ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The RIT Men's Hockey team will travel to Clarkson on Monday (6:05 p.m.) for its first game in over three weeks following the holiday break.
 
The Tigers most recently split an Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) home-and-home series opposite Canisius, snapping a four-game skid with a 3-1 home victory on Dec. 5, before falling 4-2 the following night in Buffalo. The Golden Knights closed the first semester with an 8-2 exhibition victory over the USA Hockey National Team Development  Program U-18 squad (Dec. 13) after sweeping No. 17 Cornell, 4-1 (Dec. 5), and Colgate, 5-3 (Dec. 6), in ECAC Hockey action.
 
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TIGER REWIND
RIT closed the first semester with an AHA split opposite Canisius (Dec. 5-6), winning 3-1 at home on Friday before falling 4-2, Saturday, on the road.
 
Playing on home ice for the first time in nearly a month following a six-game road swing, goals by senior forward Austin Brimmer in the second period and first-year forward Caleb Elfering in the third yielded a 2-0 Tiger lead. The Golden Griffins cut the lead in half with under eight minutes remaining in regulation, but an empty-net goal by senior forward Simon Isabelle with 55.6 remaining sealed the win. Junior goaltender Jakub Krbecek made 21 saves for his 10th victory of the season.
 
In Saturday's rematch, Canisius scored the lone goal of the first period, before back-to-back goals by RIT senior forward Philippe Jacques and junior forward Christian Catalano put the Tigers on top midway through the second. The Golden Griffins scored three unanswered goals, tying the game with 5:38 left in the second before taking the lead for good 1:36 into the third and tacking on a empty-netter in the final minute. Krbececk took the loss in net, totaling 19 saves.
 
FAMILIAR FOES
RIT is making the return trip to Clarkson this Monday after the Golden Knights paid a mid-October visit to Rochester earlier this season. The Tigers earned a 6-2 victory in the 18th-annual Brick City Homecoming and Family Weekend game in front of a sell-out crowd of 10,556 at Blue Cross Arena in downtown Rochester. Senior forward Simon Isabelle notched a career-high three points on a goal and two assists to lead six RIT goal scorers and 10 Tigers with at least one point. Sophomore goaltender Jakub Krbecek made 28 saves, including 13 in the first period, to backstop RIT's first win of the season.
 
COMMON OPPONENTS
Clarkson has played four games opposite three common opponents with RIT. The Golden Knights opened the season with a 3-1 setback at Canisius (Oct. 3) before earning a split at then fourth-ranked Penn State (Oct. 9-10), winning, 6-4, and falling, 5-2. The Golden Knights also defeated visiting Colgate, 5-3 (Dec. 6), to wrap the regular-season portion of its fall schedule.
 
POWER OUTAGE
RIT looks to open the new semester on a high note, returning to the same form it had during the nine-game winning streak that preceded its current 1-5-0 slide. After averaging better than four goals per game during the winning streak, the Tigers have been out-scored, 17-8, over its last six outings, including back-to-back shutouts for the first time in D1-era program history.
 
I'D LIKE A WORD WITH THE SCHEDULE MAKER
After playing at home in seven of its first nine games of the season, including six straight times to open the campaign, RIT closes a nine-game stretch this Monday that only included one home game.
 
LONG STRANGE TRIP
Prior to its home victory over Canisius on Dec. 8, RIT had traveled over 8,600 miles, including round-trip flights across the Atlantic Ocean from Toronto to Dublin, round-trip bus trips between Dublin and Belfast, and round-trip bus rides from Rochester to Toronto, Boston, Pittsburgh and Niagara University, N.Y., since its last home game.
 
THE KILLERS
RIT finished the first semester ranked third nationally and first in the AHA with a .909 penalty killing percentage, only allowing five goals in 55 opponent power play attempts this season. RIT also sat 10th nationally and first in the conference in scoring defense, only allowing 2.24 goals per game.
 
KRBECEK APPEAL
Sophomore goaltender Jakub Krbecek ranks among the nation's top netminders so far this season. Among goaltenders who played at least half their team's minutes, he finished the semester third nationally with a 1.75 goals against average and fourth with a .932 save percentage, while his 10-5-0 record tied him for fifth in wins. Krbecek was named the AHA Goaltender of the Month after compiling a 4-1-0 record in five October starts, highlighted by a season-high 39-save performance during the 7-3 win over Air Force (Oct. 25) and 28 saves in the 6-2 win over Clarkson (Oct. 18) in the Brick City Homecoming game. He also landed his first career AHA Goaltender of the Week honor after combining to stop 42 of 44 shots versus Colgate, including 28 saves in the 4-1 win after stopping 14 of 15 shots in the opening 3-1 win.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• RIT is currently 9-0 when scoring at least three goals but is 1-7 when scoring fewer than three goals.
• RIT is 9-2 when holding opponents under three goals, but 1-5 when allowing three or more goals.
• The Tigers are 10-2 when holding at least a share of the lead after two periods this season, including an 8-0 mark when leading after 40 minutes of play. However, RIT is 0-5 when trailing entering the third period.
 
