Robert Morris netted the final four goals of the game to secure a 6-3 victory over the Canisius College hockey team on Friday night. The loss drops the Griffs to 10-18-5 on the season and 10-12-5 in Atlantic Hockey play, while the Colonials clinched the league’s regular-season title and improve to 20-9-4 and 17-6-4 versus conference foes.
“While we’re not happy with the loss tonight, we need to quickly regroup as tomorrow is a huge game to secure sixth place,” said Canisius head coach Dave Smith. “We need to come out and maintain consistency from start to finish to get the two points we need.”
Sophomores Jeff Murray (Newmarket, Ontario) and Ryan Schmelzer (Buffalo, N.Y.) and freshman Jimmy Mazza (Kings Park, N.Y.) all tallied goals for the Griffs.
Freshman Simon Hofley (Ottawa, Ontario) took the loss between the pipes with 36 saves on the night.
The first 30 minutes of the contest was a back-and-forth affair with each team answering after being scored upon. The Colonials tallied the first goal of the night when Timmy Moore scored just 2:03 into the contest, finding the back of the net after a shot was blocked from the point.
The Griffs would respond minutes later when Murray scored his fourth goal of the season, connecting on the power play. Junior Geoff Fortman (Crystal Lake, Ill.) fired a shot toward net from the point and Murray redirected the puck past the Robert Morris netminder for the 1-1 score. Sophomore Mike Sabatini (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.) added an assist on the tally at the 4:35 mark of the first.
Canisius grabbed its first lead of the game with 5:40 remaining in the opening frame, again connecting on the power play when Schmelzer scored his ninth of the season. After Mazza had his shot from the blue line saved, senior Ralph Cuddemi (Concord, Ontario) knocked the puck toward Schmelzer and the sophomore found an opening for the 2-1 lead.
The Griffs advantage, however, would last only 41 seconds as Robert Morris quickly answered back. The Colonials won a puck battle behind the Canisius net and Greg Gibson was alone in front for the equalizing tally with 4:59 left in the first.
The Griffs reclaimed its lead less than two minutes into the second stanza when Mazza netted his third goal of the season. Off a faceoff victory, the rookie defender ripped a shot that found its way through a screen and into the net for the 3-2 Canisius advantage. Freshman Daniel LaFontaine (Lloyd Harbor, N.Y.) and Murray both registered assists on the tally 1:37 into the second.
Robert Morris, however, would once again respond shortly later before taking the lead for good. Eric Israel scored on the power play at the 5:33 mark – knocking in a loose puck in front – to square the contest at three.
The Colonials would then add another tally at the 11:39 mark of the second to take the lead for good. Zac Lynch scored after an offensive-zone faceoff victory and a back-door pass for the 4-3 lead.
Robert Morris added two more tallies in the third frame with Gibson scoring his second on the game at the 6:50 mark on the power play before David Freidmann finishing the scoring just 68 seconds later for the 6-3 final score.
The Colonials finished the game with a 42-33 advantage in shots on the night. Both teams converted twice on the power play in seven opportunities for Robert Morris and four chances for the Griffs.
The schools wrap up the regular season tomorrow night in Pittsburgh with game time slated for 7:05 p.m.
Game Notes: Canisius honored its two seniors – Cuddemi and Mathew Backhouse – prior to the game for playing in their final home regular-season game … Mazza has recorded a point in five-straight games, totaling seven points during the run (3g, 4a) after registering two points in his first 26 collegiate contests … The road team won for the just the third time in 17 all-time Atlantic Hockey meetings as the schools are now 13-3-1 in their home rink … The Griffs enter the final contest of the season in sixth place and can finish as the sixth, seventh or eighth seed.
