The Canisius College hockey team earned a 4-1 victory over rival Niagara on Sunday, advancing to the Atlantic Hockey Quarterfinals after winning the best 2-of-3 series, two games to one. Canisius improves to 12-20-5 on the season, while the Purple Eagles’ season ends with a 6-25-6 record.
“It was a great win for our team where our skill level and team defense led us to a huge playoff-series victory,” said Canisius head coach Dave Smith. “We are building some momentum at the right time and that is very important this time of the year.”
Junior Shane Conacher (Burlington, Ontario) led the Griffs with three points in the winning effort, scoring one goal and adding two assists. Sophomores Mike Sabatini (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.) and David Parrottino (Rochester Hills, Mich.) and freshman Cameron Heath (Troy, Mich.) also added tallies for Canisius.
Freshman Simon Hofley (Ottawa, Ontario) stopped 37 shots between the pipes to earn his second-straight win in the series.
After a scoreless first period, the Griffs struck twice in a 2:05 span during the second period to take control of the contest. Sabatini gave Canisius the lead for good at the 10:50 mark of the frame, netting his fourth goal of the season. Freshman defender Jimmy Mazza (Kings Park, N.Y.) chipped the puck ahead to Conacher in the neutral zone, leading to a 3-1 on break for the Griffs. Conacher then slipped the puck to Sabatini right outside the goal crease and the sophomore knocked it into the netting for the 1-0 advantage.
Conacher then doubled the Canisius lead to two with his team-leading 20th score of the season, connecting on the power play with 7:05 remaining in the frame. The junior sent a wrist shot from the high slot past a screen and into the net for the 2-0 Canisius advantage. Sophomore Ryan Schmelzer (Buffalo, N.Y.) and Mazza both registered assists on the power-play goal.
Canisius grabbed a 3-0 lead thanks to Heath’s seventh goal of his rookie campaign. SeniorRalph Cuddemi (Concord, Ontario) found the defender open in the slot and Heath beat the Niagara netminder 5-hole for the three-goal advantage. Conacher added an assist on the tally with 12:41 remaining in the game.
In search of a goal, the Purple Eagles pulled its netminder with less than four minutes remaining and finally broke through the Canisius defense with 3:09 left when Johnny Curran scored. The Griffs, however, finished off the victory when Parrottino netted his first collegiate goal with the goalie pulled – assist to sophomore Jeff Murray (Newmarket, Ontario) – with 2:36 remaining for the 4-1 final score.
Niagara outshot the Griffs, 38-25, on the night. Canisius converted 1-of-2 power-play chances, while killing all three of the Purple Eagles’ extra-man opportunities.
The Griffs now advance to the Atlantic Hockey Quarterfinals where either second-seeded Air Force or third-seeded Holy Cross awaits — depending on results of Sunday’s night AIC at Army West Point contest.
Game Notes: Conacher netted his sixth game-winning goal of the season, setting a new program standard. He previously shared the record with Corey Lucas, Carl Hudson and Cory Conacher … Conacher also raised his season total to 45 points, the third-most in program history … Hofley had a career-best 148:29 shutout streak before Niagara’s late extra-attacker goal … The Griffs have allowed one or fewer goals in eight of their last nine home postseason games … Canisius has now advanced further than its rival 5-of-6 years since Niagara joined Atlantic Hockey, eliminating the Purple Eagles three times along the way.
