Men's Hockey | 1/5/2011 9:50:15 AM

ROCHESTER, NY - The RIT men's hockey team travels east to play a pair of crucial Atlantic Hockey Association contests at Army this weekend. Both Friday and Saturday's contests begin at 7:05 p.m. RIT leads the AHA standings with 19 points, three ahead of Robert Morris.  Friday's game will be aired on Fox Sports Net Atlantic, channel 225 for Time Warner Cable digital subscribers. Greg Madden, Neil Smith, and Lindsay Liquori will bring you the action from Tate Rink.

Last week, the Tigers (10-8-2, 9-3-1 AHA) split a pair of games, defeating Robert Morris, 4-3 on Thursday before a crowd of 6,957 fans at the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pa. On Saturday, RIT had its 12-game home-unbeaten streak snapped by No. 17 Merrimack 5-3.  Tyler Brenner (Linwood, Ontario/) was named the Atlantic Hockey Association Player of the Week after scoring three goals and adding an assist. He scored the game-winner with 1:19 left in regulation to break a 3-3 tie and lift RIT to the win over Robert Morris.

Brenner is tied for third nationally with 15 goals, while senior Andrew Favot (King City, Ontario/) is tied for fifth nationally with 19 assists. RIT has eight players with at least 10 points this season. The Tigers lead the nation, averaging 21.2 penalty minutes per game. In net, Shane Madolora (Salinas, CA/) is now 8-0-1 this season and 8-0-0 in AHA play. He is one of two Division I goaltenders who have played enough minutes to qualify for the national leaders without a loss this season.

Army (5-12-1, 4-6-1 AHA) comes into this weekend looking to snap a four-game losing streak, all in non-conference play. The Black Knights rang in the New Year by losing a pair of games at the Catamount Cup hosted by Vermont, 4-2 to Harvard on Saturday, and 5-3 to Ohio State on Sunday. Cody Omilusik leads Army with eight goals, while Danny Colvin has team-best totals of 11 assists and 16 points. In net, Jay Clark has played in 13 games, posting a 3.27 goals against average and .903 save percentage. Ryan Leets played both games last weekend and has a 2.85 goal against average and .913 save percentage in five games.

This weekend's contests will be the only two regular season meetings between the schools this season. RIT is 7-2-3 all-time against the Black Knights and are riding a five-game unbeaten streak at Tate Rink dating back to the 2006-07 season. Last season, RIT won all four meetings between the two schools by a combined 16-4.

Prior to Friday's face-off, there will be a dedication ceremony for a permanent home of the Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award. Seeking for a fitting way to honor his life, the Hockey Commissioners Association decided a national award presented in his honor would be a just tribute.

Hines, a 2003 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, was a four-year letter winner for the Army hockey team and displayed each one of the above-mentioned characteristics. He made the ultimate off-ice contribution when he was killed in action on Sept. 1, 2005, in Afghanistan.

The Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award was first given out in 2007 and is presented to a hockey player who is a fearless leader and beloved fan favorite that always places his team first. Addition criteria include displaying exemplary sportsmanship, being supremely competitive, intelligent and extraordinarily conditioned with an unmatched work ethic. The contributions of the winner, on and off the ice, cannot be measured by statistics alone.

Previous winners of the award include former Army captain Chase Podsiad, Mike Phillipich of Air Force, Dan Shribman of Dartmouth and Jordan Pietrus of Brown.

The Hockey Commissioners Association chose for the award to have a permanent home at West Point, N.Y. While each year's recipient will receive an award, the original will be housed here at Tate Rink and updated each year.

Atlantic Hockey Association commissioner Robert DeGregorio; Army hockey head coach Brian Riley; Steve and Sue Hines; Interim Athletic Director Colonel Sam Johnson and Dean of the Academic Board, General Tim Trainor, will participate in the ceremony.

Fox College Sports Atlantic is available on DirecTV and on Comcast and Time Warner outlets throughout the country. America One affiliates will also be carrying the broadcast live, which includes all distribution outlets in the Northeast, via Comcast and Time Warner as well.