PRONUNCIATION: john-FRANK-oh cuh-SAIR-oh
• Scored 35 career goals as a Tiger - the most ever by a D1-era RIT defensemen – to go along with 43 assists for 78 points.
• Played all of RIT's 117 games during his time in an RIT uniform.
• Paired with 38 appearances and three points (1G/2A) during two seasons at UMass prior to transferring, finished his collegiate career with 155 games and 81 points.
2023-24
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2nd-Team CCM/AHCA All-American
•
3rd-Team USCHO.com All-American
•
Atlantic Hockey First-Team All-Conference
• Atlantic Hockey All-Tournament Team
•
Hobey Baker Award Nominee
•
Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Team
• Atlantic Hockey Defensive Player of the Week:
Nov. 27 |
Jan. 2 |
Feb. 26 |
Mar.11 |
Mar. 18
•
Preseason First-Team All-Atlantic Hockey
• Led all defensemen in the nation with 18 goals while finishing with a career-high 38 points – tied for fourth among all defensemen in the country.
• Tied for ninth among all skaters with five game-winning goals and tied for 14th with eight power-play goals – the most among defensemen.
• Atlantic Hockey First-Team all-star for the second straight season after winning a league-best five Atlantic Hockey Defensive Player of the Week citations this winter.
• Back-to-back game-winning goals in 3-0 shutout vs. Notre Dame (Oct. 14) and 4-2 win vs. Sacred Heart (Oct. 20).
• Game-winner in 5-3 win at Army (Nov. 4).
• Netted two power-play goals, including what proved to be the game-winner in 5-4 win over New Hampshire (Nov. 24).
• Scored two goals, including the power-play game-winner, in 4-0 shutout of Clarkson (Jan. 5) for a five-game point-scoring streak.
• Put together six-game point streak, including a goal and an assist in 7-1 win at Robert Morris (Jan. 20).
• Season-high three points on a goal and two assists in 7-6 OT win at Mercyhurst (Feb. 9).
• Two assists in 7-3 win vs. Air Force (Feb. 16) as well as 9-2 win vs. Canisius (Feb. 23).
• Power-play goal in 3-2 regular-season closing win at Canisius (Feb. 24) to start a four-game goal-scoring streak.
• Goal and an assist in 7-0 shutout over Robert Morris (Mar. 8) to start AHA Tournament.
• Goal and an assist versus Boston University in 6-3 NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinal setback (Mar. 28).
2022-23
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Atlantic Hockey First-Team All-Conference
•
Hobey Baker Award Nominee
•
Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Team
• Atlantic Hockey Player of the Month:
October
• Atlantic Hockey Defensive Player of the Week:
Oct. 24 |
Nov. 14 |
Dec. 5 |
Feb. 27
• Ended the campaign first nationally among defensemen with 14 goals and tied for sixth with 32 points
• Broke the Tigers' D1-era single-season record for goals by a defenseman, surpassing the 11 notched by Chris Saracino (2012-13), Dan Ringwald (2009-10) and Chris Haltgin (2009-10).
• Won a league-best four Atlantic Hockey Defensive Player of the Week citations.
• Finished first for the Tigers in plus-minus with a +20.
• Scored the overtime game-winning goal and added two assists in the Tigers' series-clinching 4-3 victory over Mercyhurst in the Atlantic Hockey Tournament Quarterfinals (Mar. 4).
• Notched the game-tying goal and an assist in the 4-3 overtime victory opposite Holy Cross during the Atlantic Hockey Semifinals (Mar. 11).
• Goal and career-high three assists for career-high four points in 10-4 victory at Canisius (Dec. 3).
• Two goals, including the game-winner, in 3-1 victory over Sacred Heart (Nov. 12).
• Two goals and an assist in 5-2 win at Holy Cross (Oct. 28).
• GWG in 3-1 win over Air Force (Feb. 24).
• Goal and a career-high four blocks in 4-1 win over Army (Oct. 8).
2021-22
• Played all 38 games during his first season with the Tigers
• Totaled eight points on three goals and five assists while tying for seventh on the team with 24 blocked shots
• Notched two assists for first points in an RIT sweater during 3-2 win vs. Holy Cross (Nov. 19)
• Added assists in 5-4 win at Princton (Nov. 26) and 3-2 win over Sacred Heart (Jan. 11)
• Career-high three points on two goals and the game-tying assist in 4-4 tie with visiting AIC (Feb. 5)
• Had lone RIT goal in 3-1 setback to Sacred Heart (Mar. 12) in Game 2 of the Tigers' Atlantic Hockey Quarterfinal series
BEFORE RIT
• Transferred from UMass-Amherst after two seasons, including 10 appearances during the Minutemen's run to the 2021 national championship
• Previously made 89 appearances during two seasons with the Youngstown Phantoms (USHL), registering 44 points on 11 goals and 33 assists
• Tallied 35 points (9 goals, 26 assists) in 51 games during 2018-19 season, finishing 11th in points and sixth in goals among the league's defenseman
• Spent two seasons with the Toronto Jr. Canadians (OJHL), earning First Team All-Prospect honors in 2017 after totaling 51 points (19 goals, 32 assists) in 57 games
PERSONAL
• Gianfranco "JoJo" Cassaro was born in Toronto
• Son of Lisa and Dino Cassaro, also has one younger sister - Bianca
• Enjoys playing golf and spending time with family and friends in his spare time
• Toronto Maple Leafs fan
• Management major
