Hockey Opens February Slate with Home AHA Series against Air Force

Games 26-27
Canisius (12-10-3, 9-7-2 AHA) vs Air Force (10-12-2, 8-8-2 AHA)
Dates: Friday, Feb. 4 | Saturday, Feb. 5
Times: 7 p.m. | 7 p.m.
Location: Buffalo, N.Y. | LECOM Harborcenter
Live Stats: viaGoGriffs.com
Stream: Flohockey.tv
Social Media: Twitter | Instagram
Game Notes: Canisius | Air Force

1) Puck Drop
The Canisius hockey opens the final month of the regular season this weekend with a home Atlantic Hockey Association series against Air Force. Both games of the Feb. 4-5 series at LECOM Harborcenter are slated for 7 p.m. puck drops.

Note: Parking at the LECOM Harborcenter garage is expected to be limited on both days this weekend due to events at KeyBank Center and surrounding areas. On Friday, fans can pay the normal rate for Canisius home games ($5) by mentioning that they are there for the hockey game until the garage is full.

On Saturday, parking at the garage will be limited due to the number of events taking place in the area. If the Harborcenter parking garage is full on Saturday, fans will be instructed to park in the KeyBank Parking Lot next to the Arena. Additional parking will be available at other lots within walking distance of the building, subject to their pricing for special events.

2) Series Notes
Air Force holds a 26-16-11 edge over Canisius in 53 previous meetings between the two programs, all of which have come since the Falcons joined Atlantic Hockey in 2006-07.

This weekend's series at LECOM Harborcenter serves at Air Force's first visit to Buffalo in two years. The Griffs hold a 7-10-5 record against the Falcons on home ice and enter the weekend riding a three-game unbeaten streak against Air Force at LECOM Harborcenter.

In the first meeting between the two teams this season, Air Force took 5-of-6 points from the Griffs out at Cadet Ice Arena, posting a 5-2 victory in the opener before picking up the extra point in a shootout the following evening after the two teams played to a 3-3 tie.

3) Shutouts Potentially in the Forecast
Heading into the weekend, five of the last 11 meetings between Canisius and Air Force have ended in a shutout. Prior to the current stretch, only four of the first 42 meetings between the two programs concluded with a zero for either team on the scoreboard. The last shutout in the series came back on Feb. 8, 2020, when Jacob Barczewski stopped all 23 shots he faced in a 1-0 triumph at LECOM Harborcenter.

4) Alger Putting the Power in Power Play
Graduate student Austin Alger has taken advantage of the man advantage this season as he leads Canisius with six power-play goals. Ranking second in Atlantic Hockey in that category, Alger's six power-play goals has helped pace a unit that sits first in the league and 12th nationally with 23 power-play goals in 2021-22.

5) Strong at the Dot
The matchup between Canisius and Air Force this weekend will feature three of the top face-off men in the Atlantic Hockey Association. The Falcons tandem of Clayton Cosentino (.588) and Jacob Marti (.551) rank 1-3 in the league in face-off winning percentage while Griffs graduate student Alex Ambrosio (.543) sits fourth. All three have recorded more than 125 face-off wins this season, with Consentino ranking third in the league in total wins with 247 and Ambrosio sitting sixth with 204.

For complete coverage of the Canisius hockey team, please follow the Griffs on social media at @GriffsHockey on Twitter and Instagram.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#83 Austin Alger: F; 6' 0"; Graduate Student; R

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

#71 Alex Ambrosio: F; 5' 10"; Graduate Student; L

Players Mentioned

#83 Austin Alger
: 6' 0"; Graduate Student; R
: F

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

#71 Alex Ambrosio
: 5' 10"; Graduate Student; L
: F

Players Mentioned

#83 Austin Alger

#30 Jacob Barczewski

#71 Alex Ambrosio

Players Mentioned

#83 Austin Alger

#30 Jacob Barczewski

#71 Alex Ambrosio