ROCHESTER, NY – RIT head coach Wayne Wilson announced two new members of the men’s hockey Class of 2019 on Tuesday, August 18. Forward Gabe Valenzuela (Brampton, Ontario/North York Rangers) and goaltender Nick Amato (Ft. Lauderdale, FL/North Cyclones) will join the team for the 2015-16 season.
Valenzuela played the last two seasons with the North York Rangers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. A team captain, Valenzuela finished fifth in league scoring during the 2014-15 season with 76 points on 34 goals and 42 assists. Valenzuela, who stands 5-foot-8, won the 2014-15 OJHL Most Improved Player of the Year award and earned Second Team OJHL All-Star honors. He played the 2013-14 season in North York with fellow RIT newcomer Liam Kerins.
Amato played for the Northern Cyclones of the Metropolitan Junior Hockey League and North Broward Prep School, recording a 17-6-2 record with a 2.51 goals against average and .918 save percentage for the Northern Cyclones. Amato, who stands 5-7, earned Florida Scholastic Hockey League All-Star honors in 2013.
“Gabe (Valenzuela) is coming off a tremendous season for North York and can be a very dynamic player for us,” said Wilson, who is entering his 17th season behind the bench for the Tigers in 2015-16. “Nick (Amato) is a hard worker who will provide depth for us in net. We feel both players help us round out a very strong incoming class.”
On July 9, Wilson announced the first five members of the Class of 2019, forwards Erik Brown (Keene, Ontario/Kemptville 73’s), Abbott Girduckis (Stirling, Ontario/Wellington Dukes), Liam Kerins (Caledon, Ontario/North York Rangers), and Mark Logan (Calgary, Alberta/Brooks Bandits) to go along with goaltender Christian Short (Woodbridge, Ontario/Surrey Eagles). In total, five forwards and two goaltenders will make their collegiate debuts for the Tigers in 2015-16.
The Tigers enter their 11th season at the NCAA Division I level. Last season, RIT (20-15-5) won its second Atlantic Hockey Conference Championship, and made its second trip to the NCAA Division I Tournament, advancing to the Midwest Regional final. The 2015-16 season begins on Oct. 3 with an exhibition contest against Ontario Institute of Technology. Ticket information for the 2015-16 season is available at www.rithockey.com.