EVERYBODY EATS
Seventeen Tigers have scored at least one goal this season, while 21 of the 24 total skaters have notched at least one point. First-year defenseman Brock Reinhart logged an assist in the 3-1 Canisius victory earlier this month to become the latest point scorer while junior defenseman Ben Roger notched his first goal of the season in the 2-1 win at Robert Morris (Nov. 14).
 
TIGERS VS. CLARKSON
Friday's game will mark the 15th D1-era meeting between RIT and Clarkson. The Tigers trail the series, 4-8-2, but enter Monday's contest having won all three meetings over the last three seasons, including the 6-2 win earlier this season in the Brick City Homecoming and Family Weekend game (Oct. 18). RIT also earned a 3-2 win in Potsdam early last season (Oct. 6) as well as a 4-0 shutout at the GPC (Jan. 5) during the 2023-24 campaign.
 
WE'RE GOING STREAKING!
RIT's nine-game winning streak earlier this season was the third-longest Division I-era run in program history and was the second-longest regular season run.
 
ROOKIE COOKIES
RIT first-years William Moore, Zach Wigle and Evan Konyen have made an immediate impact to start their careers in a Tiger uniform. Playing on the same line in all but two games thus far, the trio has totaled 25 points on 11 goals and 14 assists to date. Konyen and Wigle have each tallied nine points on four goals and five assists, while Moore has notched three goals - including back-to-back game-winners opposite Air Force (Oct. 25) and Colgate (Oct. 31) - along with four assists.  
 
ELF OFF THE SHELF
First-year forward Caleb Elfering was voted the AHA Rookie of the Month for October. Elfering finished the month with six points on two goals and four assists. He totaled three points during the Air Force sweep, starting with an assist and two blocked shots in the 5-1 win before adding a goal and two assists in the 7-3 victory to land AHA Rookie of the Week recognition. He also scored his first goal in a Tiger sweater during the homecoming victory over Clarkson and most recently tallied his fourth goal of the season in the Canisius win.
 
MEET THE NEW BOSS
RIT Head Coach Matt Thomas is off to a solid start to his first season behind the bench in Rochester. The former RIT captain took the reins at his alma mater last spring, becoming only the eighth head coach in program history dating back to 1962-63. Thomas jumped right into coaching after graduating in 1998 and has over 26 years of experience at both the NCAA Division I and professional ranks, including the last four seasons as an assistant coach with the Providence Bruins – the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the NHL Boston Bruins. RIT was one of a record 11 Division I men's hockey teams that made a coaching change this offseason – the most in the 78-year history of NCAA Division I men's hockey.
 
GOOD BY TENSION, HELLO PENSION
For the first time since 1998, a coach not named Wayne Wilson was behind the RIT bench when the puck dropped on the 2025-26 season. The winningest coach in program history, Wilson announced his retirement in April following a 26-year run with the Tigers, including all 20 seasons at the Division I level following the program's ascension from the Division III ranks in 2005-06. Inducted into the RIT Sports Hall of Fame during the Brick City Homecoming and Family Weekend festivities earlier this season, Wilson is the winningest coach in program history, finishing his career 33rd in NCAA Men's Hockey history with a 471-337-82 record.
 
THE POOL GOT DEEPER
Due to new NIL rules, players from the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) are eligible to play NCAA hockey for the first time in 2025-26, which has dramatically altered recruiting and roster construction across the country. Of the 11 new players on RIT's 2025-26 roster, five have OHL playing experience, while two others came via the transfer portal.
 
DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER
RIT looks to bounce back from a 10-23-2 finish as season ago - the fewest wins in a non-COVID shortened season since 2005-06 (RIT's first at the D1 level). Sixteen players return from last year's squad, including junior forward Christian Catalano who finished third on the squad with 23 points (7G/16A). Senior defenseman Xavier Lapointe (5G/10A) and sophomore defenseman Tristan Allen (2G/13A) also return after tying for fifth on the squad with 15 points apiece.
 
RETURN TO GLORY
Nine returners (6 seniors, 3 juniors) also saw action two years ago during the Tigers' run to a 27-11-2 record that included the program's fourth Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) Championship and appearance in the NCAA Tournament.  
 
CAPTAIN, OH CAPTAIN
A captain and four alternate captains were announced prior to the start of the season. Senior forward Tyler Mahan was voted captain, while senior forward Austin Brimmer, senior forward Simon Isabelle, senior forward Adam Jeffery and junior defenseman Kevin Scott were tabbed assistants.
 
HEAD FOR THE HILLS
The 2025-26 season also marks the first in 20 years without Associate Head Coach Brian Hills behind the bench. Announcing his retirement in May, Hills joined Wayne Wilson's staff prior to RIT's inaugural NCAA Division I season and was a driving force behind the program that won 10 Atlantic Hockey Championships, including four tournament titles and six regular-season crowns. He was named the 2011 Terry Flanagan Award winner by the American Hockey Coaches of America (AHCA), which annually honors an outstanding assistant coach's body of work.
 
