Men’s Hockey kicks off New Year with two video games vs. No. 8/9 Penn State

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The RIT Men’s Hockey workforce opens 2026 with a pair of contests reverse nationally-ranked Penn State this weekend, internet hosting the Nittany Lions on Saturday earlier than heading to State College, Pa. on Sunday.
 
The Tigers opened the semester with a 3-2 setback on Monday whereas Penn State hasn’t performed a recreation in over a month, splitting a street doubleheader at Minnesota Nov. 21 (L, 3-2) and Nov. 22 (W, 2-1).
 
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TIGER REWIND

RIT fell at Clarkson, 3-2, on Monday, taking the ice for the primary time following a three-week vacation layoff regardless of two objectives by first-year ahead Evan Konyen 

Konyen opened the scoring with 2:30 remaining within the first interval off an help by senior ahead Austin Brimmer, earlier than the Golden Knights evened the scored 1:33 into the second and later took the lead at 8:21. Clarkson constructed a 3-1 lead 47 seconds into the third earlier than RIT obtained one again on a Konyen redirect skating 6-on-5 with 2:13 left in regulation. The Golden Knights fended off the Tigers within the closing minutes, together with killing an influence play after an interference penalty with 2:00 on the clock to earn the win. Senior defenseman Xavier Lapointe and first-year ahead Zach Wigle have been every credited with assists whereas sophomore goaltender Jakub Krbecek totaled 25 saves. 

COMMON OPPONENT

Clarkson break up two video games at then fourth-ranked Penn State earlier this season, successful, 6-4, and falling, 5-2, on Oct. 9-10, earlier than heading to Rochester the next weekend to tackle RIT within the Brick City Homecoming and Family Weekend recreation at Blue Cross Arena. The Tigers gained, 6-2.

THE KILLERS

RIT enters the weekend ranked fourth nationally and first within the AHA with a .912 penalty killing share, solely permitting 5 objectives in 57 opponent energy play makes an attempt this season. RIT additionally sits eleventh nationally and first within the convention in scoring protection, solely permitting 2.28 objectives per recreation.

POWER OUTAGE

RIT seems to open the brand new semester on a excessive observe, returning to the identical type it had through the nine-game successful streak that preceded its present 1-6-0 slide. After averaging higher than 4 objectives per recreation through the successful streak, the Tigers have been outscored, 20-10, over its final seven outings, together with back-to-back shutouts for the primary time in D1-era program historical past. 

I’D LIKE A WORD WITH THE SCHEDULE MAKER

After enjoying at residence in seven of its first 9 video games of the season, together with six straight occasions to open the marketing campaign, RIT closed a nine-game stretch on Monday that solely included one residence recreation. 

KRBECEK APPEAL

Sophomore goaltender Jakub Krbecek ranks among the many nation’s high netminders up to now this season. Among goaltenders who performed no less than half their workforce’s minutes, he completed the primary semester third nationally with a 1.75 objectives in opposition to common and fourth with a .932 save share, whereas his 10 victories have been tied for fifth. Krbecek was named the AHA Goaltender of the Month after compiling a 4-1-0 file in 5 October begins, highlighted by a season-high 39-save efficiency through the 7-3 win over Air Force (Oct. 25) and 28 saves within the 6-2 win over Clarkson (Oct. 18) within the Brick City Homecoming recreation. He additionally landed his first profession AHA Goaltender of the Week honor after combining to cease 42 of 44 photographs versus Colgate, together with 28 saves within the 4-1 win after stopping 14 of 15 photographs within the opening 3-1 win. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• RIT is at present 9-0 when scoring no less than three objectives however is 1-8 when scoring fewer than three objectives.

• RIT is 9-2 when holding opponents beneath three objectives, however 1-6 when permitting three or extra objectives. 

• The Tigers are 10-2 when holding no less than a share of the lead after two durations this season, together with an 8-0 mark when main after 40 minutes of play. However, RIT is 0-6 when trailing coming into the third interval. 

EVERYBODY EATS

Seventeen Tigers have scored no less than one purpose this season, whereas 22 of the 24 whole skaters have notched no less than one level. Senior defenseman Xavier Lapointe notched his first help of the season in Mondays loss at Clarkson to change into the most recent level scorer whereas junior defenseman Ben Roger notched his first purpose of the season within the 2-1 win at Robert Morris (Nov. 14).

