RIT Tigers men's ice hockey
| RIT Tigers | |
|---|---|
| RIT Tigers athletic logo | |
| University | Rochester Institute of Technology |
| Conference | AHA |
| Head coach | Wayne Wilson 17th year, 317–193–60 |
| Arena | Gene Polisseni Center Capacity: 4,300 |
| Location | Henrietta, New York |
| Student section | RIT Corner Crew |
| NCAA Tournament Champions | |
| Division II: 1983 Division III: 1985 |
|
| NCAA Tournament Frozen Four | |
| Division II: 1983 Division III: 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1996, 1999, 2001 Division I: 2010 |
|
| NCAA Tournament Appearances | |
| Division II: 1983 Division III: 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 Division I: 2010, 2015, 2016 |
|
| Conference Tournament Champions | |
| Division III: (ECAC West): 1984, 1986, 1989, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 Division I: (Atlantic Hockey): 2010, 2015, 2016 |
|
| Conference Regular Season Champions | |
| Division III: (ECAC West): 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 Division I: (Atlantic Hockey): 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11 |
|
| Current uniform | |
 |
|
The RIT Tigers men's ice hockey team is one of two hockey teams representing Rochester Institute of Technology in suburban Rochester, New York. The school's men's team competes in the Division I Atlantic Hockey conference. The team has won two national championships, one each at the Division II and Division III levels. It lost in the semifinals of the Division I "Frozen Four" in 2010.
Contents
History
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Founding, Division II and Division III
In the fall of 1957, RIT student Jack Trickey founded the Monroe County Amateur Hockey (MCAHA) Association. A group of RIT students made up the majority of one of the teams. In 1958, the RIT Hockey Club was founded, and competed in the MCAHA until the league folded in 1960. The RIT hockey team continued to play against junior varsity and club teams. The RIT student council and athletic committee recommended that hockey be added to the athletic program, and men's hockey later became a varsity sport.[1] The team competed at the Division II and III level for several years, winning a national championship in Division II (1983) and another in Division III (1985), before moving up to Division I in 2005–2006.[2]
NCAA Division I
In their first year (2005-2006) in the Atlantic Hockey Association, the Tigers won the regular season title, and went on to win 2 more in the next 3 years. They were ineligible to compete in the playoffs until the 2007-2008 season. In the 2007-2008 season , the Tigers played in the Mariucci classic in which they stunned the number 12 ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers 4-3 but fell to number 14 Boston College 6-0. During the playoffs, they swept Holy Cross but were shutout by the Air Force Falcons in the first round of the AHA Tournament 5-0 who were without their Hobey Baker finalist Eric Ehn. In the 2008-2009 season, the Tigers played some of their best regular season hockey (notably an 11 game win streak from December 6th to January 25th). They met Holy Cross again in the playoffs and won the series 2-1 but fell in the AHA Tournament to the Mercyhurst Lakers 5-4 in overtime. Highlights of the game include Mercyhurst overcoming a 3-1 deficit and the Tigers tying the game with under a minute left. In the 2009-10 season, the Tigers made a historic run all the way to the 2010 NCAA Frozen Four, sweeping Connecticut in the first round and winning the AHA Tournament by beating the Canisius Golden Griffins as well as the Sacred Heart Pioneers to advance to the NCAA tournament as the conference's autobid. The Tigers defeated the Denver Pioneers 2–1 and the University of New Hampshire Wildcats 6–2 in the east regional in Albany, NY where they advanced to the Frozen Four. The team's run came to an end in the national semifinals, where they fell to the University of Wisconsin Badgers 8–1.[3] In the 2010-2011 season, the Tigers played in the Maverick stampede but lost both their games against the number 4 St. Cloud State and the University of Nebraska-Omaha. The Tigers won yet another regular season title and made it all the way to the AHA championship game where they fell to the Air Force Falcons by a close score of 1-0 but were unable to solve Jason Torf who made 40 saves. In the 2011–2012 season, the Tigers struggled early on, but bounced back in the second half of the season, eliminating the Bentley Falcons after falling behind 1-0 in the series but prevailing in their next two games. They advanced again to the AHA championship game where they eliminated Niagra in overtime but fell yet again to the Air Force Falcons getting shutout 4-0 courtesy of tournament MVP Jason Torf. The next two seasons brought frustration for the Tigers, as they finished the 2012–2013 season at 15–18–5, their first losing record since joining Atlantic Hockey.[4] This was also the first time they were unable to advance to the Blue Cross Arena as they defeated American International College, but were swept by the Niagara Purple Eagles losing in overtime in the second game. The following year (2013-2014), the Tigers played their final season at their home ice rink, Frank Ritter Memorial Ice Arena. The Tigers only won 6 out of 16 games at their home arena.[5] Although they struggled that season, the Tigers participated in the "Frozen Frontier," a 10 day hockey festival at Rochester's Frontier Field outdoor baseball stadium.[6] The Tigers took on their AHA rivals, the Niagara University Purple Eagles on December 14. The teams skated to a 2–2 tie in the snow storm and 16 degree temperatures.[7] In their final game at Ritter Arena, the Tigers defeated their long time AHA rival, the Canisius College Golden Griffins 3–1.[8]
In the playoffs, the Tigers played admirably, winning the first game in overtime against Holy Cross before getting blown away in game 2 5-1. In the deciding game, The Tigers led 2-0 but Holy Cross came from behind to tie the game in the second period forcing overtime where they completed the comeback.
