The RIT Tigers are heading to the 2024 NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship as the Atlantic Hockey conference champions.

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The Tigers return to the national stage for the first time since 2016, and they have an eye on their second Frozen Four in program history.

• 2016: RIT defeated in regional semifinals by No.1 seed Quinnipiac
• 2015: RIT wins regional semifinal over No. 1 seed Minnesota State, then is defeated in regional final by Omaha
• 2010: RIT wins regional semifinal over No. 1 seed Denver, wins regional final over New Hampshire and is defeated in Frozen Four by Wisconsin

As the Tigers gear up for the national stage, they are set to take on No. 2 overall seed Boston University on March 28 at 5 p.m. EDT and have a debatably stronger roster than each of their past national tournament appearances.

PREVIEW | #RIT takes on Boston University in NCAA Tournament Sioux Falls Regional, Thursday #RoarTech - https://t.co/ewIKMxocha

— RIT Men's Hockey (@RITMHKY) March 26, 2024

With seven straight wins and 14 wins over their past 17 games, the Tigers have recorded at least four goals in 12 of those contests. The team is fourth in the nation in goals and boasts a hefty roster that is deep and capable of finding offense from all four lines.

That offense features six double-digit goal-scorers, two others with nine goals and three players above the point-per-game mark.

RIT will not be an easy out, even for a Boston program that sits 26-9-2. The Terriers have won 10 of their past 13 games, recording at least four goals in each win.

Boston has just five wins this season when not scoring at least four goals. But for a program that has claimed a berth to the national tournament in seven of the past nine seasons (excluding the canceled 2020 tournament), RIT certainly is holding the underdog label.

Still, the path for RIT exists; hold the Terriers to fewer than four goals.

Enter RIT netminder Tommy Scarfone.

The junior holds a 26-10-2 record with a .928 save percentage, 2.18 goals-against average and four shutouts. His 25 wins are third in the NCAA.

Moreover, Scarfone ranks eighth in minutes by all NCAA goaltenders as a workhorse for the Tigers.

He’s been a stout example of durability, and his save percentage, goals-against average and four shutouts all rank second among the seven goalies who have played more minutes than him this season.

As the RIT-Boston game looks to be a race to four goals, Scarfone has also allowed more than three goals just six times in the 38 games played.

In 19 games since the turn of the calendar, Scarfone has only allowed more than three goals twice and has held all opponents to fewer than three goals in eight of his past nine starts.

Scarfone’s junior season earned him the Atlantic Hockey Goalie of the Year Award and a spot among the 10 semifinalists for the annual Mike Richter Award.

While he did not make the cut to the three finalists, he’s just another nod to the Tigers’ underdog label and more fuel for a program capable of its second Frozen Four berth, if not more, in 2024.

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