TIGERS VS. PENN STATE

RIT has performed Penn State 4 occasions previous to this weekend’s video games. Penn State most not too long ago swept a home-and-home sequence through the 2022-23 season, successful 6-1 in Rochester (Dec. 30) earlier than taking a 3-1 win in University Park, Pa. The groups additionally performed to 3-3 tie through the 2013 season that noticed RIT earn a 2-0 shootout win. Penn State gained the first-ever assembly between the groups, 3-2, through the 2012 Brick City Homecoming recreation, performed at Blue Cross Arena. 

TIGERS VS. THE BIG 10

RIT is 2-6-1 in 9 video games versus Big 10 opponents, all time. The Tigers most not too long ago shutout Notre Dame, 3-0, through the 2023 Brick City Homecoming recreation at Blue Cross Arena (Oct. 14). RIT fell twice to Penn State (6-1, 3-1) throughout a home-and-home sequence throughout in 2022-23, after splitting two video games at Notre Dame in 2021-22, successful 3-2 in additional time earlier than falling, 6-0. RIT can be scheduled to host Michigan State in subsequent season’s Brick City Homecoming recreation. 

LONG STRANGE TRIP

Prior to its residence victory over Canisius on Dec. 8, RIT had traveled over 8,600 miles, together with round-trip flights throughout the Atlantic Ocean from Toronto to Dublin, round-trip bus journeys between Dublin and Belfast, and round-trip bus rides from Rochester to Toronto, Boston, Pittsburgh and Niagara University, N.Y., since its final residence recreation. 

WE’RE GOING STREAKING!

RIT’s nine-game successful streak earlier this season was the third-longest Division I-era run in program historical past and was the second-longest common season run.

ROOKIE COOKIES

RIT first-years William Moore, Zach Wigle and Evan Konyen have made an instantaneous influence to start out their careers in a Tiger uniform. Playing on the identical line in all however three video games to this point, the trio has totaled 28 factors on 13 objectives and 15 assists up to now. Following his two-goal effort in Monday’s recreation at Clarkson, Konyen is tied for second for the Tigers with 11 factors and tied for first with six objectives. Wigle is fifth with 10 factors (4G/6A), whereas Moore has notched three objectives – together with back-to-back game-winners reverse Air Force (Oct. 25) and Colgate (Oct. 31) – together with 4 assists.   

ELF OFF THE SHELF 

First-year ahead Caleb Elfering was voted the AHA Rookie of the Month for October. Elfering completed the month with six factors on two objectives and 4 assists. He totaled three factors through the Air Force sweep, beginning with an help and two blocked photographs within the 5-1 win earlier than including a purpose and two assists within the 7-3 victory to land AHA Rookie of the Week recognition. He additionally scored his first purpose in a Tiger sweater through the homecoming victory over Clarkson and most not too long ago tallied his fourth purpose of the season within the Canisius win.

MEET THE NEW BOSS

RIT Head Coach Matt Thomas is off to a stable begin to his first season behind the bench in Rochester. The former RIT captain took the reins at his alma mater final spring, turning into solely the eighth head coach in program historical past relationship again to 1962-63. Thomas jumped proper into teaching after graduating in 1998 and has over 26 years of expertise at each the NCAA Division I {and professional} ranks, together with the final 4 seasons as an assistant coach with the Providence Bruins – the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the NHL Boston Bruins. RIT was certainly one of a file 11 Division I males’s hockey groups that made a training change this offseason – probably the most within the 78-year historical past of NCAA Division I males’s hockey. 

GOOD BY TENSION, HELLO PENSION

For the primary time since 1998, a coach not named Wayne Wilson was behind the RIT bench when the puck dropped on the 2025-26 season. The winningest coach in program historical past, Wilson introduced his retirement in April following a 26-year run with the Tigers, together with all 20 seasons on the Division I degree following this system’s ascension from the Division III ranks in 2005-06. Inducted into the RIT Sports Hall of Fame through the Brick City Homecoming and Family Weekend festivities earlier this season, Wilson is the winningest coach in program historical past, ending his profession thirty third in NCAA Men’s Hockey historical past with a 471-337-82 file. 

