LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Canisius rowing program used Saturday as a teaching opportunity, competing in a scrimmage against Bucknell in Lewisburg, Pa. While no official results were recorded, the squad used the day to prepare for the next step of the season, against a team that competed in the 2015 NCAA tournament.

"Our thanks go out to Coach Kish and his staff for hosting us on their senior day,” head coach Joel Furtek said. “It was a perfect day for racing here with the sun shining down on flat water.”

The competition against the Bison will prove to be invaluable to a young squad that is continuing its progression in a very competitive MAAC field. Using the Bison as a measuring stick for where the team stands, the coaching staff was extremely happy with today's results.

“The four pieces against such a strong and disciplined crew gave us a great chance to learn more about our own speed,” Furtek said. “We don't have results to report but it's fair to say that we gave as good as we got, and in all boats we were able to spend quality time at speed. I'm extremely proud of how well our boats handled the competition and this is the great next step that we needed from top to bottom. “

The program hoped to use this weekend as a springboard for the rest of the 2016 slate, and with the positive work completed today, it's fair to say that the squad is ready for its next challenge, the Black Rock Cup, hosted it's home facility next Saturday.

"We're good and tired and we will sleep well on our return to Buffalo tonight,” Furtek said. “After a day of rest we'll turn our attention to the Black Rock Cup against our conference friends from Robert Morris.”