LOCKDOWN DEFENSIVE DUO
• Senior captain Phil Rauch and sophomore Ben Parker have proven to be a lockdown defensive combination this season.
• The two players have been paired together on the blue line all 10 games this year and have been on the ice together for only five total opponent goals, four of which are even-strength.
• Parker currently leads all players in Atlantic Hockey with a plus/minus of +9, while Rauch ranks second with a +8.
• In addition, only once this season (in 20 total chances) has one of the two defenders finished minus for the game. Parker was -1 in the second game of the season at Western Michigan.

CAPOBIANCO GETS CAREER OFF TO A GOOD START
• Goaltender Tony Capobianco excelled in his collegiate debut, starting his career strong right from the start.
• In his first career start on Nov. 6, Capobianco stopped 39 shots in a 1-1 draw at Connecticut.
• The rookie became the first Canisius goaltender to earn a point in his collegiate debut since Ryan Hatch posted a 2-1 victory over RIT on Oct. 22, 2005.
• The .975 save percentage for Capobianco in his debut is also the highest for a Griffs goaltender in his first career start during the Division I era. Hatch held the previous standard of .960.
• For his efforts, Capobianco earned Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Week accolades.

ENJOYING A CAREER SEASON
• Just nine games into his senior season, Eric Rex is already enjoying a career year.
• Rex has tallied a career-best eight points during his final collegiate year, two more than he recorded in any of his three previous seasons.
• During the 2010-11 campaign, Rex has netted three goals to go along with five assists.
• In the first 66 games of his career prior to this season, Rex had scored five goals and added eight assists for 13 points.
• The senior currently ranks eighth in Atlantic Hockey with eight points and leads all forwards in the league with a plus/minus of +6.

THE ACHILLES HEEL
• The one area of struggle for Canisius this season has been during close games.
• Canisius is now 4-4-2 on the season. All four of the Griffs' losses this season have been by just one goal, while each of the team's four wins are by multiple scores.
• The Griffs have also lost two games in overtime during the season.
• In its four wins this season, Canisius has outscored its opponents by an 18-6 margin, while being outscored by just 14-10 in its losses.
• Last season, the Griffs were 6-6-0 in one-goal games.
• The Achilles heel for Canisius this season has been the strength of this weekend's opponent. Holy Cross is a perfect 4-0-0 in one-goal games this season, winning each of its four contests by the slimmest of margins, and is 3-0-0 in overtime contests.

CANISIUS - HOLY CROSS SERIES HISTORY
• The Crusaders hold a 26-11-8 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to 1986, including a 22-9-8 edge in Division I meetings.
• Holy Cross has won the last three games in the series and holds a 6-2-1 edge in the last nine games. All six victories during that span have been by one goal for the Crusaders, while eight of the nine games overall have been decided by one or fewer goals.
• Last season, the Crusaders won a pair of 3-2 games at the Buffalo State Sports Arena and earned 3-of-4 points in the series the season before.
• Canisius has not defeated Holy Cross since a 2-1 victory on Feb. 17, 2008. Current senior goaltender Taylor Anderson anchored the Griffs' defensive effort in the game, recording 16 saves.

ABOUT THE CRUSADERS
• Holy Cross enters the weekend with a 4-4-0 record, including a 3-1-0 mark in Atlantic Hockey play.
• The Crusaders have been the opposite of the Griffs when concerning close games. Holy Cross has won all four of its games by one goal this season and is 3-0-0 in overtime games.
• Senior Everett Sheen leads the team with eight points on two goals and six assists.
• Junior Gianni Baldassari, sophomore Kyle Fletcher and freshman Shayne Stockton have all netted a team-best three goals this season.
• Sophomore Thomas Tysowsky, a native of nearby Amherst, has started six games in net, posting a goals against average of 3.47 and a save percentage of .889.