Canisius used goals from three different players and a 26-save effort from junior Blake Weyrick to post a 3-3 tie against Sacred Heart in Atlantic Hockey Association action Friday at KeyBank Rink at Harborcenter.
Senior Dylan McLaughlin, junior Nick Hutchison and freshman Kevin Obssuth accounted for the three goals for the Golden Griffins (4-7-1, 3-6-1 AHA).
Jason Cotton, Zach De Concilys and Todd Goehring all found the back of the net while netminder Josh Benson made 27 saves for the Pioneers (2-6-2, 2-4-1 AHA).
The teams traded goals in the opening three minutes of the contest as Cotton gave Sacred a 1-0 lead just 16 seconds into the game with a wraparound effort before Canisius responded at the 2:58 mark of the first to tie the game at 1-1. Freshman David Baskerville created a turnover behind the net and fed Obssuth in the slot, who beat Benson with a one-timer for his second of the season.
McLaughlin put the Griffs in front, 2-1, at the 3:30 mark of the second period, putting home a rebound for his team-leading eighth of the campaign. Hutchison extended the Canisius margin to 3-1 near the midway point of the contest when he beat Benson with a backhanded effort from close range during 4-on-4 action.
De Concilys pulled the Pioneers within one a little less than four minutes after Hutchison’s goal, jamming home his own rebound for his first of the season to make it a 3-2 game.
Goehring tied the game at 3-3 just 39 seconds later, collecting a loose puck at the top of the Canisius zone and firing a wrist shot that beat Weyrick to the glove side for his first of the season.
The teams would remain deadlocked through the remainder of the contest, with the best chance for either team coming when Sacred Heart’s Austin McIlmurray rang a shot off the crossbar from the left faceoff circle early in the third period.
Head Coach Trevor Large’s Postgame Comments
“It does feel like a positive result today. It feels like a step in the right direction in terms of how we want to play. I really liked that as the game went on, we got harder to play against. Lots of coaches say get pucks deep, stop on pucks, be hard on the forecheck. We need to do a better job of that and I liked how we did those things compared to the past week or so.
“We had a heavy focus on details and effort today. What we’re doing in the defensive end is really important; it allows us to get more offense and not cheat the game. It’s something we’re trying to better at right now and I felt that our team took a step in all those areas today.”
Game Notes
• Friday’s contest served as the 60th meeting between Canisius and Sacred Heart. The tie was the eighth between the two programs in that time frame and the second in the past five meetings.
• Friday’s tie was the first in 38 career conference games under Large.
• Neither team was able to convert on the power play as Canisius was 0-for-4 with the man advantage while Sacred Heart was 0-for-6.
• Canisius held a slim 30-29 edge in shots taken during the contest. Sacred Heart posted a 19-17 margin over the first two periods while the Griffs held a 13-11 advantage during the third period and overtime.
• Senior Cameron Heath recorded multiple assists in a game for the second time this season and fifth time in his career with a two-assist performance on Friday.
• Baskerville’s assist on Obssuth’s first-period goal was his first collegiate point.
• Hutchison’s second-period goal was the first goal scored during 4-on-4 play for Canisius this season.
• McLaughlin tallied his team-leading eighth goal of the campaign with his second-period tally.
Up Next
• The teams conclude their two-game series Saturday with a 1:05 p.m. matinee at Harborcenter.
• There will be a postgame skate with the team from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free skate rentals will be provided.
• Tickets for the game are still available. They can be purchased by calling 716-888-TIXX or by visiting the ticket page on GoGriffs.com.
