After taking its traditional end of semester break, Canisius is back in action this weekend as it travels to Worcester, Mass., for a two-game series at Atlantic Hockey Conference rival Holy Cross.
The Griffs and Crusaders open their series Friday before wrapping up the set Saturday with a New Year’s Eve tilt. Puck drop for both games is set for 4:05 p.m.
Canisius (6-8-3; 5-3-3 AHC) heads into the second half of the regular season tied with Air Force for fifth place in the league standings with 13 points. Holy Cross (6-7-3; 3-4-3 AHC), meanwhile, is knotted with Bentley for eighth place with eight points.
Canisius takes to the road for the first time since mid-November after wrapping up the first half of the regular season with a five-game homestand that concluded Dec. 2-3 with a series against Bentley. The Griffs are led offensively by junior Ryan Schmelzer, who paces the Griffs with 10 points on four goals and six assists. Schmelzer was named Atlantic Hockey Player of the Week on Dec. 6 after tallying two goals and three assists in two games against the Falcons. Sophomores Felix Chamberland (4g, 4a), Dylan McLaughlin (4g, 4a), and freshman Nick Hutchison (6g, 2a) are tied for second on the team with eight points apiece.
Senior goaltender Charles Williams begins the week ranked fifth in the nation in save percentage (.935). He also ranks 14th in goals against average (2.26) and tied for eighth in shutouts (2) nationally. Canisius has had little problem playing a man down of late, having successfully killed off 36-of-38 (.947) shorthanded situations over its last nine contests.
Canisius closed out the first half of its regular season schedule in early December with a two-game series against AHC counterpart Bentley at HARBORCENTER. The Griffs took the opener, 4-3, as the line of Dylan McLaughlin, Jeff Murray and Ryan Schmelzer combined for four goals and five assists to lead Canisius to the one-goal victory. Charles Williams got the start in goal for the Blue and Gold in the opener, recording 25 saves for his sixth victory of the season. The series finale saw both teams strike three times each in a wild first period before settling down to play to a 3-3 draw. Schmelzer tallied a goal and an assist to lead the Griffs while Nolan Sheeran and Felix Chamberland also scored. Daniel Urbani made his fourth start of the season in goal for Canisius and finished with 35 saves.
Holy Cross begins the second half of the season with a 3-4-3 mark in Atlantic Hockey action and a 6-7-3 overall record. The Crusaders defeated he U.S. National University Team, 10-1, in an exhibition contest Tuesday at the New England Sports Center. Juniors T.J. Moore and Danny Lopez are tied for the team lead in scoring with 19 points each. Moore has tallied a team-best 11 goals while Lopez is second on the squad with 10 tallies. Sophomore defenseman Spencer Trapp leads all Crusaders and ranks sixth in Atlantic Hockey with 13 assists. In goal, junior Paul Berrafato has started all 16 games between the pipes for Holy Cross. He has compiled a 3.16 goals against average and a .892 save percentage in those contests.
The Crusaders hold a 33-19-10 advantage in a series that dates back to 1986, including a 29-17-10 edge in Division I meetings. Canisius has enjoyed the better of play as of late, however, posting a 7-2-1 mark against Holy Cross in the last four-plus seasons. The schools met a total of four times during the 2015-16 regular season with the Griffs holding a 2-1-1 edge in those matchups. In their first series in Buffalo in late October, Canisius claimed the opener, 4-3, before Holy Cross responded in the finale with a 4-1 triumph. In their second series in Worcester in late January, the two teams played to a 2-2 draw in the opener before Canisius took the finale, 2-1, in overtime thanks to an overtime tally from current junior Ryan Schmelzer.
The Canisius men’s hockey program will host its inaugural outdoor open practice Tuesday, Jan. 3 at Buffalo RiverWorks. The team is slated to practice from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on one of the facility’s two outdoor rinks. During that time, members of the Griffs coaching staff and team will take time to interact with the crowd. There will also be opportunities to win Canisius tickets, merchandise and other prizes. There will be no admission charge. At the conclusion of practice, there will an opportunity for fans to join the Griffs on the ice until 7:30 p.m. for an open skate and autographs. Fans can bring their own skates or can rent a pair from RiverWorks. Complimentary hot chocolate and coffee will be available for all those in attendance.
Canisius returns home next weekend to close out the non-conference portion of its schedule with a series against No. 17 St. Lawrence at KeyBank Rink in HARBORCENTER. The Griffs and Saints open their two-game set Jan. 6 before wrapping the weekend the following evening. Puck drop for both contests is set for 7:35 p.m.
from GoGriffs.com via IFTTT