THE POOL GOT DEEPER

Due to new NIL guidelines, gamers from the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) are eligible to play NCAA hockey for the primary time in 2025-26, which has dramatically altered recruiting and roster development throughout the nation. Of the 11 new gamers on RIT’s 2025-26 roster, 5 have OHL enjoying expertise, whereas two others got here by way of the switch portal.

DON’T LOOK BACK IN ANGER

RIT seems to bounce again from a 10-23-2 end as season in the past – the fewest wins in a non-COVID shortened season since 2005-06 (RIT’s first on the D1 degree). Sixteen gamers return from final 12 months’s squad, together with junior ahead Christian Catalano who completed third on the squad with 23 factors (7G/16A). Senior defenseman Xavier Lapointe (5G/10A) and sophomore defenseman Tristan Allen (2G/13A) additionally return after tying for fifth on the squad with 15 factors apiece.

RETURN TO GLORY

Nine returners (6 seniors, 3 juniors) additionally noticed motion two years in the past through the Tigers’ run to a 27-11-2 file that included this system’s fourth Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) Championship and look within the NCAA Tournament.   

CAPTAIN, OH CAPTAIN

A captain and 4 alternate captains have been introduced previous to the beginning of the season. Senior ahead Tyler Mahan was voted captain, whereas senior ahead Austin Brimmer, senior ahead Simon Isabelle, senior ahead Adam Jeffery and junior defenseman Kevin Scott have been tabbed assistants. 

HEAD FOR THE HILLS

The 2025-26 season additionally marks the primary in 20 years with out Associate Head Coach Brian Hills behind the bench. Announcing his retirement in May, Hills joined Wayne Wilson’s workers previous to RIT’s inaugural NCAA Division I season and was a driving power behind this system that gained 10 Atlantic Hockey Championships, together with 4 event titles and 6 regular-season crowns. He was named the 2011 Terry Flanagan Award winner by the American Hockey Coaches of America (AHCA), which yearly honors an excellent assistant coach’s physique of labor.

A SORT OF HOMECOMING

When Matt Thomas seemed to fill out his coach workers alongside returning Associate Head Coach Dave Insalaco, he welcomed again former RIT standouts Shane Madolora ’12 and Josh Mitchell ’16 over the summer season. An All-American goaltender throughout his time in Rochester, Madolora graduated as RIT’s Division I-era profession chief with a .932 save share, which remains to be tied for eleventh in NCAA historical past. He can be tops with a 1.97 objectives in opposition to common, which stays tied for twentieth within the NCAA file e book. One of solely 5 D1-era RIT gamers to eclipse 120 profession factors, Mitchell stays fifth all-time with 121 factors. He additionally graduated with 90 profession assists—certainly one of solely two Tigers who’ve ever hit the milestone and performed 154 profession video games, which ranks fifth in program historical past and probably the most ever by a four-year participant. 

LONG STORY SHORT 

Senior ahead Tyler Mahan returned with 5 profession shorthanded objectives to his title — tied for probably the most within the nation coming into the season. The proprietor of 20 profession objectives and 38 profession factors previous to the beginning of his ultimate marketing campaign, Mahan scored three shorties throughout his first 12 months in a Tiger uniform and has scored one every of the final two seasons. Union’s Carter Korpi additionally returns with 5 shorthanded objectives to his title.  

A BIT DRAFTY IN HERE

For the third time in program historical past, RIT has a participant on the roster that was taken within the NHL Entry Draft. Junior defenseman Ben Roger was picked within the second spherical (forty ninth general) of the 2021 draft by the Ottawa Senators. Anthony Hamburg, who was taken within the seventh spherical (193rd general) by the Minnesota Wild in 2009, performed two seasons (2012-14) at RIT after transferring from Colgate. Tiger All-American Bill Gall was taken within the fifth spherical (104th general) by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1987 earlier than enjoying 4 seasons with the Division III Tigers from 1987-91.

