BUFFALO – Canisius completes its Battle of the Bridge series against rival Niagara this week with a home-and-home series versus the Purple Eagles.
The teams open their two-game set Wednesday with a 7:35 p.m. contest at KeyBank Rink at HARBORCENTER before wrapping up the series Friday with 7:05 p.m. puck drop at Dwyer Arena.
Owners of the nation’s longest active unbeaten streak, Canisius (16-10-7, 15-4-6 AHC) begins its home-and-home series with Niagara in sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Hockey standings, one point ahead of second-place Air Force. The Griffs have already secured a bye and hosting rights for the quarterfinal round of the Atlantic Hockey Tournament March 11-13. Sophomore Dylan McLaughlin leads the Griffs in scoring with 27 points (12g, 15a). McLaughlin has amassed 18 points (8g, 10a) during the Griffs’ current 12-game unbeaten streak. Junior Ryan Schmelzer is second on the team with 25 points (10g, 15a). Schmelzer, who begins the series with points in nine of the last 10 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 weekend leading the nation in save percentage (.943). Williams also ranks amongst the top ten netminders nationally in both goals against average (1.92/6th) and shutouts (4/T-7th) as well. Canisius has been tough to beat at HARBORCENTER this season as the Griffs are 7-2-5 at home in 2016-17. Canisius is 3-0-1 in its last four home contests. The power play has been firing on all cylinders for the Griffs in recent contests, converting 15-of-49 opportunities (.309) over the past 11 games. Canisius has scored a power play goal in all but one of those 11 contests. Canisius has found its offensive groove since the start of 2017 as it is averaging 3.71 goals per game over its last 14 contests, compared to just 1.84 goals per game average during the Griffs’ first 19 games of the season.
Canisius secured home ice for the quarterfinal round of the Atlantic Hockey Tournament by taking three of four points at Sacred Heart last weekend. In the series opener, the Griffs scored twice in the third period to erase a 2-0 deficit and earn a 2-2 draw. Sophomore Cameron Heath and freshman Matt Hoover scored for Canisius while senior Charles Williams made 22 saves. The series finale saw the Griffs score four goals in the second period and held off a late rally to secure a 6-5 victory. Sophomores Felix Chamberland, Dylan McLaughlin and Jimmy Mazza notched a goal and an assist to lead the Canisius attack. Heath, junior Nolan Sheeran, and freshman Jesse Pereira also found the back of the net for the Griffs. The win and tie extended Canisius’ unbeaten streak to 12 games, establishing a new program mark for consecutive games without a loss.
Niagara (3-24-3, 3-19-2 AHC) heads into the home-and-home series with Canisius looking to halt a losing skid that reached eight games last weekend with a pair of losses at Army West Point. Freshman have led the way for Niagara this season as three of the team’s top four point scorers are rookies. Freshman Noah Delmas leads the Purple Eagles in scoring with 14 points, all of which have come as assists. Fellow newcomer Kris Spriggs is second on the team with 13 points (7g, 6a) while rookie Johnny Curran is fourth (7g, 4a) as both players are tied for the team lead with seven goals. Senior Jackson Teichroeb has seen the majority of time between the pipes for the Purple Eagles this season, compiling a 4.25 goals against average and a .877 save percentage in 15 starts.
In a rivalry that began in 1997, Niagara holds a 21-17-4 advantage in the all-time series, including a 17-16-4 edge in Division I meetings. The Griffs hold the edge in recent contests with a 7-2-1 record against the Purple Eagles in their last 10 matchups. The Griffs’ seven wins against the Purple Eagles in that span have all come since the start of the 2015-16 season. Canisius carries a 7-8-1 record at home against Niagara into Wednesday’s contest. The Griffs have won each of the last three games against the Purple Eagles, including a 4-1 triumph at HARBORCENTER on Jan. 24. Canisius holds a 6-6-3 mark against Niagara at Dwyer Arena and will enter Friday’s matchup with wins in each of its last four visits, including a 5-2 triumph in its most recent appearance on Jan. 31.
Unbeaten in its last 12 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 closes out the regular season Feb. 23 with a 7:05 p.m. contest against Mercyhurst at KeyBank Arena in HARBORCENTER. The team will be handing out Cory Conacher bobbleheads to the first 500 fans in attendance. To purchase tickets, visit ticketmaster.com or call 716-888-TIXX.
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