The Tigers moved into the 4,300 seat Gene Polisseni Center in the fall of 2014 for the 2014–15 season.[9] Their first season in the Polisseni Center saw the Tigers finish with a 20–15–5 overall record. They played in the Mariucci classic losing both games against number 9 ranked Massachusetts-Lowell and number 8 ranked Minnesota. In the playoffs, they swept the Air Force Falcons in the first round and defeated Canisius in the AHA Tournament (2-1) as well as defeating the Meryhurst Lakers by a score of 5–1 to win the Atlantic Hockey championship and advance to the NCAA Division I tournament for the second time in the program's history. The team went on to knock off the Minnesota State Mavericks in the first round of the NCAA tournament, becoming the first #16 seed to defeat the top overall seed since the 16-team format was implemented in 2003.[10] The Tigers fell to the University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks in the following round by a score of 4–0, ending their playoff run.[11] In the 2015–16 season, the Tigers lost home ice in the first round to Mercyhurst as they were swept in their last two games of the regular season on home ice, however the Tigers returned the favor in the postseason by sweeping the Lakers on the road. The Tigers once again were in the AHA tournament and faced the Air Force Falcons once again. The Tigers trailed 1-0 heading into the third and it would appear that they were headed to another shutout loss, but Andrew Miller scored with under 3 minutes left in the third to even the score. In overtime, the Tigers completed their comeback winning 2-1. The Tigers would then claim the Atlantic Hockey championship once again, convincingly defeating the Robert Morris Colonials by a score of 7–4, to advance to the NCAA Division 1 tournament for the second straight year.[12] The team's playoff run was ended in the first round of the east regional in Albany, NY by the Quinnipiac Bobcats by a score of 4–0.[13]
Season-by-season results
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Division I
| Season | GP | W | L | T | Finish | Playoffs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | 39 | 18 | 15 | 6 | 5th, AHA | Won AHC Tournament Lost in NCAA East Regional semifinal, 0–4 (Quinnipiac) |
|
| 2014–15 | 40 | 20 | 15 | 5 | T-3rd, AHA | Won AHC Tournament Lost in NCAA Midwest Regional final, 0–4 (Omaha) |
First season at Gene Polisseni Center Forward Matt Garbowsky finalist for Hobey Baker Award Became first ever NCAA Tournament #16 seed to defeat the #1 overall seed |
| 2013–14 | 37 | 12 | 20 | 5 | 9th, AHA | Lost in AHA Tournament first round, 3–2 (OT), 1–5, 2–3 (OT) (Holy Cross) | Participated in Frozen Frontier Last season at Ritter Arena |
| 2012–13 | 38 | 15 | 18 | 5 | T-7th, AHA | Lost in AHA Tournament quarterfinal, 2–3, 1–2 (OT) (Niagara) | |
| 2011–12 | 39 | 20 | 13 | 6 | 3rd, AHA | Lost in AHA Tournament final, 0–4 (Air Force) | Won Catamount Cup |
| 2010–11 | 38 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 1st, AHA | Lost in AHA Tournament final, 0–1 (Air Force) | |
| 2009–10 | 41 | 28 | 12 | 1 | 1st, AHA | Won AHA Tournament Won NCAA East Regional Lost in NCAA Frozen Four, 1–8 (Wisconsin) |
Coach Wayne Wilson won Spencer Penrose Award |
| 2008–09 | 38 | 23 | 13 | 2 | T-1st, AHA | Lost in AHA Tournament semifinal, 4–5 (OT) (Mercyhurst) | |
| 2007–08 | 37 | 19 | 12 | 6 | 2nd, AHA | Lost in AHA Tournament semifinal, 0–5 (Air Force) | Forward Simon Lambert finalist for Hobey Baker Award |
| 2006–07 | 34 | 21 | 11 | 2 | 1st, AHA | Ineligible (transition year) | |
