Men's Hockey opens AHA play at Mercyhurst this Friday and Saturday

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The RIT Men's Hockey team opens Atlantic Hockey play with a pair of games at Mercyhurst this Friday (7:00 p.m.) and Saturday (4:00 p.m.).

RIT opened the 62nd season in program history with a road split last weekend, bouncing back from a 3-2 OT setback to St. Lawrence on Saturday with a 3-2 win at Clarkson on Saturday. 

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TIGER REWIND
RIT kicked off the season with a road split last weekend, bouncing back from a 3-2 OT loss at St. Lawrence on Saturday with a 3-2 victory at Clarkson on Sunday. 

Graduate student defenseman Dimitri Mikrogiannakis tallied two goals, including the game-tying tally late in the third period, but it was St Lawrence scoring the game-winner with 2:21 in overtime to take the opener.  Trailing, 2-0, after the first period, graduate-student transfer Nick Cafarelli and sophomore defenseman Crossley Stewart were credited with assists on Mikrogiannakis' first goal at 4:27 of the second. Junior forward Simon Isabelle later caused a turnover and fed Mikrogiannakis for the game-tying goal with 1:57 left in regulation. Junior transfer Trent Burnham stopped 24 saves during his first start in a Tiger sweater. 

On Sunday, senior forward Tanner Andrew scored what proved to be the game-winner with 4:50 left in regulation while first-year goaltender Jakub Krbecek stopped 32 shots to preserve a victory in his first collegiate start. Following a scoreless first period, sophomore forward Christian Catalano put RIT on the board 56 seconds into the second before Cafarelli cashed in an Isabelle feed for his first Tiger goal five minutes later. The Golden Knights got one back with under five minutes left in the second, but were held scoreless until the closing seconds of regulation, skating with an extra man and an empty net. Krbecek was tabbed the Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Week for his efforts. 

OPENING ACTS
RIT fell to 5-13-2 in season openers during the Division-I era, including its second-consecutive setback to St. Lawrence. The Tigers however carry an 11-4-3 record in Atlantic Hockey openers into this Friday's game at Mercyhurst, including an 8-1-1 record the last 10 seasons. RIT earned a 4-2 win over visiting Sacred Heart last October to start the conference season with a win for the third-straight year.  

2023-24 RECAP

• RIT finished the 2023-24 campaign with a 27-11-2 record, including its first Atlantic Hockey Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance since 2016. 
• RIT compiled an 18-7-1 AHA mark to clinch the Bob DeGregorio Trophy and the top seed for the AHA Tournament for the second-consecutive year. 
• RIT finished with a 5-0 record during the 2024 AHA Tournament, including a 5-2 victory over AIC in the championship game at the Polisseni Center. The Tigers out-scored their opponents by a 26-6 margin during the tournament.  
• The Tigers saw a seven-game unbeaten streak end in the NCAA Regional Semifinals following a 6-3 setback to second overall seed Boston University in a game played in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
• RIT logged back-to-back 20-win seasons for only the second time at the Division-I level after also finishing 2022-23 with a 25-13-1 record. RIT went 23-13-2 in 2008-09 before finishing with a DI-era best 28-12-1 record during its run to the Frozen Four in 2009-10. 
• RIT finished the season sixth nationally with 3.90 goals per game and fifth with a +1.50 scoring margin. The Tigers also finished eighth in scoring defense (2.40) while owning the fourth-ranked penalty kill (.865) and 13th-ranked power play (.240). 
• RIT completed the season with a 19-0-1 record when leading after the first period and a 23-2-2 mark when leading after the second period. 
• The Tigers were also 22-0-1 when leading by multiple goals and 22-1-1 when holding opponents to less than three goals. 
• RIT scored at least five goals on 14 occasions last season – finishing undefeated in those games. 
• RIT averaged 3.92 goals in its 26 Atlantic Hockey games last winter, totaling 102 tallies in conference play. Air Force finished second with 88 goals and 3.38 goals per game. 

