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Canisius University Athletics

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Canisius' Niclas Puikkonen (right) and Air Force's Austin Schwartz (center) face off while Griffs defenseman Cory Thomas (left) looks on during game action at LECOM Harborcenter on Feb. 5, 2022
Lindy Feider
3
Winner Air Force AFA 11-13-2, 9-9-2
2
Canisius CAN 13-11-3, 10-8-2
Winner
Air Force AFA
11-13-2, 9-9-2
3
Final
2
Canisius CAN
13-11-3, 10-8-2
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 OT 1 F
Air Force AFA 1 1 0 1 3
Canisius CAN 0 1 1 0 2

Game Recap: Ice Hockey |

Hockey Falls to Air Force in Overtime

Will Gavin scored with eight seconds remaining in overtime to lift Air Force to a 3-2 victory over Canisius in Atlantic Hockey Association action Saturday at LECOM Harborcenter in downtown Buffalo.
 
The game-winning goal was one of two on the evening for Gavin, who increased his team-leading goal total to 13 while Andrew DeCarlo accounted for the third tally for the Falcons (11-13-2, 9-9-2 AHA). Alex Schilling made 39 saves between the pipes for the visitors.
 
Juniors David Melaragni and Simon Gravel scored for the Golden Griffins (13-11-3, 10-8-2 AHA), who finished the weekend with four out of a possible six points in the league standings. Junior goaltender Jacob Barczewski finished with 19 saves between the pipes for Canisius.  
 
In the dying seconds of 3-on-3 overtime, Mitchell Digby picked up the puck deep in the Air Force zone and rushed up the ice to create a 3-on-2 break for the Falcons. Digby played the puck to Gavin, who came down the slot and beat Barczewski with a wrist shot to the blocker side to give the visitors the win and the extra point.
 
The Griffs trailed by one late in regulation, but were able to force overtime as Gravel tied the game at 2-2 with less than four minutes remaining in the third. Picking the puck up behind the Canisius net, Gravel raced up the ice, worked a give-and-go pass play with classmate Daniel DiGrande just inside the blue line to get behind the Air Force defense before finishing off the sequence with a shot between the legs of Schilling for his third goal of the season.
 
Earlier in the contest, Gavin staked Air Force to a 1-0 lead at the 11:38 mark of the first period when he redirected Clayton Cosentino's centering feed inside the left post from the middle of the slot.
 
Melaragni brought Canisius level just past the midway point of the second period, finishing off a Griffs rush by putting a shot past the blocker of Schilling to tie the game at 1-1.
 
Air Force regained its one-goal lead in the final minute of the second period as DeCarlo batted a rebound out of the air and over the shoulder of Barczewski to give the Falcons a 2-1 advantage heading into the third.  
 
Head Coach Trevor Large's Postgame Comments
"It was a tough one tonight. I've mentioned a few times the hockey Gods; it was one of the better games that we have played, but it doesn't mean we're going to win. Their goalie was was very good and (Jacob) Barczewski was solid. It's a tough loss because we played well enough to win, but it doesn't mean you will win just because you played well. It doesn't mean you're going to get the result that we're looking for. So, it stings. We'll let it sink in. We'll use it to get better. There was growth from our team and that's always the focus. So, we whether we win or lose, we evaluate, re-attack and go back to work.
 
"The bench was great in the third. It was a little up and down at points in the first two periods, but the bench demeanor, the commitment from our team, our leaders led in a great way. It was a really, really good buzz on our bench during the third. Obviously, it's great to get the game tied up late in the thrid. There were moments where any line really could have gotten the goal that Simon (Gravel) scored. He had a great weekend. He was very good, very competitive and he got a goal that he deserved. In terms of the demeanor on the bench, it was excellent.
 
"Keaton's (Mastrodonato) is coming back from injury and it's definitely isn't 100% right now, but, man, oh, man, you put that kid on the ice and he just competes. That line had a lot of chances. That play (on Melaragni's goal) was a great play on a rush to find some space but also it's a great drive to the net from Melaragni. Keaton's got great vision and he found him in a good spot and Mel was ready to shoot and that was a big-time play. A really, really good rush play for us. So, we look for more. It's tough to win with only two goals and that proved to be the case tonight."
 
Game Notes
• Saturday's game was the second this season and the 15th in series history between Canisius and Air Force to go to overtime. Four of the last seven games between the two programs have required overtime.  
• Canisius played its seventh overtime game of the season on Saturday. The Griffs moved to 2-2-3 in those contests.
• Canisius out-shot Air Force by a 41-22 margin in the contest, highlighted by a 20-2 edge in the third period. The 41 shots represented the third time this season that the Griffs have tallied 40 or more shots on goal in a game.
• Neither team scored on the power play as Canisius was 0-for-3 and Air Force was 0-for-2 with the man advantage.
• Gravel scored in consecutive games for the first time in his career with his third-period tally.
• Canisius lost for the first time in four games when being held to two goals or fewer. The Griffs were 2-0-1 in its previous three games under such circumstances prior to Saturday's setback.
• Senior Lee Lapid extended his point-scoring streak to five games with an assist on Melaragni's second-period goal. The current stretch matches his career-long stretch of consecutive games with a point, set during the 2019-20 campaign.
 
Up Next
Canisius squares off against longtime foe and Battle of the Bridge rival Niagara in a home-and-home series that begins Feb. 11 with a 7 p.m. contest at LECOM Harborcenter.  
 
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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