RIT Hockey to Play in First Postseason as a Division I Program

Courtesy of Joe Venniro, RIT Sports Information

ROCHESTER, NY - From March 14-16, the Atlantic Hockey Association will hold its annual championship tournament. The tournament will be held at the Blue Cross Arena for the second consecutive year.  For the RIT men's hockey team, this could be the first chance to play in a meaningful postseason tournament since the 2004-05 season.

The Tigers announced they were making the jump to Division I on Dec. 15, 2004.  RIT played its first Division I regular season contest in Oct. 14, 2005 and from there, has endured a storybook ride.  Unfortunately, postseason success has not been achieved for one simple reason: The Tigers were not eligible.

NCAA rules prohibit teams who make the jump in Divisions from appearing in post-season play until its third full season.  For the Tigers, that was not an issue during the 2005-06 season, since they were an independent and won just four games against Division I opponents.

Last season, with Atlantic Hockey Association moving its championship tournament to Rochester for the first time, the Tigers were noticeably absent, only because they were ineligible.  On the ice, the Tigers did everything in their power to ensure a tremendous season and did just that, winning the Atlantic Hockey regular season title with a 20-7-1 league mark en route to a 21-11-2 mark in just its second full season at the Division I level.

Although the Tigers knew well in advance that they would not be eligible for postseason play, and saw the championship played in its backyard, the goal for the season was realized.

"Last year was not a big deal as far as not playing in the tournament," said senior captain Brent Patry.  "It was the consequence of moving up, so we set a goal of winning the regular season.  We did everything to fulfill that goal.  It was unfortunate we couldn't play (in the tournament), because we could have gone far.  That being said, we expect the same results and hopefully even more this season.  It should be fun to play in the tournament this season."

"We knew before the season started that we would not be at the tournament, so even though it was a little disappointing not to be involved, it wasn't a surprise," said RIT Head Hockey Coach Wayne Wilson.  "I think we are more excited for the possibility of playing there this year.  We need to be focused and put ourselves in a good position to be there.  With playing (at the Blue Cross Arena) against Cornell, we know what to expect and are familiar with the surroundings.  Hopefully that will help if we advance."

This season however, the Tigers are eligible and ready to show the Atlantic Hockey and the city of Rochester that they will be a force to be reckoned with.

On Oct. 27, 2006, the Tigers hosted Cornell University at the Blue Cross Arena and defeated the Big Red 4-1 in front of 5,124 fans.  It was the first time RIT had played at the Blue Cross Arena in 21 years.  The crowd of 5,124 fans exceeded expectations and leaves the Atlantic Hockey Association hierarchy and Blue Cross Arena organizers excited for what the turnout could be in March.

"I believe the crowds will be better than last year for the Final Five at the Blue Cross Arena," said Atlantic Hockey Commissioner Bob DeGregorio.  "With RIT eligible for this year's tournament and currently atop the Atlantic Hockey standings, that  should give the people of Rochester a great incentive to watch their hometown team battle for a berth in the NCAA Tournament."

"The AHA tournament will be an exciting weekend of college hockey, but if RIT participates it will take the excitement factor up several notches as we witnessed in the RIT/Cornell game (earlier this season)," said Blue Cross Arena General Manager Jeff Calkins.  "Because it's not only the game on the ice, it's the total experience of the pep bands, dedicated fans, and the sea of orange in the seats that exemplifies what is great about college sports."

All 10 Atlantic Hockey teams (Air Force, American International, Army, Bentley, Canisius, Connecticut, Holy Cross, Mercyhurst, RIT and Sacred Heart) are eligible for the Atlantic Hockey postseason.  Not all 10 teams play in Rochester, however.  On March 7-9, the top five seeds host the bottom five seeds (1 vs. 10, 2 vs. 9, 3 vs. 8, 4 vs. 7, 5 vs. 6) in a best-of-three series at the site of the higher seed.  The five winners of those five series advance to Rochester to fight for the championship and automatic bid into the 2008 NCAA Division I Championship.

The Tigers currently lead the Atlantic Hockey standings, with less than a month of regular season play remaining. A top-five finish would guarantee the squad a best-of-three series at the Blue Cross Arena, which will most likely be held from Fri., March 7 to Sun., March 9.

The Tigers are not a lock by any means to reach the final five at the Blue Cross Arena.  The league has seen unmatched parity this season, with just 10 points separating first from last place.  The Tigers, who went a combined 10-2 against AIC, Canisius and Mercyhurst in 2006-07, are just 4-4 against those squads this season.

RIT knows that it must bring its best effort every game, or else their season will end a lot sooner than they hope it will.

"We realize that the postseason is a big step up from the regular season and we have to work that much harder, prepare that much harder and expect more out of our opponents," said junior forward Brennan Sarazin.

"The expectation from our fans and the Rochester community is that we will be there," said Wilson.  "The reality is that we have to play really well to get there.  We have plenty of respect for our opponents in the league.  With the gap between the top and bottom in the standings much closer, the difference is very slight, even game-to-game.  This year we have seen that anyone in the league can beat any other team on a nightly basis."

With the regular season hitting its final six weeks, Tiger players are beginning to grasp the excitement of playing in their first postseason in three seasons.  For the senior class, this will be their second career postseason contest, as RIT was quickly ousted by Manhattanville in the ECAC West semifinal at Utica College in 2005.

"The excitement is high, to go three years without the postseason, everyone is raring to go," said senior captain Ricky Walton.  "Down the stretch, we should excel and improve on our play from earlier in the year."

For the rest of the Tigers, this will be their first trip to the postseason since juniors.

"Everyone has been waiting a long time, and even though we have not played in the postseason here at RIT, we know what its like from playing in juniors," said Sarazin.

Hopefully for the Tigers, there will be another meaningful set of games at the Blue Cross Arena this season.  Hopefully, the City of Rochester comes out and supports this great tournament regardless of who is playing.  Atlantic Hockey has grown by leaps and bounds and is extremely competitive with the rest of the so called "power conferences", as seen by Holy Cross' win over Minnesota in the 2006 NCAA Regional, or Air Force's sweep against Quinnipiac and tie at Minnesota this season, or RIT's wins over Cornell and Minnesota recently.

"The goal of any team is to win a championship," said senior captain Simon Lambert, who is the Tigers' leading scorer this season.  "Everyone wants to win and play hard.  It was hard two years ago, since there was no title to play for.  Last year, we at least had standings to look at and a goal of winning the regular season title.  This year, we have a lot more to look forward to and its more pressure, but it's a good pressure.  I feel we play better under that kind of pressure and better in front of a big crowd, like against Cornell and Minnesota."

Tickets are on sale for the weekend series or single-day packages.  Weekend packages are $25 for adults and $15 for students and children.  Single-day packages are $15 for adults and $10 for students and children.  Tickets are available at the Blue Cross Arena box office, online at Tickmaster.com, Ticketmaster charge by phone (585) 232-1900 or any Ticketmaster ticket center.