Hockey Returns Home to Host AIC

Games 21-22
Canisius (10-8-2, 10-4-0 AHC) vs. AIC (8-12-2, 7-8-2 AHC)
Date: Friday, Jan. 12 | Saturday, Jan. 13
Time: 7:35 p.m. | 7:35 p.m.
Location: Buffalo, N.Y./KeyBank Rink at HARBORCENTER
TV/Webcast: Atlantichockey.tv
Live Stats: gogriffs.com
Tickets: ticketmaster.com
Game Notes: Canisius | AIC
DI Series History: Canisius leads, 36-14-7

Canisius returns to home ice this weekend as it welcomes American International to KeyBank Rink at HARBORCENTER for a two-game Atlantic Hockey Conference series.

Opening faceoff for both games is set for 7:35 p.m.

Scouting Canisius
• Tied for first place in the Atlantic Hockey standings, the Golden Griffins (10-8-2, 10-4-0 AHC) return their focus to league action after completing non-conference play last weekend at St. Lawrence.
• Junior Dylan McLaughlin paces the Canisius attack, leading the squad in goals (12), assists (17) and points. (29). McLaughlin, who is tied for first nationally in points per game (1.53), has recorded a point in 14 of his last 15 games played.
• Senior Ryan Schmelzer is second on the team in scoring with 22 (10g, 12a) points. Schmelzer begins the weekend just two points away from becoming the 11th player in the Division I era of the program (since 1998-99) to reach the 100-point plateau for his career.
• Sophomore Nick Hutchison is third on the squad with 19 points (11g, 8a). Hutchison leads the team with five power-play goals and four game-winning tallies.
• Sophomore Daniel Urbani has started 15 of 20 games between the pipes for Canisius. He has compiled a .905 save percentage and a 3.12 goals against average in 864 minutes of action.
• Canisius has thrived on the power play this season as the Griffs are 21-of-85 (24.7) with the man advantage. Canisius has recorded a power play goal in 15 of 20 games played in 2017-18.
• The Griffs lead Atlantic Hockey in scoring offense, averaging 3.30 goals per game. Canisius, who ranks 12th nationally in that category, has scored multiple goals on 16 occasions this season.

Canisius Wraps Up Non-Conference Play at St. Lawrence
• Canisius completed the non-league portion of its 2017-18 schedule last weekend as it squared off against ECAC Hockey foe St. Lawrence in a two-game series at Appleton Arena in Canton, N.Y.
• The series opener saw the two teams play to a 4-4 draw on Jan. 5 before the Saints took the series finale the following evening by a 4-1 margin.
• Sophomore Nick Hutchison recorded multiple goals in a game for the fourth time in his career and the second time this season with his two-goal effort in the series opener.
• Junior Felix Chamberland tallied multiple points in a game for the first time this season and the ninth time in his career with two assists in the series opener.
• Freshman Grant Meyer tallied multiple points for the first time in his career as he recorded two assists in game one of the series.
• Senior Ryan Schmelzer recorded his 98th career point with his third-period tally in the series finale, moving him two points away from becoming the 11th player in the Division I history of the program to reach the 100-point plateau for his career.
• Junior Simon Hofley recorded his first career point as he picked up an assist on Hutchison's power-play tally early in the second period of game one. He is the first Canisius goaltender to record a point since Dan Morrison tallied an assist versus Mercyhurst on Feb. 24, 2012.
• Junior Dylan McLaughlin tallied an assist in both games of the series, giving him at least one point in 14 of the last 15 games he has played in.

Scouting AIC
• The Yellow Jackets (8-12-2, 7-8-2 AHC) enter the weekend in fifth place in the Atlantic Hockey standings, one point in front of RIT and Army West Point.
• Freshman defenseman Brennan Kapcheck has gotten off to a terrific start to his collegiate career, pacing AIC in assists (11) and points (17).
• Sophomore forward Blake Christensen leads the team in goals with seven while three players – Kapcheck, Jãnis Jaks and Jared Pike – are tied for second with six.
• Freshman Stefano Durante has seen the majority of time in goal for the Yellow Jackets, leading the league with a 2.05 goals against average while posting a .915 save percentage in 14 appearances.

Canisius-AIC Series Notes
• In a series that dates back to 1992, the Griffs are 36-15-7 all-time against the Yellow Jackets, including a 36-14-7 edge in Division I meetings. Canisius has defeated AIC more than any other school at the Division I level.
• The Griffs have especially dominated the series as of late. Since the start of the 2008-09 season, Canisius is 19-2-5 in its last 26 games against AIC.
• Canisius claimed three-of-four meetings between the two programs last season. The Griffs recorded a 4-0 win and a 1-1 tie at HARBORCENTER in November before sweeping the Yellow Jackets, 4-2 and 6-1, at the MassMutual Center in January.
• Canisius is 6-0-4 in its last 10 home contests against AIC. The Griffs last loss to the Yellow Jackets on home ice came in a 2-1 setback in the first round of the Atlantic Hockey Conference Tournament on March 3, 2007.

Up Next
• Canisius travels to Rochester Jan. 19-20 for a two-game Atlantic Hockey Conference series at RIT.
• Start time for both contests at the Gene Polisseni Center is set for 7 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#74 Felix Chamberland: F; 5' 11"; Junior

#31 Simon Hofley: G; 5' 11"; Junior

#91 Nick Hutchison: F; 6' 3"; Sophomore

#13 Dylan McLaughlin: F; 5' 11"; Junior

#26 Ryan Schmelzer: F; 6' 2"; Senior

#29 Daniel Urbani: G; 6' 1"; Sophomore

#15 Grant Meyer: F; 5' 8"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#74 Felix Chamberland
: 5' 11"; Junior
: F

#31 Simon Hofley
: 5' 11"; Junior
: G

#91 Nick Hutchison
: 6' 3"; Sophomore
: F

#13 Dylan McLaughlin
: 5' 11"; Junior
: F

#26 Ryan Schmelzer
: 6' 2"; Senior
: F

#29 Daniel Urbani
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: G

#15 Grant Meyer
: 5' 8"; Freshman
: F