ROCHESTER, NY – RIT head coach Wayne Wilson announced that incoming seniors Erik Brown (Keene, Ontario/Kemptville 73’s) and Abbott Girduckis (Belleville, Ontario/Wellington Dukes) will serve as men’s hockey captains for the 2018-19 season. Both will wear the hallowed “C” on their jerseys for the first time at the university.
“We have two great captains leading our team next year,” said Wilson. “Both men represent our program exactly how we want to be represented on the ice, in the classroom and in the community. Their work habits both on and off the ice are exemplary. I look forward to watching Erik and Abbott lead our team back to our goal of reaching the NCAA Tournament.”
Brown, a 2018 All-Atlantic Hockey first team selection, enjoyed an incredible junior season for the Tigers in 2017-18, setting a Division I program record with 29 goals, while adding 13 assists for a team-best 42 points in 37 games. He finished tied for second nationally in goals and scored at least one goal in 21 games, which led the country. Brown recorded a pair of hat-tricks and was named the Atlantic Hockey Player of the Month in February. He was named co-winner of RIT’s Louis Spiotti Coaches Award and sole recipient of the Greg Moss Hard Hat Award for grit and determination.
Brown, a biomedical engineering major, is third all-time in RIT’s Division I era with 52 career goals with 34 assists and 86 points in 111 career games. He also has 16 career power-play goals and eight game-winners. Brown is also a two-time Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Team selection for his work in the classroom.
Girduckis enjoyed his best year offensively as a Tiger in 2017-18 during his junior season, recording 27 points on seven goals and 20 assists, while playing in all 37 games. He opened the year strong, with 13 points (4-9-13) over an eight-game point-scoring streak, Oct. 21 to Nov. 17. Girduckis recorded back-to-back three-point outings, both career-highs against Rensselaer and Army West Point in late October. In addition, he scored the game-winning goal just 23 seconds into overtime, lifting RIT to a 5-4 win over Sacred Heart in game one of the Atlantic Hockey First Round series.
In three seasons at RIT, Girduckis, a packaging science major, has 57 career points on 19 goals and 38 assists in 108 games. He was named to the Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Team in 2016-17.
