Courtesy of RITAthletics.com
ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT men’s hockey team plays its final two games of the 2017 calendar year and starts the second half of the regular season on Friday, Dec. 29 and Saturday, Dec. 30 with two games at Atlantic Hockey rival Mercyhurst University. Both games from the Mercyhurst Ice Center get underway at 7:05 p.m.
Starting this weekend, all 18 of RIT’s remaining regular season games are against league foes. The Tigers return home on Jan. 12-13 to take on Air Force.
RIT enters the weekend with an 8-7-1 overall and record and 7-3-0 mark in conference play. The Tigers were last in action on Dec. 8-9, splitting a pair of road games at No. 9 Providence College, falling 8-3 before rebounding to win 4-0. Myles Powell (Courtenay, British Columbia/Cowichan Valley Capitals) had three goals over the weekend, while Alden Dupuis (Edmonton, Alberta/Bonnyville Pontiacs ) added two goals and an assist. Goaltender Christian Short (Vaughan, Ontario/Surrey Eagles)recorded his first collegiate shutout in the 4-0 win, making 28 saves.
Powell leads the team in scoring with 19 points on seven goals and 12 assists. He has five goals and is plus-8 over his last three games. Erik Brown (Keene, Ontario/Kemptville 73’s) has a team-best 11 goals. Brown and Gabe Valenzuela (Brampton, Ontario/North York Rangers) have 17 points apiece, while Abbott Girduckis(Belleville, Ontario/Wellington Dukes) is right behind with 16. In net, Logan Drackett (Calgary, Alberta/Calgary Canucks) is 6-5-1 with a 3.63 goals against average and an .872 save percentage, while Short is 2-2-0 with a 2.77 goals against average and a .911 save percentage. Short has a 1.63 goals against average and a .945 save percentage over his last three starts.
Mercyhurst is 7-9-2 overall and 4-6-2 in Atlantic Hockey play. The Lakers were last in action on Dec. 16-17, losing both ends of a home-and-home series to league foe Robert Morris by scores of 5-2 and 5-3. Seven Lakers have at least 10 points. Jonathan Charbonneau, Taylor Best and Derek Barach have 16 points apiece to lead the team in scoring. Charbonneau has a team best eight goals, while Barach and Joseph Duszak have 11 assists apiece. In net, Brandon Wildung is 6-8-2 with a 3.21 goals against average and a .907 save percentage.
This weekend marks the first two of four regular season meetings between the two schools in 2017-18. RIT will host the Lakers for a pair of games to close out the regular season on Feb. 23-24.
RIT leads the all-time series between the two schools, 39-20-6, including a 23-11-3 edge since moving to Division I in 2005. Both teams were also rivals in the ECAC West at the Division III levels in the late 1980s and 1990s. RIT won both meetings between the two schools last season at the Mercyhurst Ice Center by scores of 4-3 and 7-1.
Live video will be available for both contests. In addition, both games will be broadcast on WITR 89.7 FM and Fox Sports 1280 with Scott Biggar and Ed Trefzger on the call from the Mercyhurst Ice Center. Live stats will also be available for each game.
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