By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA He has had plenty of opportunities to score goals in the first three weeks of the American Hockey League season. Breakaways. Uncontested shots from the slot. Point-blank rebounds. Yet going into Wednesday night's matchup against the Hershey Bears, just one of the 26 shots C.J. Smith had fired on goal in the first six games actually went in. "He's probably … [Read more...] about Smith gets back to scoring as Amerks defeat Hershey
For RIT, big saves, big goals, big defense, big balance mean big winning
By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA Here's how you know the Rochester Institute of Technology men's hockey team might be pretty good: » When you win your Brick City Homecoming game 4-0 over Merrimack College — and your fourth line scores two of the goals. "It's the perfect storm right now," said junior center Bryson Traptow, who assisted on two goals. "It's waves after waves and teams can't … [Read more...] about For RIT, big saves, big goals, big defense, big balance mean big winning
Luck of the Tigers: Notre Dame will be 2020 Brick City Homecoming foe
By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA As RIT's Brick City Homecoming game has grown into an annual can't-miss event in downtown Rochester, some of the biggest names in college hockey have come to town. In successive years, between 2013 and 2015, Penn State, Michigan and Boston College played the Tigers at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial. Next year, one of the biggest names in collegiate … [Read more...] about Luck of the Tigers: Notre Dame will be 2020 Brick City Homecoming foe
Friday Amerks 6-pack: Pilut returns; Dea-Wilson chemistry; Asplund hurt
By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA His teammates had a two-week head start on him, not to mention the preseason, so Lawrence Pilut was playing catch-up on Friday night. Off-season shoulder surgery kept the second-year defenseman from participating in games of any sort through training camp and half of October. Thus, when he was finally given the go-ahead to return to the lineup against the … [Read more...] about Friday Amerks 6-pack: Pilut returns; Dea-Wilson chemistry; Asplund hurt
Wings’ Skinner, Cliburn sent packing by parent Twins
By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA When you've been in professional baseball for 42 years, catch phrases become your thing. For Rochester Red Wings pitching coach Stu Cliburn, it was "Now we go." If the team was in a rut, Cliburn always had the inspirational three-word message: Now we go. When it was game time, he was quick to say, Now we go. On Friday, the parent Minnesota Twins had a … [Read more...] about Wings’ Skinner, Cliburn sent packing by parent Twins