During the 2018-19 men’s hockey season, the RIT Tigers played 34 games, with a total of 17 wins and 17 losses. The closing of this season would be incomplete without mentioning the hard work of the players, coaches and devoted fans. Through every up, the Tigers celebrated — and through every down, there was tremendous support during hard-fought battles.

A defining moment of the season was the Brick City Homecoming game where the Tigers faced the Colgate University Raiders. The game was played at Blue Cross Arena back on Oct. 20, 2018. Students and family members packed the venue to help cheer the Tigers to victory. The momentum from this win carried the Tigers to later wins in the season, but it wasn’t always smooth sailing.

Ending 2018, the Tigers faced the Air Force Academy. Starting the two game series on rough ice, the Tigers fought hard; yet, Air Force managed to get the edge, claiming victory over the Tigers 2-1. The second game brought even more hardships for RIT as scoring seemed to become a thing of the past. Each attempted shot was deflected, whereas Air Force managed to sneak in three goals and defeat the Tigers for a second time.

Through the losses, the Tigers knew they had to turn their losing streak around. Bouncing out of their slump, the Tigers went on to tie with the Niagara University Purple Eagles before winning against them in the next game. This victory gave RIT the needed boost to finish the season strong.

With both struggles and accomplishments this season, our men’s hockey team showed us what it means to persevere through hard times. Congratulations on a well-fought season, Tigers! We look forward to the journeys you will take us on in the next season.