CANISIUS COLLEGE ATHLETICS
The Canisius hockey team closes out non-conference play this weekend as it entertains No. 13 North Dakota in a two-game series at KeyBank Rink at Harborcenter.
Puck drop for both games of the Jan. 4-5 series between the Golden Griffins and Fighting Hawks is set for 7:35 p.m.
Giveaways and Doug Allen Appearance
• There will be a free circular logo magnet giveaway on Friday while supplies last.
• Chef’s Restaurant will also be giving coupons away for a free bottle of pasta sauce to fans in attendance on Saturday while supplies last.
• Buffalo Sabres anthem singer Doug Allen will sign both anthems prior to the start of Friday’s contest.
Parking Information for Saturday
• With the Buffalo Bandits playing at KeyBank Center on Saturday, fans are encouraged to arrive at the game early in order to ensure parking at the Harborcenter Parking Garage.
• If parking at Harborcenter, fans should indicate that they are attending the Canisius vs. North Dakota hockey game in order to get the normal Golden Griffins gameday parking rate of $3.
Scouting Canisius
• Canisius heads into its final non-conference games of the 2018-19 season with a 6-9-2 overall mark after recording a tie and a loss at No. 14 Union last weekend.
• Senior Dylan McLaughlin looks to get back on track after being held off the scoresheet last weekend, marking the first time this season he has been held scoreless in consecutive games. McLaughlin enters the North Dakota series leading the Griffs in goals (11), assists (11) and points (22).
• Sophomore Austin Alger has been on an offensive tear of late, registering seven goals and three assists during his eight-game point-scoring streak. Alger turned in the first multiple-goal effort of his career with pair of tallies in the series finale against the Dutchmen on Dec. 29.
• Junior Nick Hutchison ranks second on the squad in both goals (9) and points (16) this season. Hutchison recorded his first collegiate tally with a power-play goal against North Dakota back on Oct. 7, 2016.
• Junior goaltender Blake Weyrick has been solid in recent outings as he has posted a .921 save percentage and a 2.54 goals against average in his last five starts. Weyrick has averaged more than 30 saves in those contests while also surrendering just eight even-strength goals in those outings.
• Special teams will be a focus for the Griffs this weekend as Canisius is just 5-for-36 (.139) on the power play over the last nine contests while their opponents are 10-for-42 (.234) with the man advantage in the same time frame.
Canisius Closes 2018 at Union
• Canisius closed out the 2018 calendar year last weekend with a non-conference series at No. 14 Union.
• The Golden Griffins and Dutchmen skated to a 2-2 tie in the opener before Union claimed a 5-3 victory in the finale.
• In the first matchup, junior Blake Weyrick made a career-high 42 saves while sophomore Austin Algerand senior Jimmy Mazza scored to pace Canisius in just their second tie of the season.
• Weyrick stopped all 38 shots he faced at even strength as Union out-shot Canisius by a 44-26 margin during the contest.
• Game two of the series saw Union race out to a 4-1 lead after two periods, only to see the Griffs score twice in the opening 3:40 of the third to make it a one-goal game. The Dutchmen added an empty-net tally in the final minute to determine the two-goal margin.
• Alger added two goals as he extended his goal-scoring streak to four games with the multiple-goal effort. Freshman Mitchell Martan also chipped in his third of the season.
• Freshman goaltender Matt Ladd made his collegiate debut in the series finale and recorded 32 saves as Union enjoyed a 37-18 shot advantage.
Scouting North Dakota
• A member of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, North Dakota makes its way to Buffalo for its final non-conference games of the regular season sporting a 9-7-1 overall record
• Sophomore Jordan Kawaguchi highlights a balanced Fighting Hawks attack as the forward ranks first on the squad in both assists (8) and points (11).
• Dallas Stars draft pick Rhett Gardner has served as the team’s top goal-scoring threat as the senior has tallied registered a team-best eight this season.
• In goal, freshman Adam Scheel has been solid in his first season between the pipes, leading all NCAA newcomers in goals against average (1.89) while also posting a .913 save percentage in 761 minutes of work.
Canisius-North Dakota Series History
• This weekend’s series will mark the eighth and ninth all-time meetings between these two programs in a series that began during the 2002-03 season.
• North Dakota holds a perfect 7-0-0 mark against Canisius, including a sweep of their most recent matchup, a two-game series in Grand Forks, N.D., to open the 2016-17 season (6-0; 4-1).
• This weekend’s series marks the first time the Griffs have hosted the Fighting Hawks. Canisius and North Dakota have played one neutral site game, which came during the 2002-03 season. North Dakota won that game, which was played at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, by a score of 8-0.
Canisius Versus Ranked Opponents
• The non-conference series versus No. 13 North Dakota this weekend serves as another opportunity for Canisius to make a splash on the national stage.
• Canisius holds an all-time record of 9-41-5 against nationally-ranked schools since moving to the Division I ranks prior to the start of the 1998-99 season.
• The Griffs are playing their second straight series against a ranked opponent, posting a 0-1-1 mark at No. 14 Union to close out the 2018 calendar year (2-2; 3-5) last weekend.
• The Griffs went 3-4 against ranked opposition last season, splitting an Atlantic Hockey Conference series against No. 18 Air Force at HARBORCENTER in late October, falling twice to No. 3/4 Clarkson in a home-and-home series, sweeping a home-and-home series versus AHC rival No. 20 Niagara in mid-December and suffering a defeat at the hands of No. 5 Cornell to close out the 2017 calendar year.
Up Next
• Canisius returns to league play next weekend when it squares off against long-time rival Mercyhurst in a home-and-home series.
• The Griffs host the Lakers in the front half of the series Jan. 11 in a 7:35 p.m. puck drop at Harborcenter before the series shifts the following day to the Mercyhurst Ice Center for a 7 p.m. contest.
• Tickets for Friday’s game are still available. They can be purchased by visiting the tickets page on GoGriffs.com or by calling 716-888-TIXX.
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