After starting the 2009-10 season with four games against CCHA opponents, the Canisius hockey team returns home for a two-game series against Atlantic Hockey foe Holy Cross. The teams will meet at the Buffalo State Sports Arena on Saturday and Sunday at 4:05 p.m.
Live audio will be available for free on GoGriffs.com, while live video will also be available via B2 Networks. In addition, fans can listen to Saturday's game through CJRN 710AM .
ATLANTIC HOCKEY OPENERS
• As Canisius begins the conference season, the Griffs will be looking for a rare strong start.
• The Griffs are just 1-4-1 in Atlantic Hockey openers.
• The lone Canisius victory came during the 2004-05 season at Bentley, 5-3. That season, the Griffs finished second in the Atlantic Hockey standings.
• Canisius has played Holy Cross twice in conference openers, losing 3-1 in its first-ever Atlantic Hockey game and tying the Crusaders last year, 1-1.
CONACHER NAMED ATLANTIC HOCKEY PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Junior Cory Conacher wasted no time making an impact in the 2009-10 season.
• In his first game of the season, Conacher netted three-consecutive goals against Lake Superior State to tally the ninth hat trick in the program's Division I history.
• Conacher's hat trick was also the second natural hat trick in the program's history and the first in non-conference action.
• For his efforts, Conacher was named the Atlantic Hockey Player of the Week for the first time in his career.
• Conacher currently leads all Atlantic Hockey players with his three goals.
KLUSENDORF SAVES HIS BEST FOR LAST
• Senior Ryan Klusendorf is having all his hard work pay off at the end of his career.
• The fifth-year senior ranks second on the team with two goals this season. Both of his goals this year have come in the third period.
• Klusendorf scored the lone goal in the Griffs' 1-0 victory over Ferris State, his second career game-winning score. He then followed with a goal against Lake Superior State, scoring in consecutive games for the first time in his career.
• Dating back to last season, Klusendorf has tallied four of his nine career goals in the last six contests.
CANISIUS - HOLY CROSS SERIES HISTORY
• The Crusaders hold a 24-11-8 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to 1986.
• Canisius has played Holy Cross 37 times at the Division I level, tied for the most of any single opponent by the Griffs (Canisius has also played Mercyhurst 35 times). The Crusaders hold a 20-9-8 edge in Division I meetings.
• Holy Cross holds a slight 4-3-1 advantage in the last eight meetings between the two schools.
• The Crusaders took 3-of-4 points in Worcester last season. The teams battled to a 1-1 draw in the opener and Holy Cross won the finale, 5-4.
ABOUT THE CRUSADERS
• Holy Cross opened the season with a pair of losses to Hockey East opponents. The Crusaders lost to Providence, 2-1, and Merrimack, 3-1.
• Junior Jordan Cyr leads the team with two points on a goal and an assist. Classmate Everett Sheen has scored the team's other goal.
• Cyr also led the team in scoring last season, posting 32 points on 19 goals and 13 assists. Brodie Sheahan finished second with 31 points (12g, 19a), while Sheen was third with 25 points (11g, 14a).
• Senior Ian Dams and freshman Thomas Tysowsky have split time in goal, both posting a 2.03 goals against average. Tysowsky is the current Atlantic Hockey Goaltender of the Week after stopping 25 shots in his first collegiate game.