A SORT OF HOMECOMING
When Matt Thomas looked to fill out his coach staff alongside returning Associate Head Coach Dave Insalaco, he welcomed back former RIT standouts Shane Madolora '12 and Josh Mitchell '16 over the summer. An All-American goaltender during his time in Rochester, Madolora graduated as RIT's Division I-era career leader with a .932 save percentage, which is still tied for 11th in NCAA history. He is also tops with a 1.97 goals against average, which remains tied for 20th in the NCAA record book. One of only five D1-era RIT players to eclipse 120 career points, Mitchell remains fifth all-time with 121 points. He also graduated with 90 career assists—one of only two Tigers who have ever hit the milestone and played 154 career games, which ranks fifth in program history and the most ever by a four-year player.
 
LONG STORY SHORT
Senior forward Tyler Mahan returned with five career shorthanded goals to his name -- tied for the most in the nation entering the season. The owner of 20 career goals and 38 career points prior to the start of his final campaign, Mahan scored three shorties during his first year in a Tiger uniform and has scored one each of the last two seasons. Union's Carter Korpi also returns with five shorthanded goals to his name. 
 
SIMON SAYS DROP THE PUCK
Senior forward Simon Isabelle returned after finishing 18th nationally with 390 faceoff victories and among the nation's leaders with a .570 faceoff winning percentage. He was also the Tigers' top returner with 44 career points on 21 goals and 23 assists entering the season.
 
A BIT DRAFTY IN HERE
For the third time in program history, RIT has a player on the roster that was taken in the NHL Entry Draft. Junior defenseman Ben Roger was picked in the second round (49th overall) of the 2021 draft by the Ottawa Senators. Anthony Hamburg, who was taken in the seventh round (193rd overall) by the Minnesota Wild in 2009, played two seasons (2012-14) at RIT after transferring from Colgate. Tiger All-American Bill Gall was taken in the fifth round (104th overall) by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1987 before playing four seasons with the Division III Tigers from 1987-91.
 
SAVINGS ACCOUNT
Sophomore Jakub Krbecek totaled at least 30 saves in 14 of the 18 games he started last season. A three-time AHA Rookie of the Week honoree, he won the award following back-to-back victories at Air Force (Jan. 31-Feb. 1), including 34 saves to backstop a 2-1 opening win. Krbecek was credited with a career-high 44 stops in the 2-1 loss at Bowling Green (Dec. 29) and also made 43 saves in the 2-1 OT loss to the visiting Falcons (Oct. 19) during the Brick City Homecoming game at Blue Cross Arena. He won the first of two-straight AHA Rookie of the Week honors after making 32 saves in a 3-2 win over Clarkson (Oct. 6) to win his first collegiate start. He logged his first career point with an assist to go along with 33 saves in the 6-2 win over Bentley (Nov. 9). Mike Rotolo '17 previously held the mark for the most 30-save games by a RIT first-year in D1-era program history with eight.
 
AHA PRESEASON POLL
RIT was picked eighth in the 2025-26 Atlantic Hockey America Preseason Coaches' Poll. Sacred Heart was voted first, including seven first-place votes, followed by Holy Cross (two first-place votes) and defending champion Bentley (1). Niagara, Army, Air Force, Canisius, RIT, Robert Morris and Mercyhurst rounded out the 10-team poll, respectively.
 
ROAD TO THE NATTY WILL GO THROUGH ROCHESTER
RIT was selected to host one of four regional championships to start the NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament in 2028. RIT will host two opening-round contests as well as second-round game at the Blue Cross Arena in downtown Rochester, N.Y. The games will either be played on Thursday, March 23rd and Saturday, March 25th or on Friday, March 24th and Sunday, March 26th, to be announced the Sunday prior to the tournament. The winner of the regional championship will advance to the Frozen Four, to be played at the United Center in Chicago.
 
TIGERS IN THE NHL
Former RIT standout defenseman Chris Tanev enters his 17th season in the NHL. He spent his first 11 with the Vancouver Canucks before signing a free agent contract with the Calgary Flames prior to the 2020-21 season. Traded to the Dallas Stars for the 2024 playoffs, he then signed a free-agent contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the offseason. 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 2025-26 season, he has played in 867 NHL games with 36 goals and 172 assists for 208 career points along with a career +/- of plus-153. He won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2016 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships and later was named a finalist for the NHL's Masterton Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey in 2022. Tanev tallied 28 points (10-18-28) and was plus-33 in 41 games for RIT in 2009-10. He 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.
 
RIT's NCAA DIVISION II/III HISTORY
RIT has made 16 NCAA Tournament appearances since 1983. RIT won the 1983 Division II National Championship before winning the Division III National Championship in 1985. The Tigers also finished as Division III runner-up in 1989, 1996 and 2001 while making semifinal appearances 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 five Division I tournament showings. The Tigers made the NCAA Tournament in 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2010, 2015, and 2016.
 
FINAL FOUR FRENZY
RIT was the first team in NCAA history to reach the Frozen Four in its first postseason appearance in 2010 and was also the first Atlantic Hockey team to reach the national semifinals. RIT was one win away from duplicating that feat in 2014-15 after upsetting overall top-seed Minnesota State, 1-0, in the Midwest Region Semifinals.