Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Canisius University Athletics

#Griffs The Official Home of the Canisius University Golden Griffins | #Griffs
Canisius forward Trey Funk stands in front of the Air Force goal during game action at LECOM Harborcenter on Feb. 7, 2025
Lindy Feider
5
Winner Air Force AFC 12-18-1, 9-12-0
3
Canisius CAN 9-17-2, 9-9-2
Winner
Air Force AFC
12-18-1, 9-12-0
5
Final
3
Canisius CAN
9-17-2, 9-9-2
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 F
Air Force AFC 3 1 1 5
Canisius CAN 1 1 1 3

Game Recap: Ice Hockey |

Hockey Falls to Air Force in Return to Home Ice Friday

Sam Stitz and Will Dawson tallied three points each to pace Air Force in a 5-3 victory over Canisius in Atlantic Hockey America action Friday at LECOM harborcenter in downtown Buffalo.
 
Stitz scored two goals, including the game-winner, and added an assist while Dawson finished with a goal and two helpers for the Falcons (12-18-1, 9-12-0 AHA), who snapped a six-game losing skid with the victory. Mason McCormick and Holt Oliphant notched the other two goals for Air Force while Guy Blessing made 31 saves in goal for the visitors.
 
Graduate student Kyle Haskins, junior Stefano Bottini and sophomore Trey Funk accounted for the three goals for the Golden Griffins (9-17-2, 9-9-2 AHA). Freshman Petter Wickström Stumer made 22 saves between the pipes for Canisius as he replaced starter sophomore Ethan Robertson in the first period.
 
Air Force scored twice in a 75-second span early in the first period to grab a 2-0 lead, with McCormick opening the scoring at the 4:19 mark with a rebound goal for his fifth of the season before Stitz doubled the Falcons cushion moments later as he jammed home a loose puck after Dawson's attempt was partially blocked by a Canisius defender.
 
Bottini cut the Canisius deficit to 2-1 with a shorthanded goal less than two minutes after Stitz's tally, weaving his way through the Falcons defense before putting a shot past the blocker of Blessing for his third of the season. Dawson restored Air Force's two-goal cushion just before the midway point of the first period, burying Stitz's backdoor feed into the Canisius cage for his first collegiate tally.
 
Funk pulled the Griffs within one at the 13:39 mark of the second period when he slid in a wraparound between the legs of Blessing during 4-on-4 play to make it a 3-2 contest. Stitz netted his second of the game with less than five minutes to play in the second period as his wacked home a rebound during a goalmouth scramble to put the Falcons up 4-2.  
 
Haskins made it a one-goal game for the third time in the game with a power-play goal at the 5:17 mark of the third, tapping home a rebound after senior Alton McDermott's initial attempt was stopped by Blessing. Oliphant closed out the scoring with an empty net goal with two seconds to play to determine the final margin.
 
POSTGAME COMMENTS GAME NOTES
• Canisius outshot Air Force by a 34-32 margin for the contest, highlighted by a 12-8 edge in the third period.
• The Griffs were 1-for-5 on the power play while the Falcons were 0-for-4 with the man advantage. Canisius has now netted a power-play goal in five of its last six games played.
• Canisius suffered just its third loss of the season when scoring three-or-more goals as it moved to 9-3-2 in 2024-25 under those circumstances.
• Bottini scored his first career shorthanded goal with his first-period tally on Friday.
• Bottini's tally was also the Griffs' fifth shorthanded goal of the season.
• Funk moved into a three-way tie for the team lead in goals with his second-period tally, which was his seventh of the season.
• Graduate student Jackson Decker recorded his 11th assist of the season on Haskins third-period goal, moving him into second place on the team's assist chart this season.
• Haskins power-play goal was his first of the season and the second of his collegiate career.
 
UP NEXT
The teams complete their weekend series Saturday with a 4 p.m. contest at LECOM Harborcenter.

Tickets for the game are still available. They can be purchased by visiting the tickets page on GoGriffs.com, calling 716-888-TIXX or by visiting the ticket kiosk at LECOM Harborcenter on gameday.
 
Like Canisius Athletics and Griffs Hockey on Facebook
Follow @GoGriffs and @Griffshockey on X (formally known as Twitter)
Follow @GoGriffs and @Griffshockey on Instagram
Follow @CanisiusHockey on TikTok
 
Print Friendly Version