Penn State to Meet RIT in 2012



Penn State will face arguably the most intimidating crowd in its hockey history next October 20th.

The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle is reporting that RIT has scheduled Penn State for its 2012 homecoming game.

The RIT men's hockey team will face Penn State in next year's Brick City Homecoming game and perennial national power Michigan in the 2013 game.

Both will be held at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial.

Contracts have been signed for both games, RIT officials confirmed. Rochester Institute of Technology hosts St. Lawrence in this year's Brick City Homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 15.

The game - the first known, firm date in the varsity era - will be a one-off, not a traditional two-game weekend series. Blue Cross Arena is not RIT's regular home arena (Ritter Arena) - it's the venue usually used by the Rochester Americans. RIT also uses it to accommodate large homecoming crowds, like the 10,556 who attended last year's version with UMass-Lowell.

It's been a while since anything's leaked out concerning the 2012-2013 schedule, but so far, seven games are known - four games against the U.S. National Team Development program and two at Wisconsin. Joe Battista said back in March that PSU was also in discussions with UConn, Holy Cross, Army, Air Force, UAH, Princeton, Cornell and Michigan State. He also said something at that link that may indicate a 2013-2014 return trip from RIT:

“We had to establish a lot of home and home deals where we play away games with these teams in 2012 and then they come to State College in 2013 for the Pegula Arena’s inaugural season,” Battista said.

RIT, for those who don't know, is a former Division III powerhouse that moved to Division I in 2005. Since then, they have rapidly become sort of a Boise State of the college hockey world, winning four Atlantic Hockey regular season titles and making a surprise run to the Frozen Four in 2010 behind two-time coach-of-the-year winner Wayne Wilson (beating traditional powers Denver and New Hampshire in the process). A 1-0 upset loss to Air Force in the AHA championship game last season prevented a return NCAA engagement, but the league's coaches predict a return to form this season, as just today they tabbed the Tigers as their pick to once again take the title. Prominent RIT alumni include 2008 Hobey Baker finalist Simon Lambert, 2010 NCAA tournament hero Jared DeMichiel and Chris Tanev, another member of that 2010 team who also appeared in the Stanley Cup finals for the Canucks last season.