| 2005–06 | 33 | 9 | 22 | 2 | N/A | Ineligible (transition year) | First D-I season |
NCAA Tournament appearances
| Year | Bracket | Location | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | East Regional | Times Union Center | Denver | W 2–1 |
| New Hampshire | W 6–2 | |||
| Frozen Four | Ford Field | Wisconsin | L 1–8 | |
| 2015 | Midwest Regional | Compton Family Ice Arena | Minnesota State | W 2–1 |
| Omaha | L 0–4 | |||
| 2016 | East Regional | Times Union Center | Quinnipiac | L 0–4 |
Players
Current roster
As of December 23, 2015[14]
| # | S/P/C | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Christian Short | Freshman | G | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 1995-10-12 | Vaughan, Ontario | Surrey (BCHL) | — |
| 3 |  |
Alexander Kuqali (C) | Senior | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | 1991-06-13 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Sioux City (USHL) | — |
| 5 |  |
Brad Shumway | Senior | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1992-06-03 | Lafayette, Colorado | Chicago (USHL) | — |
| 6 | |
Gabe Valenzuela | Freshman | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 1994-12-13 | Brampton, Ontario | North York (OJHL) | — |
| 7 | |
Abbott Girduckis | Freshman | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1995-06-28 | Belleville, Ontario | Wellington (OJHL) | — |
| 8 |  |
Chase Norrish | Sophomore | D | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 1993-04-06 | Strongfield, Saskatchewan | Yorkton (SJHL) | — |
| 9 | |
Liam Kerins | Freshman | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1994-11-20 | Caledon, Ontario | North York (OJHL) | — |
| 10 | |
Brady Norrish (A) | Sophomore | D | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1993-04-06 | Strongfield, Saskatchewan | Yorkton (SJHL) | — |
| 11 |  |
Andrew Miller (C) | Senior | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 1991-06-18 | Chicago, Illinois | Chicago (USHL) | — |
| 12 |  |
Greg Amlong | Senior | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 1991-12-08 | O'Fallon, Missouri | UMass Lowell (HEA) | — |
| 14 |  |
Danny Smith | Junior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1992-02-18 | Edmonton, Alberta | Sherwood Park (AJHL) | — |
| 15 |  |
Max Mikowski | Sophomore | F | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | 1993-07-14 | Cheektowaga, New York | Buffalo (OJHL) | — |
| 16 | |
Erik Brown | Freshman | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 1995-09-30 | Keene, Ontario | Kemptville (CCHL) | — |
| 17 | |
Todd Skirving | Junior | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1992-04-30 | Thunder Bay, Ontario | Sioux Falls (USHL) | — |
| 18 | |
Matt Abt | Sophomore | D | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 1993-07-25 | Leduc, Alberta | Whitecourt (AJHL) | — |
| 19 |  |
Myles Powell | Sophomore | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 1994-07-24 | Courtenay, British Columbia | Cowichan Valley (BCHL) | — |
| 21 |  |
Michael Holland | Junior | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 1992-02-06 | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Chicago (USHL) | — |
| 22 | |
Garrett McMullen | Junior | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 1992-02-12 | Churchville, New York | Trail (BCHL) | — |
| 23 | |
Dan Schuler | Senior | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 1992-08-28 | Webster, New York | Powell River (BCHL) | — |
| 25 | |
Josh Mitchell (C) | Senior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 1991-03-21 | Osoyoos, British Columbia | Alberni Valley (BCHL) | — |
| 26 | |
