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Canisius University Athletics

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BUFFALO, N.Y. - Canisius defenseman Derek Hamelin looks to pass the puck during the Griffs' matchup with RIT at LECOM Harborcenter on Jan. 4, 2020
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3
Winner American Int'l AIC 18-11-1, 18-5-1 AHA
2
Canisius CAN 8-17-5, 7-12-5 AHA
Winner
American Int'l AIC
18-11-1, 18-5-1 AHA
3
Final
2
Canisius CAN
8-17-5, 7-12-5 AHA
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 F
American Int'l AIC 0 3 0 3
Canisius CAN 0 2 0 2

Game Recap: Ice Hockey |

AIC Storms Back to Beat Hockey, 3-2

The visiting AIC Yellow Jackets scored three goals in the span of 3:38 late in the second period to erase a two-goal deficit and earn a 3-2 victory over Canisius in Atlantic Hockey action Saturday afternoon at LECOM Harborcenter in downtown Buffalo.
 
The win extends AIC's unbeaten streak to nine games, the longest unbeaten streak in the nation, and improved the Yellow Jackets to 18-11-1 overall and 18-5-1-0 in conference play, while the Golden Griffins fell to 8-17-5 overall and 7-11-5-3 in Atlantic Hockey.
 
After a scoreless first period, Canisius put the first goal on the scoreboard just 4:14 into the second stanza after freshman Keaton Mastrodonato tallied his eighth goal of the season off an assist by senior forward Matt Hoover. Hoover set up Canisius' first score after he was able to gain control of the puck following a scramble on the side-wall. From there, the team captain promptly found Mastrodonato open in the slot, and the Powell River, British Columbia native beat AIC goaltender Stefano Durante high on the glove side.
 
Canisius made the score 2-0 at the 9:02 mark of the period when sophomore Derek Hamelin recorded his first career goal off an assist from senior teammate Nick Hutchison. As was the case on the first Canisius goal, the Griffs' second marker was set-up after Hutchison won a battle on the near boards and pushed the puck to Hamelin, who sent a wrist-shot toward the AIC net. Hamelin's shot bounced off a Yellow Jacket defenseman in front, which sent the puck bouncing off the ice and then inside the left post.
 
Canisius held that 2-0 lead for just 5:25 of game action, as the Yellow Jackets cut the Blue and Gold's lead in half at the 14:27 mark of the second period thanks to a power-play goal by Hugo Reinhardt. Austin Albrecht's goal 2:59 seconds later evened the score at 2-2, and the Yellow Jackets took the lead for good at the 18:05 mark of the second period when senior Jared Pike banged home a rebound off the pads of Canisius goaltender Matt Ladd.
 
Holding a one-goal lead in the third, AIC out-shot Canisius 29-16 in the game's final 20 minutes, with 10 of those shots being on goal. Ladd made 28 saves between the pipes for Canisius, while Durante picked up his 25th career victory in net for AIC after he made 21 stops.
 
Head Coach Trevor Large's Postgame Comments
"It was a good hockey game overall. Playing against a top-tier opponent, we're obviously looking to grow, but we are not happy with the result. We were up 2-0 in the second period and then letting up three unanswered goals, we were not able to get much of a push there in the third period."
 
"In the third period, I felt like there were moments that it was coming for us, but we had to kill too many penalties. That's not a recipe that helps us at all. Too many guys can't get into the flow of the game and a few guys end up getting over used on the penalty kill. Overall, I'd give us a solid effort, but at this time of the year, that's not what we're looking for."
 
Game Notes
• Saturday as the 68th meeting between Canisius and AIC. The Yellow Jackets picked up their fifth-straight victory in the series with the win and ended up sweeping the regular-season series 4-0-0 in 2019-20.
• AIC went 1-for-6 on the power-play for the game, where the Yellow Jackets recorded 11 shots, while Canisius was 0-for-3 on the man-advantage.
• AIC held a 31-23 advantage in shots, while Canisius won 34 of the game's 66 draws. Freshman Ryan Miotto won a team-high 10 faceoffs for the Blue and Gold.
• The assist for Hoover on the Griffs' first goal gives him 19 points (10g, 9a) in the team's 16 games since the Christmas break.
• Hutchison's assist was his 20th point since the break (10g, 10a) and the 107th of his career, putting him in a tie with Jason Weeks for ninth on the program's Division I era chart for career points.
• Prior to the game, Canisius honored its 2020 senior class.
 
Up Next
• Canisius will play its final home regular-season game of the 2019-20 slate on Friday, Feb. 21, when the Griffs host Robert Morris at LECOM Harborcenter. Game time is set for 7:35 p.m.
• Tickets for that game are still available. They can be purchased by calling 716-888-TIXX or by visiting Ticketmaster.com.
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