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Canisius University Athletics

#Griffs The Official Home of the Canisius University Golden Griffins | #Griffs
Canisius forward Cooper Haar and AIC's Justin Cole battle for the puck during game action at LECOM Harborcenter on NOv. 27, 2021
Lindy Feider
3
Winner American Int'l AIC 4-9-1, 4-4-0
2
Canisius CAN 8-6-1, 5-3-0
Winner
American Int'l AIC
4-9-1, 4-4-0
3
Final
2
Canisius CAN
8-6-1, 5-3-0
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 F
American Int'l AIC 2 0 1 3
Canisius CAN 0 0 2 2

Game Recap: Ice Hockey |

Hockey Defeated by AIC in Series Finale

Blake Bennett's breakaway goal midway through the third period proved to be the difference as AIC defeated Canisius, 3-2, in Atlantic Hockey Association action Saturday at LECOM Harborcenter in downtown Buffalo.
 
Luka Maver and Justin Young also scored for the Yellow Jackets (4-9-1, 4-4-0 AHA), who salvaged a split of the weekend series. Alec Calvaruso made 16 saves between the pipes for the visitors.
 
Graduate student Austin Alger and sophomore Max Kouznestov accounted for the two goals for the Golden Griffins (8-6-1, 5-3-0 AHA). Junior goaltender Jacob Barczewski finished with 23 saves.
 
Maver opened the scoring at the 15:16 mark of the first period when he flipped a backhanded effort over the glove of Barczewski from close range seconds after coming out of the penalty box, giving the Yellow Jackets the 1-0 lead.
 
Young doubled the AIC advantage to 2-0 in the final minute of the first, beating Barczewski with a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle.
 
Following a scoreless second period, Kouznetsov cut the Canisius deficit in half 3:13 into the third, wiring a wrist shot over the right shoulder of Calvaruso from the left faceoff circle to make it a 2-1 game.
 
Bennett restored the Yellow Jackets' two-goal cushion with 11:28 elapsed in the third, using a chip pass from Evan Stella to get behind the Canisus defense before firing the puck between the legs of Barczewski for his third of the season.
 
Alger pulled the Griffs within one late in the third, scoring with the extra attacker when his slap shot from the point found its way through traffic and past the blocker of Calvaruso to make it a 3-2 game.
 
That would be as close as Canisius would get, however, as the Yellow Jackets held the Griffs off the scoreboard for the remainder of the contest to earn the one-goal victory.
 
Head Coach Trevor Large's Postgame Comments
"Just not enough tonight. We have to learn that we have to have better starts. It is not a theme for our team, it's just something that we have to do a better job of. Last night was the same. It's just that we got some power plays and we're able to get it done on the power play. Tonight was not our best start. I liked the push that we had in a 3-2 game, getting a late goal and getting the goalie pulled, but it's just not enough to win and sweep the weekend. So, we have to get better.
 
"Tonight was absolutely a 5-on-5 game. We kept saying it on the bench. It didn't feel like there was going to be any penalties the way the game was going in the third period. We like that it was a 5-on-5 game. I really liked our chances. We were trying, we were getting pucks in and around the net. We were getting opportunities, but one of the stats that stands out is we missed the net 18 times. That is just unacceptable. There's no way you can win a game with just 18 shots on net and missing the net 18 times, so we need to refocus. There are some things that we'll go back to the drawing board on. But our belief in the process and our system is great. So, we go back to work on Monday.
 
"Atlantic Hockey is tough. There's great parody in our league. If you look at this weekend, you walk away thinking that both teams are very good. I'm sure Air Force will be good next weekend and then moving forward, we get ready for a good Niagara team after that. It's really inevitable. Whomever you're playing, you better be great. You better have your systems dialed in. You better have your energy level focused. You better have a belief in your locker room, otherwise anybody can beat anybody. This weekend, there were two different hockey games, but two really good teams going toe-to-toe. So, I look forward to playing them again."
 
Game Notes
• AIC out-shot Canisius, 26-18, for the contest, highlighted by an 20-12 advantage over the first two periods. The Griffs' 18 shots on goal were a season-low, one fewer than their total at Bentley on Nov. 5 (19).
• After the teams combined for seven power-play goals on Friday, the teams were both 0-for-4 with the man advantage on Saturday.
• Saturday's game was the second straight and fifth of the season to be decided by a single goal. The Griffs are now 3-2 in those games.
• Canisius was held to two goals or fewer for the sixth time this season on Saturday. The Griffs are winless in those contests (0-6-0).
• Graduate student Joey Matthews recorded multiple points in a game for the second straight contest and third time this season as he finished with two assists.
• Alger and Kouznetsov scored in both games of the series against the Yellow Jackets.
 
Up Next
Canisius heads out west to face Air Force for a two-game Atlantic Hockey Association series. The weekend set at Cadet Ice Arena in Colorado Springs, Colo., begins Dec. 3 with a 9 p.m. EST contest before concluding the following day with a 7 p.m. EST matchup. 
 
For complete coverage of the Canisius hockey team, please follow the Griffs on social media at @GriffsHockey on Twitter and Instagram.
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