AHA PRESEASON POLL
Defending champion RIT was picked second in the 2024-25 Atlantic Hockey Preseason Coaches' Poll. Sacred Heart was voted first with 102 votes, including five first-place votes. The Tigers received 94 votes (three first), followed by Holy Cross (93/1), AIC (84/1) and Bentley (76) in the top-five of the 11-team conference.

ROARING 20
The 2024-25 season is RIT's 20th campaign at the NCAA Division I level. The Tigers own a 346-284-68 record (.544 W%) since making the jump for the 2005-06 season.    

WAYNE'S WORLD
Head Coach Wayne Wilson is in his 26th season on the RIT bench. Named the Atlantic Hockey Coach of the Year for the second-straight season after last season's championship run, Wilson entered the 2024-25 campaign with 461 victories – 34th in NCAA men's hockey history – and was also 10th among active coaches with a 461-314-80 record the last 25 seasons. The only coach in NCAA history to win the Spencer Penrose (D1 National COY, 2010) and the Edward Jeremiah (D3 National COY, 2001) awards, he totaled a 116-31-12 mark in six Division III campaigns (1999-05) and brought a 345-283-68 Division-I record into the season. Wilson coached his 850th career game in last season's AHA Tournament opening win over Robert Morris - only the 42nd NCAA coach to achieve the milestone.

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES
Fifth-year Gianfranco Cassaro graduated after finishing first nationally among defensemen with 18 goals while totaling 38 points to tie for fourth last winter. He also tied for ninth among all skaters with five game-winning goals and tied for 14th with eight power play goals – the most among defensemen. In three seasons with the squad, he scored 35 goals – the most ever by a D1-era defenseman – to go along with 43 assists for 78 points. 

Graduate-student forward Elijah Gonsalves graduated after leading the squad with 20 goals and tying for third with 38 points. A third-team All-AHA pick last season, he was also named the Atlantic Hockey Tournament MVP after totaling two goals and two assists in the championship victory over AIC. Gonsalves graduated 11th in D1-era program history with 108 points on 47 goals and 68 assists during his five-year career. 

Graduate student captain Caleb Moretz and graduate student defenseman Ryan Nicholson also departed after five years and a combined 318 games of experience between them. Nicholson finished third in Tiger history with 160 games played, while Moretz ended his career with 158 appearances. 

PORTAL TO ANOTHER PLACE AND TIME
Four players from last year's squad also departed via the NCAA transfer portal:
Tommy Scarfone (Wisconsin) was named the 2024 Atlantic Hockey Goaltender of the Year and First-Team All-AHA for the second-straight season after finishing third nationally with a 25-9-2 record, fourth with a .925 save percentage and 12th with a 2.26 GAA. He departed first in program history with 2,494 saves and 55 wins, making a single-season record 1,015 stops last winter. 
Two-time All-AHA forward Carter Wilkie (North Dakota) tied for first with 41 points on 16 goals and 25 assists last year, departing eighth in program history with 111 points (43G/68A)
Cody Laskosky (Wisconsin) tied for the team lead with 41 points (14G/27A) en route to First-Team All-AHA honors in his fourth season with the team. 
Aiden Hansen-Bukata (Ohio State) landed Second-Team All-AHA recognition for the second-straight season after finishing second for the Tigers with 26 assists and sixth with 31 points. 

WILDE TIMES AHEAD
Sophomore forward Matthew Wilde was named to the 2024-25 Atlantic Hockey Preseason All-Conference Team. Wilde finished his rookie season tied for fifth nationally among first-year players with 19 goals, while tying for 10th among all freshmen with 35 points. He also broke the Division I-era record for goals by a Tiger first-year by five. Wilde finished the season with an 11-game point-scoring streak, totaling 10 goals and five assists during the Tigers' run to finish the season. He started the streak with a team-best six-game goal-scoring streak, including two goals during a 9-2 win over Canisius (Feb. 23). Wilde scored two goals, including what proved to be the game-winner, during RIT's 5-2 victory over AIC in the AHA Championship game.

