toronto Jr. Canadiens) has just five shots on goal this season, but three have found the net. One of those goals put the Tigers on the board in the second period as RIT scored four-unanswered tallies to defeat host Niagara, 4-1 (Nov. 9).

PAIN IS TEMPORARY
Senior defensemen Adam Brubacher (Elmira, Ontario/Powell River Kings) leads the team with 24 blocked shots followed by senior defenseman Chris McKay (Edmonton, Alberta/Sherwood Park Crusaders) with 20. Among forwards, sophomore Will Calverley (Scarborough, Ontario/Chilliwack Chiefs) has blocked 13 shots and senior Ryan Kruper (Sherwood Park, Alberta/Sherwood Park Crusaders) has denied 10.

TIGERS IN THE NHL
Former RIT standout defenseman Chris Tanev is in his 11th NHL season with the Vancouver Canucks. Voted the 2010 AHA Rookie of the Year, Tanev made his NHL debut on Jan. 18, 2011, becoming the first RIT player to appear in an NHL contest. Entering the 2019-20 season, he had played in 467 NHL games with 21 goals and 81 assist for career 102 points. He won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2016 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships. Tanev tallied 28 points (10-18-28) and was plus-33 in 41 games for RIT in 2009-10. Tanev and another former Tiger, Steve Pinizzotto (2005-07), were teammates with Vancouver in 2012-13. Pinizzotto tallied 57 points (20-37-57) in 54 career games for the Tigers and appeared in 36 NHL games with two goals and four assists.

FINAL FOUR FRENZY
RIT was the first team in NCAA history to reach the Frozen Four in a team's first postseason appearance back in 2010. They were also the first team from the AHA to reach the Frozen Four.  RIT was one win away from duplicating that feat in 2014-15.

RIT's NCAA DIVISION II/III HISTORY
RIT made 16 NCAA Tournament appearances since 1983. RIT won the 1983 National Championship at the Division II level, and 1985 National Championship at the Division III level. RIT earned National Runner-Up honors in 1989, 1996, and most recently in 2001. The Tigers made the National Final Four in 1984, 1986, 1999, and 2010. Overall, RIT was 26-15-4 in NCAA contests at the DII/III level and is 3-2 in Division I. RIT made the NCAA Tournament in 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002,  2010, 2015, and 2016.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION
RIT announced its affiliation with WBGT My18 Rochester to be the official television home of RIT Hockey for the 2019-20 season. Games can be seen over the air on Spectrum channel 18 and over the air on channel 46.1. As in years past, all home games will be produced by RIT SportsZone LIVE. The broadcasts will start with the pregame show half an hour before the puck drops and will feature highlights, live interviews, analysis and more. Gene Battaglia and John DiTullio will be regular contributors to the program, handling RIT hockey play-by-play duties for the 12th consecutive season. Kevin Roche will host the pregame show for the fourth straight season.

ATLANTIC HOCKEY AND FLOSPORTS
Earlier this year the Atlantic Hockey Association and FloSports announced a multi-year partnership making FloHockey.tv the exclusive streaming destination for all live and on-demand Atlantic Hockey events.