Methodology suggests that No. 4-seeded RIT and No. 5-seeded Sacred Heart should be the most equal matchup in the Atlantic Hockey quarterfinals and their one-point standings separation is documentary evidence of that.

With the one-point lead RIT earned home ice advantage and hosts Sacred Heart for this week’s best-of-three series. The quarterfinal series will be streamed live, right here on FloHockey in addition to the entirety of the Atlantic Hockey Tournament. 

The Tigers finished the season with a 12-10-4 conference record (16-14-4 overall) and won three of their final four contests before a 1-0 overtime loss to Air Force to close the year.

In the teams’ first meeting this year, RIT got out to a 3-0 lead on January 11 and held off a Pioneers’ comeback attempt after surrendering two goals, taking the first game 3-2 on home ice. The pair met again on February 1, where the Tigers had a 5-1 decisive win on neutral ice.

But consistency has been a struggle for the Tigers this season—the program had three bad stretches where they lost three of four games twice and dropped five of six in a rough February.

With added rest from the bye week, RIT will be ready to get back on the ice opposite a team they went 2-0 against this season. 

WE'RE BACK FOR PLAYOFFS! Catch us in the Gene Polisseni Center the weekend of March 11th for a best of three @Atlantic_Hockey series against the Sacred Heart Pioneers.

Tickets are available NOW at https://t.co/zyv9pBqq7y. Reserve your seat today for the playoffs! pic.twitter.com/ptQVp9gqTQ

— RIT Men's Hockey (@RITMHKY) March 1, 2022

Conference goal-scoring champion Will Calverley collected 15 tallies in 34 games this season. Teammate Carter Wilkie finished second in conference scoring with 27 points (12 G, 15 A) in 34 games and the duo combined for four points (1 G, 3 A) in their pair of games against Sacred Heart. Their depth showed up for each game, which bodes well for the second-lowest offense in conference play this year.

Despite RIT finishing with one more point and home ice, Sacred Heart’s comparable 11-12-3 record (14-16-4 overall) shows they won’t be an easy out.

The Pioneers enter the quarterfinals with a 4-2-1 record over their past seven outings with  both losses coming against a solid second-seeded Canisius. An up and down season is currently in another ‘up’ phase and the Pioneers are sure to bring the fight to RIT.

With more goals-for and fewer goals allowed, the Pioneers have shown more consistency game-to-game—they also showed in a 3-2 overtime loss to No. 2 overall Quinnipiac that they can skate with the best.

Forwards Neil Shea and Braeden Tuck are red-hot offensively and over his past seven games Shea has collected five goals and 11 points. Tuck has a goal and six points over his past two games for 11 goals and 25 points on the season. 

Time to hand out the #AtlanticHockey monthly awards for the month of February! Congratulations to Neil, Brandon, Kyle and Clayton!

📰 : https://t.co/KffpzsLqWk#WeAreSHU | #LetsFly | #HurstHockey pic.twitter.com/4PshUNP69s

— Atlantic Hockey (@Atlantic_Hockey) March 1, 2022

The duo has led an impressive offense of five 20-point scorers that has given goaltender Justin Robbins goal support every night. Robbins has been the workhorse for the Pioneers with a 9-10-3 record, 2.48 GAA, and .906 save percentage.

Catch the pair of on-again, off-again programs clash this weekend in the Atlantic Hockey quarterfinals. Stream the series and the entirety of the conference tournament live, right here on FloHockey.

Have a question or a comment for Jacob Messing? You can find him on Twitter @Jacob_Messing.