THE MONEY LINE
Wilde, sophomore forward Tyler Fukakusa and sophomore forward Christian Catalano played 36 games on the same line last year, starting the season as the Tigers' fourth line before making their way up to the second line for the majority of the second semester and all of the postseason. Fukakusa returns after finishing seventh on the squad with 28 points (9G/19A) while Catalano tied for 11th with 17 points (9G/8A). The trio also previously played on the same line prior to coming to RIT during their time with the OJHL Toronto Junior Canadiens in 2021-22. 

C'ING TRIPLE
Fifth-year defenseman Dimitri Mikrogiannakis and senior forwards Tanner Andrew and Grady Hobbs were selected to co-captain the 2024-25 squad and will all wear a "C" on their sweater this season. 

LONG ON LETTERS AND EXPERIENCE
Fifth-year defenseman Dimitri Mikrogiannakis returns to use the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA following the coronavirus pandemic following the 2020-21 season. Selected a 2024-25 tri-captain, Mikrogiannakis has totaled 27 points on seven goals and 20 assists in 122 career appearances. He played all 40 games during last year's championship run while leading the team and finishing 14th nationally with a career-high 71 blocked shots. A four-time Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Team honoree as well as a three-time AHCA All-American Scholar, he tied a career-high with four blocked shots on three occasions, including the 4-1 victory over Niagara (Mar. 15) to open the Atlantic Hockey Quarterfinals. The Aurora, Ontario native also notched a career-high three points – all assists – and blocked four shots in 6-2 victory over Robert Morris (Dec. 2), finishing the season with nine points (2G/7A).

BANNER YEAR FOR TANNER
Senior forward Tanner Andrew was selected a tri-captain for the 2024-25 season. Playing 105 games over three seasons, he has totaled 43 career points on 17 goals and 26 assists. He finished seventh on the squad with a career-high 21 points in 38 appearances last season, logging a career-best 15 assists and six goals while blocking 18 shots. Named an AHCA All-American Scholar as well as an Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Team member for the third-straight season, the Virden, Manitoba native was credited with the game-winning goal and an assist in the Tigers' 3-2 win at Holy Cross (Oct. 27) and also scored what proved to be the game-winner along with an assist in the 9-2 win at Canisius (Feb. 23).  

GRADY THE GREAT
Senior forward Grady Hobbs was selected a tri-captain for the 2024-25 season. Hobbs brings 111 games of experience to the program, along with 47 points on 26 goals and 21 assists. He totaled career-highs across the board last year with 18 points, 10 goals and eight assists as well as 39 games played. The Deloraine, Manitoba native notched a career-high three points (2G/1A) in the 5-3 win at Army (Nov. 4) and also had a goal and a game-tying assist in the 4-4 tie at Niagara (Feb. 1). A three-time Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Team member, Hobbs scored a power-play goal and blocked four shots in the Atlantic Hockey Tournament Quarterfinal-opening 7-0 victory over Robert Morris (Mar. 8) before tallying an assist the following night in the 5-1 victory to complete the sweep.

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.

RIT SELECTED TO PLAY IN 2025 FRIENDSHIP FOUR
The RIT Men's Hockey team will take part in the 2025 Friendship Four in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Set to take place in November of 2025 on the Friday and Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend, the Tigers will join fellow Atlantic Hockey member Sacred Heart, along with Miami-Ohio and Union for a four-game tournament at the SSE Arena - home of the Belfast Giants – with the coveted Belpot going to the winner. RIT and Sacred Heart will be the first two Atlantic Hockey teams to play in the event. The only NCAA intercollegiate ice hockey tournament to take place outside of the United States, The Friendship Four men's tournament has been played six times since the inaugural event in 2015.