BUFFALO — Canisius closes out its regular season schedule Thursday as it hosts Mercyhurst in a 7:05 p.m. contest at KeyBank Rink in HARBORCENTER.
Thursday’s contest serves as the program’s senior day, with the team honoring senior student-athletes Geoff Fortman, Josh Kielich and Charles Williams in a ceremony prior to the start of the contest.
The team will also be giving away bobbleheads of former Canisius standout Cory Conacher ’11 to the first 500 people in attendance.
The game will be shown throughout New York State on Spectrum Sports.
Owners of the nation’s longest active unbeaten streak, Canisius (18-10-7, 17-4-6 AHC) heads into its regular-season finale in sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Hockey standings, one point ahead of second-place Air Force. The Falcons hold a game in hand on the Griffins, however, closing out their regular season slate at home with two games against Sacred Heart. Sophomore Dylan McLaughlin leads the Griffs in scoring with 29 points (13g, 16a). McLaughlin has amassed 20 points (9g, 11a) during the Griffs’ current 14-game unbeaten streak. Junior Ryan Schmelzer is second on the team with 27 points (10g, 17a). Schmelzer, who enters Tuesday’s with points in 11 of the last 12 games, leads the Griffs and ranks 6th nationally with four game-winning goals. Senior Charles Williams has remained rock solid in goal for the Griffs as he enters the weekday series leading the nation in save percentage (.942). Williams also ranks amongst the top ten netminders nationally in both goals against average (1.90/5th) and shutouts (4/T-6th) as well. Canisius has been tough to beat at HARBORCENTER this season as the Griffs are 8-2-5 at home in 2016-17. Canisius is 4-0-1 in its last five home contests. Canisius has found its offensive groove since the start of 2017 as it is averaging 3.81 goals per game over its last 16 contests, compared to just 1.84 goals per game average during the Griffs’ first 19 games of the season.
Canisius completed a season sweep of rival Niagara by winning both games of a home-and-home series against the Purple Eagles last week. In the first contest, the Griffs scored twice in the third period to break a 2-2 tie and record a 4-2 triumph at HARBORCENTER on Feb. 15. Senior Geoff Fortman, sophomore Jimmy Mazza and freshman Matt Hoover all finished with a goal and an assist to lead the Canisius attack. In the series finale, Canisius scored three times in the opening 6:37 of the second period to break open a close contest and record a 5-1 triumph. Sophomore Felix Chamberland and freshman Nick Hutchison notched a goal and two assists. Sophomore Dylan McLaughlin chipped in a goal and an assist and fellow sophomore Ian Edmondson tallied two assists.
Mercyhurst (12-16-4, 11-11-4 AHC) begins the final weekend of the regular season tied with Holy Cross for fifth place in the Atlantic Hockey standings. The Lakers wrap up their regular season Saturday with a 7:05 p.m. contest at home against RIT. Reigning Atlantic Hockey Player of the Week sophomore Derek Barach leads Mercyhurst in scoring with 30 points on the strength of a team-best 25 assists. Junior Johnathan Charbonneau leads the team in goals scored with 14 and is second on the squad with 23 points. Junior Brandon Wildung and freshman Colin DeAugustine. Wildung has seen the majority of time between the pipes, compiling a 7-9-2 record with a 2.95 goals against average and a .912 save percentage.
Two long-time rivals, the Griffs have played the Lakers more than any other school in the program’s history. In 85 all-time meetings, Mercyhurst holds a 42-33-10 advantage against the Griffs, including a 29-26-9 edge in 64 Division I meetings. Canisius has had the better of its rival as of late, going 8-3-1 against the Lakers since the 2013 Atlantic Hockey Championship, twice eliminating Mercyhurst from the postseason. Mercyhurst won the first meeting between the two programs this season, claiming a 5-1 victory at HARBORCENTER back on Nov. 25.
Unbeaten in its last 14 contests, Canisius is not only the owner of the nation’s longest active undefeated streak, but the Griffs have established a new program mark for consecutive games without a loss. The current stretch marks the first time in the Division I era of the program that it has gone 10 or more games without a loss. The previous longest unbeaten streak during the Division I era came during the 1999-2000 season, when the Griffs went 7-0-2 from Nov. 13-Jan. 15. The previous longest unbeaten streak in program history occurred during the 1996-97 campaign, when Canisius ran off 11 games without a loss from Dec. 9-Feb. 2 of that season.
Canisius has earned a first-round bye for the 2017 Atlantic Hockey Tournament and will host a quarterfinal round series March 10-12 at KeyBank Rink in HARBORCENTER. The Griffs seed will not be determine until the end of the regular season on Sunday and will not know its opponent in the quarterfinals until the conclusion of the first round, slated for March 3-5.
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