After leading the Canisius College hockey team to a weekend sweep against rival Niagara, junior Ralph Cuddemi (Concord, Ontario) and freshman Ryan Schmelzer (Buffalo, N.Y.) were honored with Atlantic Hockey weekly accolades on Tuesday. Cuddemi was named the league’s Player of the Week, while Schmelzer collected Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Week honors.
In the pair of wins against the Purple Eagles, Cuddemi totaled six points, four goals and two assists. He netted a pair of tallies in Thursday’s 4-1 victory, including the game-winning third-period goal, before responding with a career-best four points in Saturday’s 6-4 win. He netted two goals and two assists as the Griffs earned the first regular-season series sweep in the history of the Canisius – Niagara series.
The junior from Concord, Ontario leads the Griffs with 29 points, 16 goals and five power-play tallies this season. He currently ranks 12th nationally in points and fifth in the country in goals.
The weekly accolade marks the third time this season that Cuddemi has collected Atlantic Hockey Player of the Week accolades.
Schmelzer helped the Griffs to a win on Saturday, setting career highs with three points and two goals, while also posting a plus/minus of +5. The freshman netted the game-winning tally with just over two minutes remaining in regulation, while his +5 rating tied the program’s record, last set during the 1998-99 campaign.
The Buffalo native, who posted a +7 rating overall during the weekend series, now leads the Griffs with a plus/minus of +14 during his rookie campaign. He has added 13 points, five goals and eight assists. The honor is the first for Schmelzer during his freshman season.
Cuddemi and Schmelzer have helped the Griffs to a seven-game unbeaten streak – tied for the longest active streak in the country. Canisius is now in second place in the Atlantic Hockey standings and returns to action on Feb. 6 with a pair of games at Robert Morris.
