Men's Hockey | 3/24/2009 1:47:22 PM

ROCHESTER, NY -- Former RIT hockey standout, Steve Pinizzotto (Mississauga, ON/Oakville Blades) has been called up and will be on the active roster of the Washington Capitals on Tuesday when they face the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Center. The Mississauga, Ontario native will be the first former RIT player to play in the NHL after signing with the Capitals back in 2007.

Pinizzotto is in his second year in the Capitals organization, splitting most of his time between the Hershey Bears and the South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL) this season. He has 11 points on four goals and seven assists in 38 games with Hershey and recorded 10 points on four goals and six assists in 11 games with South Carolina. He tallied 32 points (15g-17a) in 40 games with South Carolina last season and dished out four assists in 23 games with Hershey.

He played for RIT from 2005-2007 and is among the RIT Division I leaders in scoring with 62 career points on 22 goals and 40 assists in just 58 games. Pinizzotto enjoyed a tremendous final season for the Tigers in 2006-07, leading the squad in scoring with 44 points on 13 goals and 31 assists in 34 games. He also led RIT with 76 penalty minutes.  That squad won the Atlantic Hockey Regular Season title and finished 21-11-2.  Pinizzotto is the only Tiger at the Division I level to average a point per game in a career.