NOTE: Fans attending Tuesday's game are reminded of RIT's updated Spectator Guidelines

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The RIT men's hockey team hits the ice for the first time in 30 days, hosting Sacred Heart on Tuesday in a road game postponed from Jan. 1 due to COVID protocol. The Tigers open 2022 after closing 2021 with a pair of home setbacks to Army, 6-0 and 4-3, on Dec. 11-12, while the Pioneers split a pair of Atlantic Hockey games at Niagara on Friday (L, 5-4 OT) and Saturday (W, 2-1).

FOLLOW LIVE
Watch: FloHockey.tv/events (Gene Battaglia, John DiTullio)
Local Audio: WITR 89.7 FM or FOX Sports 1280 AM
Web Audio: witr.rit.edu or foxsports1280.iheart.com
PxP/Color: Ed Trefzger, Scott Biggar, Matt Campbell
Live Stats: ritathletics.com/sidearmstats/mhockey
Twitter: @RITMHKY

TIGER TRACKS
RIT had a four-game winning streak snapped in back-to-back losses to Army during its only games of December. The Tigers surrendered single goals in the first and second periods before a four-goal third period pushed the Black Knights to a 6-0 victory in the opener.  RIT held a 3-2 into the final 10 minutes of regulation the following day on two goals by senior forward Will Calverley and another by sophomore forward Cody Laskosky, but Army tied the game with 7:27 left in regulation and netted the game-winner with with 1:20 remaining to complete the comeback.

WE'VE GOT THE POWER
After only scoring one power play goal in its first eight outings of the 2021-22 season, RIT has scored at least one power-play goal in nine of its last 12 games, including a season-high three in the 5-4 win at Princeton (Nov. 26). Four of senior forward Will Calverley's team-leading 11 goals have come on the power play.

GREEN EGGS AND HAMACHER
Senior forward Jake Hamacher had a three-game goal-scoring streak snapped opposite Army. His OT game-winner in the 1-0 win at Princeton (Nov. 27) was his Atlantic Hockey-leading 92nd career point. He also ranks second for the Tigers with 38 career goals (behind Calverley's 41), while his 54 assists only rank behind senior defenseman Dan Willett's 69.

CARTER BLANCHE
Freshman forward Carter Wilkie was named the Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Month for both November and December. Named the league Rookie of the Week on five occasions this season, including three in November, Wilkie is currently tied for 19th in Atlantic Hockey with 13 points and tied for 10th with six goals. His three game-winning goals were tied for the seventh-highest total in the nation entering the week, while he was also tied for 15th among the nation's freshmen in goals and tied for 16th in points. Wilkie was credited with the overtime game-winning goal and assisted the game-tying goal in RIT's 3-2 victory at AIC (Nov. 7) and logged the game-winner in the Tigers' 3-2 win over visiting Holy Cross (Nov. 19). He also scored the overtime game-winning goal in the Tigers' 3-2 upset of Notre Dame (Oct. 21).

WAYNE'S WORLD
Head Coach Wayne Wilson became the 49th NCAA men's hockey coach to hit the 400-win plateau with the 1-0 OT win at Princeton last month. Wilson ranks 16th among active coaches with a 400-279-75 record the last 23 seasons - all on the Tiger bench. The only coach in NCAA history to win the Spencer Penrose (D1 National COY, 2001) and the Sid Watson (D3 National COY, 2010), he totaled a 116-31-12 mark in six Division III campaigns (1999-2005) and owns a 284-246-63 record through 17 Division-I seasons.

EQUALITY
RIT will be watching this January's NCAA Convention closely. A proposal will be voted on by the Division III membership which would grant multi-divisional athletic programs the ability to award athletic scholarships. Ten Division III programs currently sponsor at least one Division I sport, but RIT is one of five unable to apply all Division I legislation, including Bylaw 15 (financial aid) dating back to a 2004 waiver which grandfathered in the existing programs. RIT, Union (men's and women's hockey), Hobart (men's lacrosse), Franklin & Marshall (wrestling) and MIT (rowing) would all be permitted to offer scholarships to their student-athletes should the proposal pass. The legislation already has the support of the Division III Presidents Council, National Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the Faculty Athletic Rep (FAR) Advisory Group.

 WHERE THERE IS A WILL...
Senior forward Will Calverley is tied for 20th nationally and first in Atlantic Hockey with 11 goals. Picking up where he left off last year after being named only the fourth All-American in Division I program history (AHCA Second-Team), the Atlantic Hockey-West Co-Player of the Year and Best Defensive Forward finished the season ranked fourth in the nation and first in Atlantic Hockey with 1.39 points per game while tying for first in the league with 25 points and second with 12 goals. Voted a preseason All-Atlantic Hockey pick this year, Calverley currently has 80 career points on 43 goals and 37 assists in 105 career appearances.

PAIN IS JUST WEAKNESS LEAVING THE BODY
Senior Dan Willett was named the Atlantic Hockey Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 29th following his efforts in RIT's Princeton sweep. Also tabbed the Atlantic Hockey Defensive Player of the Month for October, Willet currently ranks fourth in the nation with 47 blocked shots. He knocked down a season-high seven in the Tigers' 2-1 victory over St. Lawrence (Oct. 16) before three-consecutive four-block performances, including the Tigers' 3-2 OT road upset of No. 13 Notre Dame (Oct. 21). Willett garnered first-team all-conference honors last season after leading RIT and tying for 12th in Atlantic Hockey with 30 blocked shots. He also tied for first on the team with 14 assists and was fourth with 18 points. The 2021-22 Preseason All-Atlantic Hockey honoree currently leads all Tiger returners with 69 career assists while ranking second with 79 career points over 146 games played the last five seasons.