Men's Hockey | 7/14/2009 10:36:10 AM

Click here for complete 2009-10 schedule

ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT men's hockey team will play 34 regular season games and one exhibition contest, as its 2009-10 schedule was unveiled on Tuesday.  RIT enters its fifth season at the NCAA Division I level. The Tigers, who set a DI team record with 23 wins and advanced to the Atlantic Hockey Association semifinals a season ago, will play 15 regular season home games at Ritter Arena on the campus of RIT and one regular season contest at the Blue Cross Arena in downtown Rochester.

RIT opens the regular season against Colgate University at Blue Cross Arena during Brick City weekend on Saturday, October 10. It is the first time RIT will be home during its annual homecoming weekend.  This will be the fourth straight season that RIT will play at Blue Cross Arena.

On Saturday, October 3, RIT will host its annual Orange and White intersquad scrimmage at Ritter Arena, starting at 6 p.m.  The following afternoon, RIT will host York University of Ontario in an exhibition contest at 2:05 p.m.

The Tigers Ritter Arena home opener is on Friday, October 30 against the University of Connecticut.

The Tigers travel to Northern New York to face ECAC foes St. Lawrence and Clarkson on October 16-17.  The Tigers and Golden Knights have met three times since RIT moved to Division I.  Last season, Clarkson defeated RIT at Ritter Arena, 6-4.  RIT and St. Lawrence met at Blue Cross Arena last season, with the Saints pulling out a 2-1 win before 3,296 fans.

RIT, a member of the Atlantic Hockey Association, will play four games apiece (two games home, two games away) against Air Force, Army, Connecticut, Holy Cross, and Sacred Heart.   The Tigers host conference rivals Bentley and Canisius for a pair of games and travel to American International and Mercyhurst twice. In all, 28 of RIT's 34 games will be against Atlantic Hockey Association opponents.

RIT and Air Force, who split the 2009 AHA Regular Season title, will play two games in Colorado Springs to open up conference action on October 23-24.  The two teams meet at Ritter Arena on February 19-20.

The Tigers will host future AHA foe Niagara University on December 12 and travel to Mankato, Minn. to play a pair of non-conference games against Minnesota State University of the WCHA to ring in 2010 on January 1-2.  

The Atlantic Hockey Association playoffs begin with a pair of play-in games for the four lowest seeds on March 6.  Quarterfinal action will be held at the top-four sites from March 12-14.  The Atlantic Hockey Association tournament will be held on March 19-20 at the Blue Cross Arena for the fourth straight season.

RIT will be gunning for its first berth in the NCAA Tournament as a Division I program.  The 2010 NCAA Division I Tournament begins on March 26, and ends with the Frozen Four on April 8 and April 10 at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich.

Single game tickets and season ticket packages will go on sale in late August or early September.