The Army Black Knights (3-1, 2-0 AHA) look to continue their hot October start with a two-game set against the Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers (2-4-1, 1-1 AHA). It’s been a week since the Cadets skated off the ice at M&T Bank Arena with the program’s biggest victory in 18 years, taking down the eighth-ranked Quinnipiac Bobcats 4-3 in overtime.
Riding the high of a massive win, Army couldn’t complete the weekend sweep, dropping a 3-1 exhibition decision to the U.S. National Team Development Program. With a handful of key regulars sitting as healthy scratches, the drop-off in production was an anticipated risk.
Despite that, the Black Knights are in great spirits and are looking to get back on the ice with the Tigers coming to town. Army is 0-1, 1-3 if you count the exhibition games, at Tate Rink this season. Expect the home team to come out of the gates flying, like in previous games, to get the crowd into the game early
Scouting the Opposition: Rochester Institute of Technology
The Tigers (2-4-1) wrapped up the 2025-2026 season with a .500 record of 17-17-2. In Atlantic Hockey, RIT finished 42 points and a 13-11-2 record in conference play, good for fifth place. The team wasn’t successful in the playoffs, and the Holy Cross Crusaders swept them.
This year for head coach Kevin Scott, RIT returns nine of its ten double-digit scorers from last season, returning 53% of last year’s group. Outside of Austin Brimmer turning pro, Zach Wigle, Evan Konyen, and Christian Catalano are three players who scored 20+ points for the Tigers last season. Catalano (2 Goals & 2 Assists) is tied for the team lead in points to start the season with four.
A big name to watch on the back end is Matthew Mania, a transfer from the University of Michigan. After scoring just one goal in 15 games during a limited role last season, the Brandon, Florida native is off to a strong start for the Tigers—leading all blueliners with three points while playing top-pair minutes. Two freshmen are also getting early production: Lucas Romero (Cape Breton Eagles, QMJHL) and Ryan Shaw (Rochester Jr. Americans, NAHL). Romero is tied with Catalano for the team lead in points (2G, 2A), while Shaw has chipped in a goal and an assist through his first four games.
In goal, the Tigers have used all three of their goaltenders this season. With four starts, Jakub Krbecek, a native of the Czech Republic, has a 1-2-1 record with a 2.94 goals-against average and a .918% save percentage. Krbecek in the one series against the Black Knights last season: 1-1 with an .894% (59/66) save percentage and a 3.39 goals-against average.
The RIT Tigers are coming off a solid weekend, splitting a home series with RPI. Outside of that, it has been a tough start for the Tigers, though they did manage a tie and a shootout win on the road against UMass on October 9.
Army played one series with RIT last season, picking up four points with a 6-2 win and a 3-2 overtime loss at West Point. The Black Knights will look for similar success Halloween weekend.
What Some Black Knights Are Saying:
Head Coach Zach McKelvie
Q: You guys come off the sweep against Holy Cross, now you take down Quinnipiac, how does a game like this help build the season and build momentum going back into the conference play?
“Yeah, I mean, it can kind of go either way. You can get overconfident and think you’ve arrived, but I don’t think we have that in our room. I think our guys know we have a long way to go, and it’s just that we try to preach. It’s one play at a time, one shift at a time, and that’s the process that we want to use. So I want the guys to enjoy this. This is a good moment for our program, but when we wake up tomorrow, there’s another game, and we’ve got to be ready to battle.”
Getting You Set For Saturday
Sitting atop Atlantic Hockey with a marquee top-10 upset over Quinnipiac under its belt, Army (3-1-0, 2-0-0 AHA, 6 pts) enters this weekend’s clash against RIT (2-4-1, 1-1-0 AHA, 3 pts) playing its best hockey of the early season. Since dropping the opener to Union, the newly ranked Black Knights have been dominant, pairing a road sweep of Holy Cross with a national statement victory that landed them in the USCHO Top 25.
Welcoming the Tigers to Tate Rink offers Army a prime chance to consolidate its position in the conference standings. Picking up points this weekend would render their 7th-place preseason projection irrelevant. Head coach Zach McKelvie preaches a strict 1-0 mindset, and Friday night’s opener against RIT represents the next hurdle the Black Knights are primed to clear.
Here’s the information you need to know for the weekend:
- When: Saturday Night, 7 p.m and Sunday, 4 p.m
- Where: Tate Rink / West Point, New York
- How to Watch: Flohockey.tv
Don’t Miss a Moment of Black Knight Action!
For more Army hockey coverage, Black Knights athletics, and global sports news, stay connected with Bad Dawg Sports—your source for insider access and authentic storytelling.
- Game recaps and previews before anyone else
- Exclusive player and coach interviews
- Behind-the-scenes Black Knight coverage
- Breaking news alerts and roster updates
- Statistical deep dives and season analysis
Subscribe to our newsletter for just $24/year. Get exclusive analysis, behind-the-scenes content, and breaking news delivered straight to your inbox. Current subscribers will always stay at the rate they signed up for—lock in your price today!
| Follow Daniel Rebain on X | Visit bad-dawgsports.com |
Discover more from Bad Dawg Media Group
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
