RIT Frozen Frenzy Hockey Weekend for Men’s, Women’s Teams

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RIT will host the 2011 NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Championship this weekend; the Tigers will face Middlebury at 7 p.m. Friday.

Call it March Madness, RIT style.

Both the men’s and women’s hockey teams are playing for championships this weekend and one thing is for certain: Ritchie the mascot and the Corner Crew will be working overtime.

To gear up for the weekend, RIT will host a rally for the women’s team from 4-6 p.m. today at Global Village. This event will feature an appearance by the women’s hockey team, the Corner Crew, and the pep band. This will include free food, cake, and giveaways.

For the first time in program history, RIT will host the NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Championship at RIT’s Ritter Ice Arena on Friday and Saturday. Starting at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Gustavus Adolphus College will face Norwich University in the first semifinal. RIT will then host Middlebury College in the second semifinal at 7 p.m. If RIT wins, the Tigers will play in the championship game at 7 p.m. Saturday for the national title, also at Ritter Arena.

The RIT men’s team will also play Friday to defend their 2010 Atlantic Hockey Association Tournament Championship title. The Tigers play the University of Connecticut at 4:05 p.m. at the Blue Cross Arena in downtown Rochester. If the men win, they will play in the championship game against Air Force or Holy Cross at 7:05 p.m. Saturday.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” says President Bill Destler. “Let’s all show them how much we appreciate their efforts and accomplishments.”

Need a free ride to or from any of the games? The Friday bus will depart from the Sentinel, near the Student Alumni Union, to the Blue Cross Arena at 3 p.m. First come, first serve; seating up to 60. You can also catch a free bus ride back to be there to cheer on the women’s team at 7 p.m. There will be free tickets for the first 300 students at the women’s game.

For fans unable to attend either Friday’s or Saturday’s games, WITR-FM (89.7) will cover the hockey action on-air and online at the WITR 89.7 website. Taylor Osmonson, Nick Phelan and Mike Warren will call the women’s games for the NCAA Division III tournament. Ed Trefzger, Chris Lerch and Scott Biggar will call the men’s games at the Blue Cross Arena.

Saturday’s championship game will be aired live on Time Warner Cable Sports channel 26 (1026 for high-definition subscribers), with Gene Battaglia and John DiTullio on the play-by-play.

For information on tickets, go to the RIT University Arenas website.