Ice Hockey 1/26/2006 12:00:00 AM Canisius College Athletics

Hockey Continues Road Swing at Connecticut

Games No. 25 and 26 Canisius College (6-17-1, 4-13-1 Atlantic Hockey) at Connecticut (7-15-1, 6-12-0) Friday, Jan. 27, 2006 -- 7:05 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, 2006 -- 7:05 p.m. Mark E. Freitas Ice Forum -- Storrs, Conn.

Scouting the Griffs

Junior forward Michael Cohen (Williamsville, N.Y.) leads the team with 21 points, nine goals and 12 assists. Sophomore Joel Kitchen (Orilla, Ont.) and junior Joey Coccimiglio (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.) each have 16 points, which is second on the team.

Defenseman Brandon Irish-Baker (Clarence, N.Y.) leads the team's defensemen with 14 points (four goals and 10 assists). All of those totals are career highs and Irish-Baker is ranked 24th in the country for points scored by a defenseman.

In his last eight appearances, freshman goaltender and Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Week Dan Giffin (Milton, Ont.) has a 2.02 goals against average and .941 save percentage.
Last Time on the Ice

The Griffs snapped a school-record 11-game losing streak defeating Army 2-0 at Tate Rink Jan. 21. The night before, the Blue and Gold lost 3-0 to the Black Knights.

In the 2-0 win, Dan Giffin had a career night, stopping all 45 shots he faced for the first shutout by a Canisius goalie since Feb. 4, 2005. Senior forward Chris Angelo (Depew, N.Y.) scored the first game-winner of his career.

The goal by Angelo (right) snapped a 120:40 scoreless drought, the second longest for the team this season.

The 1-0 win for the Blue and Gold was the first 1-0 win since the Griffs defeated Quinnipiac in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Hockey Tournament, also at Tate Rink.

In the 3-0 loss, the Griffs managed only 10 shots, which was the lowest total since they had 10 shots at No. 1 North Dakota Dec. 13, 2002.
Scouting Connecticut

The Huskies come into this weekend on an eight-game losing streak with their last win coming Dec. 29, when they defeated Army 3-0. In all of those losses, the Huskies haven't score more than three goals and have given up at least four goals in seven of those games. Prior to this losing streak, Connecticut had won four in a row.

Junior Cole Koidahl leads the team with 18 points (six goals and 12 assists) while freshman Chris Myhro leads the team with eight goals.

In net, the Huskies have three goaltenders who have logged at least 400 minutes apiece. Jon Anderson, Brad Smith and Scott Tomes have each received a start in the past four contests.

The Huskies allow 3.57 goals per game while the Griffs allow 3.54.
Giffin's Career Night

Dan Giffin recorded the first shutout of his collegiate career when he stopped 45 shots against Army Jan. 21, in a 2-0 win.

Giffin's 45 saves were the most by a Canisius goaltender since former Griffin Sean Weaver stopped 46 at Mercyhurst Feb. 4, 2000, also in a 1-0 victory.

Giffin's 22 saves in the second period were the most since former Griffin Bryan Worosz stopped 23 in the third period against Quinnipiac Feb. 18, 2005.

Giffin's 65 saves (of 66 shots) on the weekend were the most by a Canisius goaltender in one weekend since Worosz had 69 from Feb. 17-18, 2005.

The shutout was the first by a Canisius goaltender since Worosz shut out American International 6-0 Feb. 4, 2005. It was the first road shutout for the Griffs since a 3-0 shutout at American International by Worosz on March 2, 2003.

Giffin comes into the weekend with a shutout streak of 82:34.
Penalty Kill Continues Its Success

The Griffs allowed their first power play goal in six games when the Black Knights scored in the second period Jan. 20.

That goal ended the Griffs' streak of consecutive power plays killed at 33. After last weekend, Canisius has killed 42 of the last 43 power plays.

During the second period of the 2-0 loss to Union Dec. 30, the Dutchmen were on the power play for 12:20 of that period and didn't score a goal. In that game, Canisius tied a season-high by killing nine penalties, which the Griffs also did against Niagara Oct. 14.
Fast Facts of the Griffs

Canisius comes into the weekend in the middle of a six-game road trip, the longest road trip of the season.

The Blue and Gold haven't won consecutive games all season.

The Griffs have not been shut out in 131 consecutive home games, a streak dating back to a 3-0 shutout loss to Niagara on Feb. 15, 1997.

Canisius has allowed the first goal of the game in seven of the past eight games and in 16 of the last 20.

The Griffs have struggled on Fridays all season with a 1-11-0 record.
Connecticut-Canisius history

The teams split their earlier series this season in Buffalo, N.Y., with the Huskies winning the opening game 9-3 while the Griffs won the next night, 4-3 in overtime.

Canisius leads the all-time series 14-13-4 while Connecticut leads 9-7-1 in games played in Storrs, Conn.

Canisius has won three of the past four season series between the teams.
Current Griffs vs. Connecticut

Andrew Dawe leads all current Griffs with 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in eight career games against the Huskies.

Senior captain Fred Coccimiglio (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.) is right behind Dawe with nine points (five goals, four asssists) in 10 games.

Dawe scored the overtime game-winner against Connecticut in the 4-3 Canisius win earlier this season.

In the two games against the Huskies back in November, Joey Coccimiglio leads the Griffs with four points (two goals and two assists) while freshman Spencer Churchill (Brantford, Ont.) had a career-best three assists in the 4-3 victory.
Griffs in League Rankings

Michael Cohen's 21 points rank 10th in the league while Joey Coccimiglio and Joel Kitchen are tied for 22nd with 16 points. Brandon Irish-Baker is fourth among defensemen.

Dan Giffin ranks sixth in goals against average (3.02) and save percentage (.910).

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Players Mentioned

#30 Bryan Worosz: G; 5' 10"; Senior

#29 Chris Angelo: F; 5' 10"; Senior

#9 Spencer Churchill: F; 6' 0"; Freshman

#21 Fred Coccimiglio: F; 5' 10"; Redshirt Senior

#37 Joey Coccimiglio: F; 6' 0"; Junior

#16 Michael Cohen: F; 5' 10"; Junior

#10 Andrew Dawe: F; 5' 9"; Senior

#30 Dan Giffin: G; 6' 0"; Freshman

#18 Brandon Irish-Baker: D; 5' 11"; Senior

#14 Joel Kitchen: F; 6' 1"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#30 Bryan Worosz
: 5' 10"; Senior
: G

#29 Chris Angelo
: 5' 10"; Senior
: F

#9 Spencer Churchill
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: F

#21 Fred Coccimiglio
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Senior
: F

#37 Joey Coccimiglio
: 6' 0"; Junior
: F

#16 Michael Cohen
: 5' 10"; Junior
: F

#10 Andrew Dawe
: 5' 9"; Senior
: F

#30 Dan Giffin
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: G

#18 Brandon Irish-Baker
: 5' 11"; Senior
: D

#14 Joel Kitchen
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: F