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BUFFALO – Canisius closes out its regular season schedule Friday when it hosts Quinnipiac in a 4 p.m. Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference contest at the Demske Sports Complex.
The contest between the Griffs (5-8, 3-2 MAAC) and the Bobcats (2-8, 1-4 MAAC) serves as Canisius’ senior day. The team will recognize its seven senior student-athletes in a ceremony prior to the start of the contest.
Canisius takes to the field Friday hoping to gain momentum before heading into the postseason after falling to regular-season champion Monmouth last Friday, 11-6. Junior Connor Kearnan looks to put the finishing touches on a stellar regular season as the Courtice, Ontario, product leads Canisius in goals (30) assists (23) and points (53). Kearnan ranks among the top 35 players in the nation in goals (32nd), assists (25th) and points (18th) per contest. Senior Jeff Edwards is second on the team in scoring with 31 points (13g, 18a). Playing his final game at Demske, Edwards is two points shy of matching former Canisius standout Nick LoCoco (2008-11) for 13th place on the program’s all-time scoring list (121). Junior Ryan McKee is second on the team in goals (20) and third in points (27). McKee heads into the regular season finale ninth in the MAAC in goals per game (1.46). Junior Liam Ganzhorn has started all 13 games in goal for the Griffs. Ganzhorn ranks fourth in the MAAC in goals against average (11.02) and fifth in save percentage (.471). Canisius has truly been a second-half team this season as it has out-scored its opponents by a combined total of 72-62 in the second half of contests this season. The Griffs have been out-scored by a combined total of 84-60 in the first half of games during the 2016-17 campaign.
Canisius has clinched one of four spots in the 2017 MAAC Men’s Lacrosse Tournament, scheduled for May 5 & 7 at Marist’s Tenney Stadium in Poughkeepsie. Depending on the results of matchup between Marist and Siena, Canisius will be either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed and face either the Red Foxes or the Saints in their semifinal contest. With a victory over Quinnipiac and a Marist victory over Siena, the Griffs will earn the No. 2 seed. A Canisius victory, combined with a Siena victory over Marist; or a loss for Canisius to Quinnipiac, means that the Griffs will be the third seed.
Bryce Wasserman scored five goals to pace league-leading Monmouth to an 11-6 victory over visiting Canisius in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference men’s lacrosse action last Friday. Sophomore Mario Caito scored two goals and four players – senior Lewis Vaccaro and juniors Steven Coss, Eric Gold and Blake Rickan – chipped in one goal each for the Griffs. Junior Connor Kearnan dished out a game-high three assists as he recorded three or more assists in a game for the third time this season. Kearnan also moved into sole possession of 12th place on the program’s single-season points list as he increased his team-leading point total to 53. Monmouth held a 39-20 advantage in shots taken during the game. The Hawks were credited with 20 of the 30 shots recorded during the second half. Monmouth held a 13-8 advantage in faceoffs won. The Hawks won 6-of-8 draws contested in the first half and 4-of-5 faceoffs held during the fourth quarter.
Quinnipiac looks to finish the 2017 campaign on a high note after suffering a 10-8 setback at Siena last Friday that knocked them out of contention for a postseason berth. Despite its 1-4 record, the Bobcats have been highly competitive in MAAC play as their four league losses have come by a combined total of six goals. Brian Feldman has paced the Quinnipiac attack this season, pacing the squad in both goals (30) and points (35). Feldman leads the MAAC in goals per game (3.00) and ranks second in points per contest (3.50). Anthony Carchietta is second on the team in scoring with 21 points. Carchietta leads the Bobcats and ranks seventh in the MAAC in assists per game (1.20). Jack Brust and Joe Zukauskas have split time in goal for Quinnipiac this season. Brust has seen the majority of time between the pipes for the Bobcats, posting a 11.25 goals against average and a .516 save percentage.
In nine all-time meetings between the two schools, Quinnipiac holds a 7-2 advantage against the Griffs. Since the Bobcats rejoined the MAAC prior to the 2014 season, Quinnipiac has won 3-of-4 meetings with the Griffs. Quinnipiac won both matchups against Canisius last season. The Bobcats posted a 17-9 victory in their regular season meeting in Hamden in early April before recording a 13-7 victory on their home field the semifinals of the MAAC Championship in early May. Canisius last earned a win against Quinnipiac during the 2014 season, posting an 11-10 win on the road.
Canisius takes part in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament, scheduled for May 5 & 7 at Marist’s Tenney Stadium in Poughkeepsie. Seeding for the four-team event will be determined at the conclusion of the MAAC regular season schedule on Saturday.
