The Canisius College hockey team continues non-conference action with a pair of games at Big Ten foe Ohio State. The schools are set to meet in Columbus on Friday at 7:05 p.m. and Saturday at 4:05 p.m.
SCOUTING THE GRIFFS
• Canisius (2-5-0, 2-2-0 AHC) suffered a 3-2 setback in its only game last week to No. 16 Merrimack.
• Junior Shane Conacher leads the Griffs with eight points in seven games this season, totaling four goals and four assists.
• Sophomore Reilly Turner has started 6-of-7 games in net, posting a 3.88 goals against average and .892 save percentage.
SMITH RETURNS TO OHIO STATE
• Canisius head coach Dave Smith is making a return trip to his alma mater this weekend.
• Smith, who played for the Buckeyes from 1988 to 1992, was named Team MVP as a senior. He currently ranks 22nd in the school’s record book with 140 career points.
• In his 11th season with the Griffs, Smith owns a 141-194-47 record.
MORE CAREER FIRSTS
• Canisius has the second-largest freshman class in the country and will need to rely on the rookies this season. A total of 11 Griffs have already received their first collegiate action.
• Overall, the class has combined to appear in 59 games with eight points, three goals, five assists and 67 saves.
• Most recently, Dylan McLaughlin netted his first career goal last Saturday with Simon Hofley stopping 26 shots in his first career start.
CAN WE SKIP THE FIRST??
• One big issue for the Griffs this season is the first period.
• Canisius has been outscored, 13-1, in the first 20 minutes of play and have escaped the opening frame tied just twice in seven games.
• In 4-of-5 losses this year, Canisius has allowed three first-period tallies.
• After the opening frame, Canisius has outscored its opponent, 12-11.
• Last Saturday, Canisius became the last team in the country to net a first-period goal when Dylan McLaughlin scored against Merrimack.
CANISIUS – OHIO STATE SERIES HISTORY
• The Griffs and Buckeyes are meeting in the third-straight season.
• The schools first met on the ice two years ago in Columbus with the Buckeyes sweeping the series, 3-0 and 3-1.
• Last season, the teams opened HARBORCENTER in a two-game series in Buffalo. After playing to a 3-3 draw in the opener, Ohio State earned a 4-1 victory in the finale.
GRIFFS VERSUS BIG TEN TEAMS
• In its third year of a hockey conference, Canisius has played four of the six teams in the Big Ten.
• The Griffs remain in search of their first victory against a Big Ten school with a 0-7-1 record against conference teams, including a 6-1 loss to Penn State in the season opener last month.
ABOUT THE BUCKEYES
• Ohio State is 1-7-0 through the first eight games of the season.
• The Buckeyes were off last weekend but earned their first win of the season in their most recent contest, a 5-1 victory over Mercyhurst on Oct. 31.
• Nick Schilkey leads Ohio State with eight points and five goals this season to go along with three assists. David Gust is second with six points, including a team-leading five assists.
• Matt Tomkins has started 6-of-8 games in net, posting a 2.91 goals against average and .911 save percentage.
