Men's Hockey heads to Niagara for Midweek Atlantic Hockey matchup

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The RIT Men's Hockey team travels to Niagara on Wednesday for a midweek Atlantic Hockey showdown with the Purple Eagles.

The Tigers look to shake off a three-game slide - their longest losing streak in two seasons - following last weekend's two-game sweep at the hands of visiting Colgate. Niagara is unbeaten with a 2-0-2 mark in its last four outings, including a 7-3 win and a 4-4 tie during last weekend's home-and-home series with Robert Morris. 

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TIGER REWIND
RIT came up short twice against Colgate, 5-4 and 4-3, last Friday and Saturday, respectively, in its first two games of the season at the Gene Polisseni Center. Senior forwards Tanner Andrew and Evan Miller gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead with under seven minutes left in the first period of Friday's opener, but Colgate responded with three-straight goals for a 3-2 lead early in the second. Senior forward Simon Isabelle and junior Adam Jeffery tallied back-to-back goals to push RIT back ahead, 4-3, midway through the second, but the Raiders later scored twice in a 1:39 span to retake the lead with five minutes left in the period they would not relinquish. Jeffery was also credited with an assist for his second-career multi-point game, while first-year goaltender Jakub Krbecek totaled 33 saves for his fourth 30-plus save effort in as many appearances to start his rookie season.

On Saturday, first-year defenseman Tristan Allen scored his first collegiate goal and added an assist, but it was the Raiders breaking a 3-3 tied five minutes into the third period en route to the series sweep. Allen opened the scoring in the seventh minute of the first period with the Tigers' first power-play goal of the season, but Colgate responded 19 seconds later and again with just over a minute left on the clock for a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes. Isabelle knotted the game, 2-2, with another RIT power-play at 14:06 of the second before Colgate scored 18 seconds into the third to re-take the lead. Andrew retied the game at 1:25, but the Raiders scored less than three minutes later for what proved to be the game-winner.  Junior goaltender Trent Burnham finished with 27 saves in the loss. 

SIMON SAYS LIGHT THE LAMP
RIT junior forward Simon Isabelle leads the Tigers with seven points and five goals this season. Riding a team-high three-game goal scoring streak, he is tracking on another career year after finishing the 2023-24 campaign with 18 points, eight goals and 10 assists - all personal-bests.  

ONE GOAL BLUES
Four of the Tigers' five losses this season have been by one goal, including all three during their current three-game slide. The lone loss by more than one was a 4-2 setback to Mercyhurst that included an empty-net goal in the closing minute.

FRONT RUNNERS
RIT's 5-4 loss to Colgate last Friday marked only the second time in 45 games the last three season the Tigers lost when building a multi-goal lead. Prior to Friday, RIT had been 41-0-2 when leading by more than one goal since letting 2-0 and 3-1 leads slip away in a 4-3 loss at Union in the 2022-23 season-opener (Oct. 1). 

SAVINGS ACCOUNT
First-year Jakub Krbecek's 43 saves in RIT's 2-1 OT loss to Bowling Green were the second-most by a Tiger first-year during the Division-I era 
• Krebeck finished two short of Josh Watson, who stopped 45 shots in a 5-3 home setback to No. 17. Merrimack on Jan. 1, 2011 during his first season in a RIT sweater. 
• Krbecek became only the fourth Tiger first-year to total 40-plus saves in a game and was the first since Logan Drackett made 41 stops to preserve a 3-3 tie versus Northeastern in the Brick City Game to open the 2017-18 campaign.
• Krbecek is the first D1-era goaltender to compile at least 30 saves in four-straight games to start his RIT career. 
• Current goaltending coach Mike Rotolo compiled a RIT record eight games with at least 30 saves during his first season as a Tiger en route to a 9-9-3 mark in 2013-14, including 40 saves in a 2-2 tie versus Robert Morris. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
RIT celebrated the 10th-anniversary of the first season of play in the Gene Polisseni Center during the Colgate games. After officially opening its doors on Sept. 18, 2014, the Tigers defeated St. Lawrence, 5-2, on Oct. 10 in their first game at the GPC.