By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
At first glance, when you simply looked at the lineups, Rochester Institute of Technology’s Brick City Homecoming game against Michigan State University probably should have been easy to predict.
On one bench were the Tigers, very much a program building an identity with 11 newcomers to the campus, a team that hasn’t been nationally ranked since their NCAA regional appearance in 2024.
On the other bench, the perennial powerhouse Spartans, ranked No. 3 in the nation with a roster that doubles as an NHL draft board.
A dozen first-round draft picks, including the entire first and third lines, three of the top four defensemen and the goalie (Joshua Ravensbergen).
In all, 17 players on the Michigan State roster have been drafted. Among NCAA teams, only Boston University has more draft picks (18).
“They’re the talk of college hockey with the talent they have, the number of first-round picks they have,” RIT coach Matt Thomas said.
And the Tigers? They have two players that were drafted. Defenseman Matthew Mania, a fifth-rounder by the Los Angeles Kings in 2023 who arrived in Henrietta via the transfer portal from the University of Michigan, and Ben Roger, who was selected in the second round in 2021 by the Ottawa Senators but was never offered a contract.
Thus, the Spartans’ 5-1 victory on Saturday night was hardly a surprise. Except this was no blowout.
“We played well, no matter the score,” sophomore center Caleb Elfering said. “You saw our skill level.”
Indeed, for more than 46 minutes, RIT played save for save and stride for stride with the Spartans in the annual homecoming game at the sold-out Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial (10,556 fans).
While Michigan State pulled away late, using a short-handed goal by Finnish-born Tommi Mannisto 6:26 into the third period to deflate a Tigers team that was relentless from the opening puck drop to the final buzzer.
“I think our players should be proud, we made them earn it,” Thomas said.
They also now can see where they stand in the college hockey world. Last week, playing at then No. 18-ranked UMass-Amherst, the Tigers (1-3-1) tied 2-2 in the series opener before losing 5-1 in the second game.
Then on Saturday, while there certainly was a talent discrepancy, they put a bit of scare into the Spartans (3-0).
“We could have scored five goals, we had some great chances,” Thomas said. “You tip your hat to the goaltender; you don’t know how some of those didn’t go in.”
That was true at the other end as well, where Tigers junior goalie Jakub Krbecek was brilliant in yet another Brick City game. He stopped 24 of the first 26 Michigan State shots, at least a half-dozen from prime scoring areas, to keep RIT close.
In his three games in downtown Rochester, Krbecek has made 101 saves on 109 shots in games against Clarkson (6-2 win last year, 26 saves) and Bowling Green (2-1 overtime loss in 2024, 43 saves).
He’s very much part of the path to success for the Tigers.
“We’re a young team, we’re learning about ourselves,” Thomas said. “In that game I thought there was a lot of growth.”
Like in the third period, when, trailing 2-1, the Tigers had to kill off three minutes of a major penalty and, for a portion of it were two men short.
But the penalty killing trios – Brock Reinhart, Kevin Scott and Zach Wigle, then Elfering, Roger and Ryan Williams – blocked more shots than (four) than Krbecek was forced to face (three).
“It shows how diehard we are for the RIT logo,” said Elfering, who set up Romeo’s power-play goal 8:50 into the second period to cut the Spartans lead to 2-1.
The Tigers then had a chance to pull even with their own power play but instead gave up Mannisto’s short-handed goal.
Anthony Romani then scored off a two-on-one fast break to give Michigan State a 4-1 lead with 10:01 remaining before Eric Nilson scored an inconsequential empty-net goal with 2:23 left.
“We should believe we can hang with any team,” Thomas said.
Come playoff time in March, should the building process go as planned, the Tigers will believe they can not just hang with but defeat any team.
“I think we’re building to that,” Thomas said.
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