Men's Hockey | 12/17/2014 8:15:00 AM

ROCHESTER, NY - Junior defenseman Alexander Kuqali (Pittsburgh, PA/Sioux City Musketeers) and senior goaltender Jordan Ruby (Tavistock, Ontario/Wellington Dukes) earned Atlantic Hockey Conference weekly honors on Tuesday, for the week ending Dec. 14, 2014. Kuqali was named the AHC Defensive Player of the Week, while Ruby was the Goaltender of the Week. It is Kuqali's first weekly honor of the 2014-15 season and second of his career. Ruby is now a two-time Goaltender of the Week this season and has three weekly honors in his career.

Kuqali was a main reason why RIT allowed just two goals in two weekend games against Niagara, as he blocked five shots and was plus-1 in a 4-1 victory on Friday night. Kuqali was a key cog in RIT's penalty-killing unit that killed off all 14 Niagara power-play attempts over the weekend. RIT has killed off 31 straight overall dating back to Nov. 14 at Canisius.

Ruby was excellent in goal for the Tigers over the weekend, stopping 54-of-56 shots (.964 save percentage) in a 1-0-1 weekend. On Friday, he made 24 saves, including a handful from in close in the second period while RIT was protecting a 2-1 lead. The Tigers would defeat Niagara 4-1. On Saturday, Ruby made 30 saves in a 1-1 tie against the Purple Eagles. Ruby is now 4-3-3 this season with a microscopic 1.87 goals against average and .930 save percentage this season. He has allowed just five goals over his last five games, with a 3-1-1 mark, 0.99 goals against average and .960 save percentage during that span.

RIT is off until Jan. 2-3 when they travel to the University of Minnesota's Mariucci Classic on Jan. 2-3, 2015. RIT will play nationally-ranked UMass Lowell at 5:07 p.m. on Jan. 2 and either Minnesota or Merrimack on Jan. 3.