Hockey Heads West for Weekend Series at Air Force

Game 10
Date: Friday, Feb. 19 | Time: 9:05 p.m. EST | Location: USAFA, Colo./Cadet Ice Arena
Live Stats: Via goairforcefalcons.com | TV/Webcast: FloHockey.tv

Game 11
Date: Saturday, Feb. 20 | Time: 7:05 p.m. EST | Location: USAFA, Colo./Cadet Ice Arena
Live Stats: Via goairforcefalcons.com | TV/Webcast: FloHockey.tv

Game Notes: Canisius | Air Force

The Canisius hockey team travels out west this weekend for a two-game series against Atlantic Hockey Association foe Air Force.

The Golden Griffins and Falcons are slated for a 9:05 p.m. EST puck drop on Friday and a 7:05 p.m. EST faceoff Saturday from Cadet Ice Arena at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado.

Scouting Canisius
• Winners of four straight, Canisius (7-2-0, 7-2-0 AHA) looks to stay hot after posting a 5-4 overtime victory against Mercyhurst on Tuesday at LECOM Harborcenter.
•Sophomore Keaton Mastrodonato tallied two goals in the matchup with the Lakers, increasing his team-leading point total to 11 for the campaign (7g, 4a)
• Junior Mitchell Martan is second on the squad's scoring chart with 10 points as he paces the squad with seven assists. Martan enters the weekend have recorded a point in each of the Griffs' last eight contests.
• Junior Matt Ladd and sophomore Jacob Barczewski continue to split time in goal for fourth-year head coach Trevor Large. Together, the pairing has combined to post a 2.22 goals against average and a .932 save percentage in 540 minutes of work.
• Canisius has been solid on the penalty kill this season as it has killed off 28-of-31 shorthanded situations against (.903).

Last Time Out
• Sophomore Keaton Mastrodonato scored twice, including the game-winning goal 34 seconds into overtime, to lift Canisius to a 5-4 victory over Mercyhurst on Tuesday at LECOM Harborcenter.
• Junior Lee Lapid, freshman Niclas Puikkonen and senior Matt Long also found the back of the net for the Griffs while junior goaltender Matt Ladd made 33 saves in the contest.
• Canisius held a 4-2 lead heading into the third before Mercyhurst battled back to tie the game and force overtime. It was the first overtime game of the season for the Griffs.
• Mercyhurst out-shot Canisius, 37-36, for the game. The Lakers enjoyed a 15-8 advantage in shots during the third period.

Scouting Air Force
• Air Force (1-9-1, 1-9-1 AHA) returns to action this weekend following a 16-day layoff after posting a split of its league series at Bentley Jan. 31-Feb. 1.
• Willie Reim leads a Falcons attack that seems to have found its rhythm in recent games with eight points, thanks in large part to a team-best five assists. Reim enters the weekend with points in each of the last three games (1g, 4a).
• Freshmen Thomas Daskas and Will Gavin have provided scoring depth as the rookie tandem are tied for second in scoring as both have three goals and four assists.
• Alex Schilling and Zack LaRocque have split time between the pipes for veteran coach Frank Serratore this season. Together, the duo has posted 4.02 goals against average and a .860 save percentage in 671 minutes of action.

Canisius – Air Force Series Notes
• Air Force holds a 23-16-10 edge over Canisius in 49 previous meetings between the two programs, all of which have come since the Falcons joined Atlantic Hockey in 2006-07.
• Canisius holds a 9-12-5 record against Air Force at the Cadet Ice Arena. The Griffs were able to manage a split in its most recent visit in 2019, falling in the opener by a 3-0 margin before turning the tables with a 3-0 victory of its own the following evening.
• In their lone series between the teams last season at LECOM Harborcenter, the teams played to a 3-3 tie in the opener before the Falcons claimed the extra point in a shootout. The following day, sophomore Jacob Barczewski made 23 saves to post his first career shutout in a 1-0 triumph.
• Heading into the weekend, five of the last seven meetings between the teams have ended in a shutout. Prior to the current stretch, only four of the first 42 meetings between Canisius and Air Force concluded with a zero for either team on the scoreboard.

Up Next
• Canisius is scheduled to close out the regular season Feb. 26-27 with a home-and-home series versus "Battle of the Bridge" rival Niagara.
• The Griffs and Purple Eagles open the two-game set at LECOM Harborcenter in downtown Buffalo before the series shifts to Dwyer Arena in Lewiston the following day.
• Puck drop for both contests is set for 7 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

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

#33 Matt Ladd: G; 6' 3"; Junior; L

#28 Lee Lapid: F; 6' 0"; Junior; R

#25 Matt Long: F; 6' 0"; Senior; L

#81 Mitchell Martan: F; 5' 8"; Junior; L

#8 Keaton Mastrodonato: F; 6' 0"; Sophomore; R

#40 Niclas Puikkonen: F; 6' 1"; Freshman; L

Players Mentioned

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

#33 Matt Ladd
: 6' 3"; Junior; L
: G

#28 Lee Lapid
: 6' 0"; Junior; R
: F

#25 Matt Long
: 6' 0"; Senior; L
: F

#81 Mitchell Martan
: 5' 8"; Junior; L
: F

#8 Keaton Mastrodonato
: 6' 0"; Sophomore; R
: F

#40 Niclas Puikkonen
: 6' 1"; Freshman; L
: F