ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Twentieth-ranked RIT visits Mercyhurst for an Atlantic Hockey doubleheader this Friday (7:05 p.m.) and Saturday (4:05 p.m.).

Unbeaten with a 5-0-1 record in their last six games, the first-place Tigers look to solidify their position atop the conference standings with three weeks left in the regular season. RIT is six-points shy of wrapping up no lower than the four seed for next month's Atlantic Hockey Tournament, along with a first-round bye and a home best-of-three quarterfinal series.
 
Mercyhurst looks to snap an eight-game slide, including 5-2 (home) and 4-3 (road) losses to Robert Morris last weekend, but will also be in the hunt for a season-series victory opposite the Tigers after splitting games in Rochester in November, including a 2-0 victory (Nov. 11).
 
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TIGER TRACKS

• RIT defeated visiting Niagara last Saturday, 4-2, to follow up a 4-4 tie against the host Purple Eagles last Thursday (Feb. 1). Saturday saw the Tigers trail, 2-0, after 40 minutes before scoring four unanswered goals, including three in just over a five-minute span, to earn the comeback win. Graduate student forward Elijah Gonsalves kick started the decisive run at 5:02 before first-year forward Christian Catalano and senior defenseman Aidan Hansen-Bukata tallied goals in a 1:04 span for a 3-2 lead at 10:22. Gonsalves completed the night with an empty-net goal in the final minute to complete the victory.
• RIT built a 3-1 lead early in the second period of Thursday's opener on goals by fifth-year defenseman Gianfranco Cassaro, junior forward Grady Hobbs and senior forward Cody Laskosky, but three-straight Niagara goals, including two short-handed tallies in a 31-second span, pushed Niagara to a 4-3 lead at 9:25. Tiger sophomore Simon Isabelle evened the score just over a minute later, before the teams played the rest of regulation and overtime scoreless, setting up a penalty shootout won by Niagara, 3-2.
• RIT entered the week with the nation's sixth ranked scoring defense, only allowing 2.32 goals per game. The Tigers also sit 12th in scoring offense with 3.46 goals per game and 11th with a 1.14 scoring margin, while the RIT penalty kill ranks seventh (.851).
• RIT has averaged 4.33 goals over its last six games, averaging 2.5 goals better than their opponents during the run.  
• RIT was ranked in the USCHO.com national poll for the 12th-consecutive week, sitting 20th after climbing as high as No. 18 last month. The Tigers also moved back into the USA Hockey top-20 rankings after falling out for the first time in seven weeks last week, tying Notre Dame for 20th in the most recent poll.
• Junior goaltender Tommy Scarfone was named the Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA) Goaltender of the Month on Tuesday. Also tabbed Atlantic Hockey's Goaltender of the Month last week, Scarfone compiled a .950 save percentage and a 1.55 goals against average along with two shutouts in seven January appearances en route to sweeping the HCA and AHA monthly awards for the second time this season.
• He made a career-high 46 saves to preserve a 1-1 tie opposite St. Lawrence (Jan. 6) and 33 saves during a 4-0 shutout of Clarkson (Jan. 7) en route to his league-best fourth Atlantic Hockey Goaltender of the Week recognition of the season. Scarfone also combined to stop 44 of 45 shots faced in a two-game sweep of Bentley (Jan. 26-27), including a 3-0 victory for his eighth career shutout.
• Recently named to both the Hobey Baker Award and Richter Award watch lists, the Montreal native is currently tied for third nationally with a .929 save percentage, tied for fifth in wins with a 16-7-2 record, and ninth with a 2.15 goals against average.
• Cassaro entered the week leading all defensemen nationally with 12 goals this winter, while his seven power play goals are tied for 12th and his five game-winning goals are tied for third nationally among all skaters.
• Six Tigers have hit the 20-point mark this season. Laskosky leads the Tigers and sits tied for fifth in Atlantic Hockey with 28 points (11G/17A) – one point ahead of junior forward Carter Wilkie (11G/16A). Cassaro is third with 23 points (12G/11A), while Gonsalves two-goal/three-assist showing last Saturday moved him into a three-way tie for fourth at 20 points (12G/8A) with Hansen-Bukata (3G/17A) and first-year Matthew Wilde (9G/11A).
• Wilkie entered the week ranked second nationally with 713 faceoff wins.  
• Graduate student defenseman Ryan Nicholson is poised to make his 150th appearance for the Tigers this weekend, becoming only the eighth D1-era player to achieve the milestone. His classmate Caleb Moretz is only two games behind.