SAVINGS ACCOUNT

Sophomore Jakub Krbecek totaled no less than 30 saves in 14 of the 18 video games he began final season. A 3-time AHA Rookie of the Week honoree, he gained the award following back-to-back victories at Air Force (Jan. 31-Feb. 1), together with 34 saves to backstop a 2-1 opening win. Krbecek was credited with a career-high 44 stops within the 2-1 loss at Bowling Green (Dec. 29) and likewise made 43 saves within the 2-1 OT loss to the visiting Falcons (Oct. 19) through the Brick City Homecoming recreation at Blue Cross Arena. He gained the primary of two-straight AHA Rookie of the Week honors after making 32 saves in a 3-2 win over Clarkson (Oct. 6) to win his first collegiate begin. He logged his first profession level with an help to associate with 33 saves within the 6-2 win over Bentley (Nov. 9). Mike Rotolo ’17 beforehand held the mark for probably the most 30-save video games by a RIT first-year in D1-era program historical past with eight. 

SIMON SAYS DROP THE PUCK

Senior ahead Simon Isabelle returned after ending 18th nationally with 390 faceoff victories and among the many nation’s leaders with a .570 faceoff successful share. He was additionally the Tigers’ high returner with 44 profession factors on 21 objectives and 23 assists coming into the season. 

AHA PRESEASON POLL

RIT was picked eighth within the 2025-26 Atlantic Hockey America Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Sacred Heart was voted first, together with seven first-place votes, adopted by Holy Cross (two first-place votes) and defending champion Bentley (1). Niagara, Army, Air Force, Canisius, RIT, Robert Morris and Mercyhurst rounded out the 10-team ballot, respectively.

ROAD TO THE NATTY WILL GO THROUGH ROCHESTER

RIT was chosen to host certainly one of 4 regional championships to start out the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament in 2028. RIT will host two opening-round contests in addition to second-round recreation on the Blue Cross Arena in downtown Rochester, N.Y. The video games will both be performed on Thursday, March twenty third and Saturday, March twenty fifth or on Friday, March twenty fourth and Sunday, March twenty sixth, to be introduced the Sunday previous to the event. The winner of the regional championship will advance to the Frozen Four, to be performed on the United Center in Chicago.

TIGERS IN THE NHL

Former RIT standout defenseman Chris Tanev enters his seventeenth season within the NHL. He spent his first 11 with the Vancouver Canucks earlier than signing a free agent contract with the Calgary Flames previous to the 2020-21 season. Traded to the Dallas Stars for the 2024 playoffs, he then signed a free-agent contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs through the offseason. Voted the 2010 AHA Rookie of the Year, Tanev made his NHL debut on Jan. 18, 2011, turning into the primary RIT participant to look in an NHL contest. Entering the 2025-26 season, he has performed in 867 NHL video games with 36 objectives and 172 assists for 208 profession factors together with a profession +/- of plus-153. He gained a gold medal with Team Canada on the 2016 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships and later was named a finalist for the NHL’s Masterton Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey in 2022. Tanev tallied 28 factors (10-18-28) and was plus-33 in 41 video games for RIT in 2009-10. He and one other former Tiger, Steve Pinizzotto (2005-07), have been teammates with Vancouver in 2012-13. Pinizzotto tallied 57 factors (20-37-57) in 54 profession video games for the Tigers and appeared in 36 NHL video games with two objectives and 4 assists. 

RIT’s NCAA DIVISION II/III HISTORY

RIT has made 16 NCAA Tournament appearances since 1983. RIT gained the 1983 Division II National Championship earlier than successful the Division III National Championship in 1985. The Tigers additionally completed as Division III runner-up in 1989, 1996 and 2001 whereas making semifinal appearances in 1984, 1986, 1999, and 2010. Overall, RIT was 26-15-4 in NCAA contests on the DII/III degree and is 3-2 in 5 Division I event showings. The Tigers made the NCAA Tournament in 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2010, 2015, and 2016.

FINAL FOUR FRENZY

RIT was the primary workforce in NCAA historical past to achieve the Frozen Four in its first postseason look in 2010 and was additionally the primary Atlantic Hockey workforce to achieve the nationwide semifinals. RIT was one win away from duplicating that feat in 2014-15 after upsetting general top-seed Minnesota State, 1-0, within the Midwest Region Semifinals.