Caleb Cameron | Junior | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1993-03-23 | Sundridge, Ontario | Listowel (GOJHL) | — |
| 27 |  |
Alex Perron-Fontaine | Junior | D | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1992-11-20 | Saint-Mathieu-de-Beloeil, Quebec | Chilliwack (BCHL) | — |
| 28 | |
Mark Logan | Freshman | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 1995-04-14 | Calgary, Alberta | Brooks (AJHL) | — |
| 30 | |
Mike Rotolo | Junior | G | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 245 lb (111 kg) | 1993-10-01 | Rochester, New York | Cedar Rapids (USHL) | — |
| 33 | |
Gavin Lewis | Freshman | G | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | Mountaintop, Pennsylvania | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights (NAHL) | — |
Staff
- Head Coach: Wayne Wilson
- Associate Head Coach: Brian Hills
- Assistant Coach: Dave Insalaco
- Volunteer Assistant Coach: Mike Germain
- Hockey Operations Director: Jeff Siegel
- Student Manager: Ryan Stadtlander
Alumni
- Matt Garbowsky ('15) – Rochester Americans (AHL)
- Cameron Burt ('12) – Manchester Monarchs (AHL)
- Chris Haltigin ('12) – Bakersfield Condors (ECHL) / Alaska Aces (ECHL)
- Tyler Brenner ('11) – Toronto Marlies (AHL)
- Andrew Favot ('11) – Elmira Jackals (ECHL)
- Jared DeMichiel ('10) – Elmira Jackals (ECHL)
- Bobby Raymond ('10) – Florida Everblades (ECHL) / Binghamton Senators (AHL)
- Brennan Sarazin ('10) – Thousand Islands Privateers (Federal Hockey League)
- Dan Ringwald ('10) – Stockton Thunder (ECHL) / Oklahoma City Barons (AHL)
- Anton Kharin ('09) – Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (CHL)
- Louis Ménard ('09) – Sherbrooke Saint-François (Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey)
- Brent Patry ('08) – Chamonix HC (Ligue Magnus)
- Simon Lambert (ice hockey) ('08) – Olofströms Eishockeyclub (Elitserien)
- Stephen Burns (ice hockey) ('08) – SG Cortina (Serie A)
- Steve Pinizzotto (-) – Hershey Bears (AHL) /Edmonton Oilers (NHL)
- Christopher Tanev (-) – Manitoba Moose (AHL) / Vancouver Canucks (NHL)
Award winners
National
Hobey Baker Award finalists
|
Coach of the Year
Tournament MVP
|
Atlantic Hockey Association
Player of the Year
|
Tournament MVP
School records
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See also
Notes
References
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- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.: In the 2000s, school colors changed from Orange and Burnt Umber to Orange and Brown.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://www.ritathletics.com/news/2004/12/15/mhock121504.aspx?path=mhock
- ↑ http://www.ritathletics.com/news/2010/4/8/MHOCKEY_0408104444.aspx?path=mhock
- ↑ http://www.ritathletics.com/custompages/mhock/2012-13/teamcume.htm
- ↑ http://www.ritathletics.com/custompages/mhock/2013-14/teamcume.htm
- ↑ http://www.rit.edu/news/story.php?id=50319
- ↑ http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/sports/college/2013/12/14/rit-niagara-tie-at-wintry-frozen-frontier/4028437/
- ↑ http://www.ritathletics.com/news/2014/3/1/MHOCKEY_0301141311.aspx
- ↑ http://www.rit.edu/fa/arenas/gene-polisseni-center/about-facility
- ↑ http://www.ritathletics.com/news/2015/3/28/MHOCKEY_0328155151.aspx
- ↑ http://www.ritathletics.com/news/2015/5/5/MHOCKEY_0505154635.aspx
- ↑ http://www.uscho.com/recaps/2016/03/19/powell-rit-topple-robert-morris-for-second-straight-atlantic-hockey-title/
- ↑ http://www.uscho.com/recaps/2016/03/26/quinnipiac-gets-three-third-period-goals-garteig-shutout-to-advance-past-rit/
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
