Canisius returns to Atlantic Hockey Conference action this weekend when it travels to Colorado for a pair of games against league-leading Air Force.
The Griffs and Falcons open their two-game set Friday with a 9:05 p.m. (EST) contest before wrapping up the weekend Saturday with a 7:05 p.m. (EST) matchup.
Canisius (7-10-4, 6-4-3 AHC) played its final non-conference games of the regular season last weekend with a series against ECAC foe No. 16 St. Lawrence at HARBORCENTER. The Griffs and Saints played to a 3-3 draw in the opener before St. Lawrence held on for a 2-1 triumph in the finale the following evening.
Winners of its last six contests, Air Force (13-6-3, 10-3-1 AHC) finds itself atop the league standings with 21 points. The Falcons capped off a four-game road swing with a sweep at Mercyhust, defeating the Lakers by margins of 3-1 and 4-2 last weekend in Erie, Pa.
Junior Ryan Schmelzer (5g, 6a) and freshman Nick Hutchison (7g, 4a) are tied for the team lead in scoring with 11 points each. Hutchison has tallied nine points (5g, 4a) in the Griffs last 10 contests. Eight (5g, 3a) of his 11 points this season have come on the power play. Schmelzer has tallied seven points (1g, 6a) in 10 previous contests against Air Force, the highest total amongst current Canisius players. The Buffalo product notched six points (1g, 5a) in six games against the Falcons last season. Freshman Matt Hoover is second on the team with nine points (4g, 5a). Sophomores Felix Chamberland (4g, 4a) and Dylan McLaughlin (4g, 4a) are tied for fourth with eight points apiece. Senior goaltender Charles Williams began the week ranked fourth in the nation in save percentage (.937). He also ranks 13th in goals against average (2.15) and tied for fourth in shutouts (3) nationally. Three has truly been a magic number for Canisius this season as the Griffs are 4-0-2 when scoring three or more goals in a game.
Canisius played its final non-conference games of the regular season last weekend as it entertained No. 16 St. Lawrence in a weekend series at HARBORCENTER. In the series opener, the Griffs scored three times in the second period to erase a pair of two-goal deficits and earn a 3-3 tie. David Parrottino tallied his first points of the season with a goal and an assist. Ryan Schmelzer and Jesse Pereira also scored for Canisius. Freshman Daniel Urbani got the start in goal for the Griffs in the opener, making 26 saves. In the finale, freshman Nick Hutchison notched his team-leading seventh goal of the season in the third period, but the Saints were able to hold on for a 2-1 victory. Senior Charles Williams made 33 saves in goal for the Griffs, marking the eighth time this season he has stopped 30 or more shots in a game.
League-leading Air Force has benefitted from a youth movement of sorts this season as four of the team’s top six scorers are sophomores. Sophomore Kyle Haak paces the Falcons attack, leading the squad in both assists (13) and points (20). Fellow sophomore Evan Giesler is second with 16 points on six goals and 10 assists. Junior Jordan Himley boasts a team-high 10 goals on just 34 shots on goal. Himley is tied with fellow junior Phil Boje (5 g, 10 a) for third place on the team’s scoring chart with 15 points. Sophomore Shane Starrett has started a majority of the games in goal for the Falcons this season. He boasts a 2.31 goals against average and a .920 save percentage in those games. Veteran head coach Frank Serratore is his 20th season at Air Force. He holds a 342-316-74 record at the Academy and has led Air Force to five conference championships and five NCAA appearances in the last 10 years.
Air Force holds a slight edge in the all-time series, 17-11-8. All 36 previous meetings have come since the Falcons joined Atlantic Hockey in 2006-07. The two teams met a total of six times during the 2015-16 season, with Air Force posting a 4-1-1 mark in the those games. Air Force claimed 5-of-8 points during the teams’ four regular-season matchups before sweeping a best-of-three series in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Hockey Tournament last March. The Falcons won both games at Cadet Ice Arena by identical 4-1 margins. Canisius has had more success in Colorado against the Falcons with a 7-9-4 record all-time at Cadet Ice Arena. The schools split a regular-season series at Air Force last December with the Falcons taking the opener, 3-2, before Canisius claimed the finale, 4-2.
Canisius completes its season series with RIT next weekend with a home-and-home set. The teams open their two-game set Jan. 20 with a 7:05 p.m. start at the Gene Polisseni Center before completing their series the following night with a 7:35 matchup at HARBORCENTER.
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