The Canisius College hockey team will face Atlantic Hockey rival Army this weekend in a road series, with games Friday and Saturday at 7:05 p.m. from Tate Arena in West Point, N.Y. The Griffs are 4-5-1 overall and 3-0-1 in Atlantic Hockey play, after sweeping RIT last weekend. Army West Point ranks first in Atlantic Hockey with a 4-2-0 conference record.
Canisius currently ranks second in the Atlantic Hockey Conference with a 3-0-1 record and seven points in league play, going 4-5-1 overall. The Griffs are led offensively by junior Ryan Schmelzer, who leads the team with six points (2g, 4a). Senior goaltender Charles Williams owns a 4-2-1 overall record and is tied for third in the nation in save percentage at .944. The Blue and Gold are 3-0-1 to start Atlantic Hockey play for the first time since the 2010-11 season.
The Golden Griffins swept rival RIT last weekend in a home-and-home series for the first time since the 2012-13 season. Senior goaltender Charles Williams recorded his second career shutout in a 1-0 victory over the Tigers Friday, while tying his career-high in saves of 43 in a 2-1 win at RIT Saturday. Williams had a total of 84 saves over the weekend, allowing only the one goal. Freshman Casey Jerry recorded his first career goal, scoring at 9:29 of the first period to give the Griffs a 1-0 lead in the team’s eventual 2-1 win on Saturday. The Blue and Gold also saw goals from sophomores Joshua Gabriel and Alex Jaeckle over the weekend, who scored their third and second career-goals respectively. Canisius displayed strong defense down the stretch on Saturday, killing off three RIT power-plays in the games final minutes, including a diving blocked shot from junior Jack Stander.
In 51 all-time meetings between the two schools, Canisius is tied with the Black Knights, 23-23-5. The Griffs are also 21-18-5 against the Black Knights in the program’s Division I history. The schools have split four of their last five series, with a Griffs loss and overtime tie coming in 2015-16.
from GoGriffs.com via IFTTT
