Hockey Finishes Fall Semester Slate at AIC

Games 13-14
Dates: Friday, Dec. 6 | Saturday, Dec. 7
Times: 1:05 p.m. | 1:05 p.m.
Location: Springfield, Mass./MassMutual Center
Live Stats: AICYellowJackets.com
TV/Webcast: FloHockey.tv
Game Notes: Canisius (PDF) | AIC

The Canisius hockey team plays its final games of the fall semester this weekend with an Atlantic Hockey Association series at defending regular season and tournament champion AIC.

The Golden Griffins and Yellow Jackets open their two-game set Friday before wrapping up the series the following day. Puck drop for both contests is set for 1 p.m. at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass.

Scouting Canisius
• Canisius (2-10-0, 1-5-0 AHA) heads into its final games of the fall semester attempting to halt a losing streak that stands at four games after suffering a sweep at the hands of visiting Army last weekend.
• Seniors Matt Hoover and Matt Stief are tied atop the team's scoring chart with eight points apiece. Both players have tallied two goals and six assists this season.
• Juniors Austin Alger (2g, 4a) and Grant Meyer (1g, 5a) are tied for second with six points apiece. Meyer enters the weekend with points in each of the Griffs' last three contests.
• Senior Nick Hutchison leads the team with four goals scored. Hutchison begins the series against AIC just four goals away from becoming the sixth player in the Division I era of the program to reach the milestone.
• Keeping the puck out of the net has been a problem for Canisius this season as it is one of just four programs in the nation averaging four or more goals allowed per game (4.00). The Griffs have been making strides towards improving that number, surrendering 28 goals during the nine games they played in November (3.1).

Canisius Swept by Army During Thanksgiving Weekend Series
• Canisius suffered a pair of one-goal setbacks last weekend to AHA foe Army at KeyBank Rink at LECOM Harborcenter.
• The Black Knights took game one of the series by a 4-3 margin as Eric Butte scored with three second remaining in the third period to earn the victory after Canisius scored three times earlier in the third to erase a two-goal deficit and take the lead.
• Seniors Matt Hoover and Matt Stief finished with a goal and an assist each while junior Grant Meyer accounted for the third Canisius goal.
• The Griffs were 2-for-6 on the power play in the series opener as they became the first team this season to score multiple man-advantage goals against the Black Knights.
• Game two saw Canisius once again rally from a two-goal deficit, only to have Butte net the go-ahead goal late in the third to propel Army to victory.
• Sophomore Lee Lapid and freshman Ryan Miotto accounted for the two Griffs goals in game two, with Miotto tallying his first collegiate goal while Canisius was two men shorthanded.

Scouting AIC
• Defending Atlantic Hockey regular season and tournament champion AIC (5-7-0, 5-4-0 AHA) enters the weekend looking to finish a six-game homestand on a high note after suffering a 4-2 setback to visiting Sacred Heart Tuesday at the MassMutual Center.
• Defensemen Patrik Demel and Brennan Kapcheck have paced a balanced Yellow Jackets attack in the early going as both players have recorded 10 assists apiece.
• Elijiah Barriga is part of a three-way tie for second on the team's scoring chart with nine points, thanks in large part to a team-best seven goals.
• Zackarias Skog has seen the majority of time in goal for AIC this season, posting a 2.19 goals against average and a .912 save percentage in 11 starts.

Canisius – AIC Series Notes
• In a series that dates back to the 1992 season, the Griffs hold a 40-18-7 all-time record against the Yellow Jackets, including a 40-17-7 edge in Division I meetings.
• Canisius' 40 victories against AIC are the most by the Griffs against any school at the Division I level.
• The Griffs have dominated the series as of late with Canisius boasting a 23-5-5 record in its last 33 games against AIC, dating back to the start of the 2008-09 season.
• This weekend's series marks Canisius' first trip to the MassMutual Center in nearly three seasons. The Griffs posted a sweep during their last visit to Springfield in Jan. 2017, posting 4-2 and 6-1 victories during their school-record unbeaten streak.
• Canisius holds an all-time mark of 18-9-1 in road contests against the Yellow Jackets.

Large Back where it all started
• Canisius' Trevor Large makes his first visit as head coach back to the place where his coaching career started with this weekend's series at AIC.
• Large started his career by spending two seasons (2006-08) as an assistant with the Yellow Jackets under long-time coach Gary Wright.
• During his time in Springfield, Large helped coach a pair of all-conference honorees, as well as recruit the program's first players from the prestigious United States Hockey League.
• Large was one of two current Atlantic Hockey coaches on that staff as AIC head coach Eric Lang served as a graduate assistant. Large and Lang would reunite together for two seasons at Army under veteran head coach Brian Riley.

Up Next
• Canisius takes its traditional end-of-semester break before returning to action Dec. 28-29 with an AHA series versus Holy Cross at KeyBank Rink at LECOM Harborcenter in downtown Buffalo.
• Puck drop for both games of the league series are set for 4:05 p.m.
• Tickets for both games are still available. They can be purchased by calling 716-888-TIXX or by visiting Ticketmaster.com.

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Players Mentioned

#83 Austin Alger: F; 6' 0"; Junior

#72 Matt Hoover: F; 5' 10"; Senior

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

#28 Lee Lapid: F; 6' 0"; Sophomore

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

#24 Matt Stief: D; 5' 9"; Senior

#27 Ryan Miotto: F; 6' 0"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#83 Austin Alger
: 6' 0"; Junior
: F

#72 Matt Hoover
: 5' 10"; Senior
: F

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

#28 Lee Lapid
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: F

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

#24 Matt Stief
: 5' 9"; Senior
: D

#27 Ryan Miotto
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: F