Game Recap
Canisius sophomore Alex Jaeckle scored the game’s only goal with less than a minute left to play in the first period and senior netminder Charles Williams made it stick by stopping 41 shots as the Golden Griffins defeated long-time rival RIT 1-0 in KeyBank Rink at HARBORCENTER Friday night. The win moves Canisius to 3-5-1 overall and 2-0-1 in Atlantic Hockey action, while the Tigers fell to 3-4-1 overall and 3-2-0 in league play.
Canisius scored the game’s lone goal at the 19:07 mark of the first period after sophomore Felix Chamberland snapped a shot that got knocked down by an RIT defender. The puck bounced into the slot and onto the stick of Jaeckle, who fired on net and beat RIT goalie Mike Rotolo for his first goal of the season. Chamberland and freshman forward Matt Hoover were credited with assists on the Griffs’ goal.
Williams earned his first shutout in Canisius Blue and Gold after he recorded 41 saves, with 21 of those stops coming in the game’s third period. RIT outshot Canisius 21-5 in the final period, but the senior from Canton, Michagan wasn’t really tested until late in the game as RIT pulled Rotolo in favor of an extra attacker. RIT, which entered the game ranked in the nation’s top-15 in scoring with just under four goals per game, ended up being shutout in a regular-season game for the first time since falling at Air Force by the score of 4-0 on Feb. 6, 2016.
Williams moved to 3-2-1 on the year with the win, while Rotolo fell to 3-4-1 with the loss. Neither team scored on the power play on Friday, as the Griffs went 0-for-3, while the Tigers were 0-for-4 on the man-advantage.
Head Coach Dave Smith’s Postgame Comments
“Tonight was a very interesting college hockey game. Both teams had a lot of scoring chances and both teams got excellent goaltending. Charles [Williams] was able to see the puck, control his rebounds and give our defense a lot of confidence. This was a hard game and we feel great to get the win. Every night is a challenge, and tonight was no different.”
Game Notes
• This was the 70th all-time meeting between the two schools, with RIT leading the series 51-17-2.
• The shutout win for Canisius is the Griffs’ first over RIT in the Division I era of the series.
• The 1-0 victory is Canisius’ first in a regular-season game since Nov. 15, 2009, when the Blue and Gold defeated UConn 1-0 at the Buffalo State Sports Arena.
• At 2-0-1, Canisius is unbeaten through its first three Atlantic Hockey games for the first time since 2010-11, when the team was also 2-0-1.
• Jaeckle’s goal on Friday serves as his first collegiate game-winner.
• The shutout for Williams was the second in his college career. As a member of the Ferris State team, he made 25 stops in a 3-0 win over Michigan Tech Jan. 25, 2014.
• Five of Chamberland’s team-leading six points this season have come in conference play, while all four of Hoover’s points have also come in league games.
Up Next
Canisius and RIT will close out their weekend home-and-home series Saturday, Nov. 5, when the two teams meet in RIT’s Gene Polisseni Center in Rochester, New York. Faceoff is set for 7:05 p.m., and the game will be televised live on Time Warner Cable SportsNet.
