Hockey Finishes Road Swing at Bentley

Games 25-26
Canisius (12-10-2, 12-6-0 AHC) at Bentley (7-12-6, 4-10-5 AHC)
Date: Friday, Jan. 26 | Saturday, Jan. 27
Time: 7 p.m. | 4 p.m.
Location: Watertown, Mass./John A. Ryan Arena
TV/Webcast: Atlantichockey.tv
Live Stats: BentleyFalcons.com
Tickets: BentleyFalcons.com
Game Notes: Canisius | Bentley
DI Series History: Canisius leads, 31-23-6

Canisius completes its four-game road swing this weekend with an Atlantic Hockey Conference series versus Bentley at John A. Ryan Arena in Watertown, Mass.

Puck drop for the series opener is set for 7 p.m. on Friday. The series finale is slated for a 4 p.m. start the following afternoon.

Scouting Canisius
• The Golden Griffins (12-10-2, 12-6-0 AHC) head into the final weekend of January tied with Holy Cross for first place in the league standings with 24 points.
• Junior Dylan McLaughlin continues to enjoy a breakout season for Canisius, leading the team in goals (14), assists (20) and points (34). McLaughlin, who is currently fifth in the nation in points per game (1.48), sits just seven points away from reaching the 100-point plateau for his career.
• Senior Ryan Schmelzer is second on the team in scoring with 26 points (11g, 15a). Schmelzer recorded the 12th game-winning goal of his career in Canisius' 5-4 overtime victory at RIT on Jan. 19, moving him into a tie for first place the program's career GWG goals chart with former Canisius standout Cory Conacher '11.
• Sophomore Nick Hutchison is second on the team in goals (13) and third in points (21). Hutchison has five game-winning goals to his credit this season, putting him in a tie for first place nationally in that category.
• Sophomore Daniel Urbani has seen a majority of time between the pipes for the Griffs this season, having started 19 of 24 games in 2017-18. Urbani holds a .908 save percentage and a 2.99 goals against average in 1102:29 played this season.
• Canisius leads Atlantic Hockey in scoring offense, averaging 3.21 goals per game. The Griffs have tallied multiple goals on 18 occasions this season, including 10 performances with four or more goals.
Canisius Records Series Split at RIT
• Canisius began its four-game road swing with a split of an Atlantic Hockey series at RIT last weekend, posting a 5-4 overtime victory in the opener before suffering a 2-0 setback in the finale.
• Game one saw the Griffs' top line of seniors Ryan Schmelzer (1g, 2a) and Jeff Murray (1g, 2a) and junior Dylan McLaughlin (2g, 2a) combined for 10 points in the victory. All three players matched their respective career highs with their outputs.
• Schmelzer experienced a pair of personal milestones during the game as he reached the 100-point plateau for his career with a first-period assist and matched the program's career mark for game-winning goals with his decisive tally 22 seconds into overtime.
• Senior Nolan Sheeran accounted for the fifth Canisius tally in the opener, scoring his first of the campaign during the third period.
• The Griffs tallied four or more goals in a game for the 10th time this season and improved to 9-0-1 when doing so.
• The series finale saw Canisius held to just 12 shots on goal, matching their season low in that category (Jan. 2 at Clarkson).
• Sophomore Daniel Urbani recorded 30 or move saves in a game for the ninth time this season, stopping 31 shots in Saturday's finale.

Scouting Bentley
• The Falcons (7-12-6, 4-10-5 AHC) enter the weekend looking to halt a winless skid that reached eight games last weekend following an overtime loss and a tie at Robert Morris.
• Freshman Luke Santerno paces the Falcons in scoring with 19 points (7g, 12a).
• Senior Kyle Schmidt leads the team in goals (8) while sophomore Matt Riggleman is first on the squad in assists (12).
• Sophomore Aidan Pelino has seen the majority of time between the pipes for the Falcons this season. Pelino has compiled a 3.28 goals against average and a .897 save percentage in 16 appearances.

Canisius-Bentley Series Notes
• In a series that dates back to 1981, Canisius holds a slight 32-24-6 advantage in 62 previous meetings, including a 31-23-6 mark in Division I contests.
• The Griffs have dominated play in recent matchups with the Falcons, holding an 8-0-2 mark in the last 10 meetings, dating back to the 2013-14 season.
• Canisius holds a 14-14-1 record in 29 previous contests against Bentley at John A. Ryan Arena. The Griffs have won four straight at the 1,250-seat facility, including a sweep in their most recent visit in February 2016 (3-1, 6-3).
• Canisius won both games in their first series this season, recording 5-1 and 5-2 victories over Bentley at HARBORCENTER in November.

Up Next
• Canisius returns to home to host fellow Atlantic Hockey Conference leader Holy Cross for a two-game league series Feb. 2-3 at KeyBank Rink at HARBORCENTER.
• Friday's contest is slated for a 7:35 p.m. puck drop while Saturday's finale is scheduled for a 4:35 p.m. start.
• Tickets for both games can purchased by calling 716-888-TIXX or by visiting Ticketmaster.com.

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Players Mentioned

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

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

#51 Jeff Murray: F; 5' 11"; Senior

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

#81 Nolan Sheeran: F; 5' 11"; Senior

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

Players Mentioned

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

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

#51 Jeff Murray
: 5' 11"; Senior
: F

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

#81 Nolan Sheeran
: 5' 11"; Senior
: F

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