WORCESTER, Mass. –Paul Berrafato stopped all 18 shots he faced and Danny Lopez notched the game-winning goal to lead Holy Cross to a 3-0 victory over Canisius in Atlantic Hockey Conference action Saturday at the Hart Center.
Scott Pooley and Mitch Collett added third period goals for the Crusaders (7-8-3, 4-5-3 AHC)
Charles Williams got the start in goal for the Griffs (7-9-3, 6-4-3 AHC). He finished with 24 saves.
Lopez staked Holy Cross to a 1-0 lead at the 8:45 of the first period, beating Williams inside the right post from the left faceoff dot during a 4-on-3 power play opportunity for his 11th goal of the season.
After a scoreless second period, Pooley gave the Crusaders a 2-0 cushion 4:50 into the third when he beat Williams from the slot for his fourth of the season.
Collett closed out the scoring at the 16:05 mark of the third, finishing off a 2-on-1 break with his third tally of the season.
Head Coach Dave Smith’s Postgame Comments
“I thought both teams played hard tonight. We expected their best and thought it would bring out our best and it did. Holy Cross earned that victory tonight.
“I liked a lot about our game, but I didn’t like the way that it finished. Prior to the third period, I thought we generated a lot of offense and were unable to get a goal. We were tired in the third. We’ve got to find a way to have a little more depth. We had a key injury up front early in the game that really disrupted some flow. We didn’t have everyone clicking. Our guys that were going were going very well and we generated a lot of chances, but not so much in the third even though that should have been the period where we throw up 12 to 15 shots.”
Game Notes
– Canisius moved to 8-3-1 in their last 12 contests against Holy Cross. The Crusaders lead the all-time series by a 30-18-10 margin.
– The Griffs suffered their first loss at the Hart Center since a 4-0 setback on Dec. 3, 2011, snapping a five-game unbeaten streak.
– The Crusaders held a 27-18 shot advantage in the contest, highlighted by a 12-3 edge in the third period.
– Holy Cross was 1-for-5 on the power play while Canisius was 0-for-4 with the man advantage. The Griffs are now 42-of-46 in shorthanded situations in their last 11 games.
Up Next
– Canisius closes out the non-conference portion of its schedule with a series against No. 17 St. Lawrence at HARBORCENTER Jan. 6-7. Puck drop for both contests is set for 7:35 p.m.
– Both games will air live on Time Warner Cable Sports Network in New York.
