Hockey to Face RIT in Second Home-and-Home Series

Games 23-24
Dates: Friday, Jan. 24 | Saturday, Jan. 25
Times: 7:35 p.m. | 7:05 p.m.
Location: LECOM Harborcenter/Buffalo, N.Y. | Gene Polisseni Center, Rochester, N.Y.
Live Stats: Friday | Saturday
TV/Webcast: FloHockey.tv
Game Notes: Canisius (PDF) | RIT

The Canisius hockey team puts its eight-game unbeaten streak on the line this weekend when it faces longtime rival RIT in their second and final home-and-home series of the season.

The Golden Griffins and Tigers open the weekend with a 7:35 p.m. puck drop at LECOM Harborcenter before the series shifts to Rochester the following evening for a 7 p.m. contest at the Gene Polisseni Center.

Student Crewneck Sweater Giveaway Planned for Friday
• The first 150 Canisius students in attendance on Friday will receive a Canisius retro crewneck sweatshirt, courtesy of the Canisius Athletic Marketing.
• Professional singer Amber Simone, who was featured on the Harry Connick Jr. Show, will sing the Canadian and American anthems.

Parking Information
• Parking for Canisius home hockey games can be found at the LECOM Harborcenter parking ramp and at additional public parking locations in the Canalside District.
• Parking is $3 for all games in the LECOM Harborcenter ramp. Please see the ramp attendant if there is a question about the posted cost.
• On nights when the "Permit Only" sign is displayed, Canisius hockey fans are advised to enter the LECOM Harborcenter ramp and ask the attendant for directions to the most convenient alternate site.
• Fans are also encouraged to take the subway to the LECOM Harborcenter. The final stop on the subway line is outside the LECOM Harborcenter.

Scouting Canisius
• Owners of the nation's second longest active unbeaten streak, Canisius (6-12-4, 5-7-4-3 AHA) is back in Western New York for the first time in three weeks after wrapping up a four-game road swing last weekend at league-leading Sacred Heart.
• Seniors Matt Hoover (7g, 13a and Nick Hutchison (13g, 7a) are tied for the team lead in scoring with 20 points each. Both players have been filling up the scoresheet as of late, with Hutchison amassing eight goals and six assists and Hoover adding five goals and six assists during the Griffs' current unbeaten streak.
• Senior defenseman Matt Stief is third on the team's scoring chart with 19 points. Stief begins the weekend needing just one more assist to become just the fourth defenseman in the Division I era of the program to reach the 50-assist plateau for his career.
• Junior Austin Alger (4g, 10a) and sophomore Lee Lapid (8g, 6a) are tied for fourth in scoring with 14 points each. Both players were key factors in last weekend's series at Sacred Heart with Alger pitching in four points (1g, 3a) and Lapid tallying three (1g, 2a), along with the decisive goal in 3-on-3 overtime on Friday.
• Freshman goaltender Jacob Barczewski has been solid between the pipes for the Griffs this season, posting a 2.63 goals against average and a .919 save percentage in 15 appearances. During the current eight-game unbeaten streak, Barczewski has been even better, posting a 2.13 goals against average and a .930 save percentage in those games.
• The power play has been clicking in recent games for Cansisius as it is has scored on nearly 30 percent of its man-advantage opportunities as it is 10-of-37 during its current unbeaten streak (.270). For the season, the Griffs are 21-of-97 on the power play (.216).

Canisius Takes 5-of-6 Points at League-Leading Sacred Heart
• Canisius continued its solid play last weekend by taking 5-of-6 points at league-leading Sacred Heart last weekend to extend its unbeatean streak to eight games.
• Game one of the series saw the Griffs and Pioneers play to a 3-3 tie before sophomore Lee Lapid scored in 3-on-3 overtime to earn the extra point for Canisius.
• Lapid, senior Nick Hutchison and sophomore Austin Alger all found the back of the net for the Blue and Gold in regulation while freshman goaltender Jacob Barczewski matched his season high with 33 saves.
• In game two, Canisius took an early 2-0 lead thanks to a pair of goals in the opening three minutes from freshman Keaton Mastrodonato and never looked back as the Griffs cruised to a 5-2 triumph.
• Hutchison, junior Matt Long and fellow freshman Ryan Miotto also found the back of the net for the Griffs. Barczewski turned in another staunch performance between the pipes for the Griffs, matching his season-high for the second straight contest with 33 saves.

Scouting RIT
• RIT (11-10-3, 7-6-3-1 AHA) returns its focus to Atlantic Hockey play this weekend after wrapping non-conference play with a pair of series versus nationally-ranked foes UMass Lowell and Arizona State.
• Senior Shawn Cameron paces the Tigers attack with 18 points, thanks in large part to a team-best 11 goals.
• Sophomore Will Calverley is second on the team's scoring chart with 16 points (9g, 7a). Calverley finished with a goal and an assist in the second half of the team's first home-and-home series earlier this month at LECOM Harborcenter.
• Junior goaltender Logan Drackett has started all but one of the Tigers' 24 games this season. Drackett has fashioned a 2.82 goals against average and a .901 save percentage in 1318 minutes of action this season.

Canisius-RIT Series Notes
• In a series that dates back to the Griffs' inaugural season of 1980-81, RIT holds a 53-23-3 advantage in 78 all-time meetings between the two schools.
• Canisius has played only Mercyhurst (92) more than the Tigers during the program's history.
• Since RIT moved to Division I prior to the 2005-06 season, the Tigers own a 23-17-2 edge in the series. The series has been fairly balanced in recent matchups, with Canisius posting an 8-4-1 advantage over the last 13 contests.
• The Griffs are 8-9-0 at home versus the Tigers since the 1998-99 season, including a 3-1-1 ledger at LECOM Harborcenter.
• The Griffs hold an 9-12-1 record in true road contests against the Tigers during the Division I era of the series, including a 5-3-1 ledger in its eight previous contests against RIT at the Gene Polisseni Center.
• In their first home-and-home series of the season, Canisius and RIT played to a 3-3 tie in the opener at the Polisseni Center before senior Matt Hoover scored in the final minute of regulation to break a 3-3 tie and spark the Griffs to a 5-3 triumph in the finale.

Up Next
• Canisius returns to the road next weekend as it heads to Army for a pair of Atlantic Hockey contests at Tate Rink in West Point, N.Y.
• The Griffs and Black Knights open their two-game set Jan. 31 with a 7 p.m. puck drop before the teams wrap up their series the following afternoon with a 4 p.m. matinee.

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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

#25 Matt Long: F; 6' 0"; Junior

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

#8 Keaton Mastrodonato: F; 6' 0"; Freshman

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

#30 Jacob Barczewski: G; 6' 1"; 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

#25 Matt Long
: 6' 0"; Junior
: F

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

#8 Keaton Mastrodonato
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: F

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

#30 Jacob Barczewski
: 6' 1"; Freshman
: G