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2020–21 Canisius Golden Griffins men's ice hockey season

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2020–21 Canisius Golden Griffins
men's ice hockey season
Conference4th Atlantic Hockey
Home iceLECOM Harborcenter
Rankings
USCHO.comNR
USA Today/
US Hockey Magazine
NR
Record
Overall11–6–0
Conference8–5–0–1–1–0
Home6–1–0
Road4–5–0
Neutral1–0–0
Coaches and captains
Head coachTrevor Large
Assistant coachesMartin Hlinka
Taylor Nelson
Daniel Paille
Captain(s)Grant Meyer
Canisius Golden Griffins men's ice hockey seasons
« 2019–20 2021–22 »

The 2020–21 Canisius Golden Griffins men's ice hockey season was the 41st season of play for the program, the 23rd at the Division I level, and the 18th season in the Atlantic Hockey conference. The Golden Griffins represented Canisius College and were coached by Trevor Large, in his 4th season.

The start of the college hockey season was delayed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. As a result, Canisius's first scheduled game was in late-November as opposed to early-October, which was the norm.

Season

[edit]

As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the entire college ice hockey season was delayed. Because the NCAA had previously announced that all winter sports athletes would retain whatever eligibility they possessed through at least the following year, none of Canisius' players would lose a season of play.[1] However, the NCAA also approved a change in its transfer regulations that would allow players to transfer and play immediately rather than having to sit out a season, as the rules previously required.[2]

Even after being delayed, Canisius had the start of their season disrupted by cancellations and postponements. The Golden Griffins played two games over a 62-day period. In February the team was finally able to put a string of games together and showed themselves to be one of the better teams in the western pod of Atlantic Hockey teams. After a four-game winning streak, Canisius was nearing their first top-20 ranking in years but the team was swept by a down Air Force club.[3] Due to Canisius having so few games on their schedule, the losses to Air Force meant that the team had little chance of making the NCAA Tournament without winning their conference tournament.

After the Golden Griffins dispatched RIT in the quarterfinals, they had to get past a very strong Army team to reach the championship. The two teams battled through a close game, needing overtime to decide the winner, and J. D. Pogue's marker sent the Griffs to the title game. Canisius was unable to overcome American International despite the Yellow Jackets facing their own COVID problems and had to settle for second place. Canisius had a slim chance of being selected as an at-large bid but when the tournament teams were released, Atlantic Hockey was essentially disregarded, with league-leading AIC being given the 16th and final space in the bracket.[4]

The program has a great deal to be proud of from this season. The runner-up finish was the second best performance the team had ever achieved and, despite playing less than half as many games as the year before, Canisius won more games. With sophomore Jacob Barczewski establishing himself as the team's starting goaltender, the Golden Griffins are well-placed for next season.

John Stampohar and MacGregor Sinclair sat out the season.

Departures

[edit]
Player Position Nationality Cause
Matt Hoover Forward  United States Graduation (Signed with Utah Grizzlies)
Nick Hutchison Forward  United States Graduation (Signed with Adirondack Thunder)
Casey Jerry Forward  United States Graduation
Jesse Pereira Forward  Canada Graduation
Will Scherer Defenseman  United States Graduation
Matt Stief Defenseman  United States Graduation (Signed with Macon Mayhem)
Daniel Urbani Goaltender  Canada Graduation

Recruiting

[edit]
Player Position Nationality Age Notes
Jackson Decker Defenseman  United States 21 Algonquin, IL
Cooper Haar Forward  United States 21 Huntington Beach, CA
Max Kouznetsov Forward  United States 19 Voorhees, NJ
Jack Lyons Defenseman  Canada 21 Mississauga, ON
Niclas Puikkonen Forward  Sweden 21 Stockholm, SWE
Jami Virtanen Forward  Finland 20 Pori, FIN
Connor Zilisch Forward  United States 21 Appleton, WI

Roster

[edit]

As of September 17, 2020.[5]

No. S/P/C Player Class Pos Height Weight DoB Hometown Previous team NHL rights
4 Michigan Logan Gestro Senior D 6' 3" (1.91 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1996-02-09 South Lyon, Michigan Corpus Christi (NAHL)
5 Pennsylvania David Melaragni Sophomore D 6' 0" (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1998-03-30 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Cowichan Valley (BCHL)
8 British Columbia Keaton Mastrodonato Sophomore F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 2000-09-24 Powell River, British Columbia Alberni Valley (BCHL)
9 Quebec J. D. Pogue Junior F 6' 1" (1.85 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1997-06-23 Montreal, Quebec Cornwall (NAHL)
10 Pennsylvania Nick Parody Sophomore D 6' 3" (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1998-01-02 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Islanders (NCDC)
14 Minnesota John Stampohar Sophomore D 6' 2" (1.88 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1998-09-24 Grand Rapids, Minnesota Fairbanks (NAHL)
15 Ohio Grant Meyer (C) Senior F 5' 8" (1.73 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1996-03-21 Genoa, Ohio Fargo (USHL)
20 New York (state) David Baskerville Junior F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1997-04-01 Buffalo, New York Corpus Christi (NAHL)
23 California Cooper Haar Freshman F 6' 3" (1.91 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1999-04-26 Huntington Beach, California Aberdeen (NAHL)
24 Illinois Jackson Decker Freshman D 5' 11" (1.8 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1999-03-19 Algonquin, Illinois Chippewa (NAHL)
25 Illinois Matt Long Senior F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1997-08-06 Orland Park, Illinois Springfield (NAHL)
27 Ontario Ryan Miotto Sophomore F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1999-07-11 Thorold, Ontario Alberni Valley (BCHL)
28 Ontario Lee Lapid Junior F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1998-01-11 Thornhill, Ontario Toronto Patriots (OJHL)
30 Missouri Jacob Barczewski Sophomore G 6' 1" (1.85 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1999-01-07 O'Fallon, Missouri Tri-City (USHL)
32 New York (state) Tucker Weppner Senior G 6' 2" (1.88 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1996-06-09 Williamsville, New York Buffalo (OJHL)
33 New York (state) Matt Ladd Junior G 6' 3" (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1998-07-11 Getzville, New York New Jersey (NAHL)
37 New Jersey Kevin Obssuth Junior F 6' 1" (1.85 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1997-07-09 Morristown, New Jersey Powell River (BCHL)
40 Sweden Niclas Puikkonen Freshman F 6' 1" (1.85 m) 198 lb (90 kg) 1999-01-23 Stockholm, Sweden Amarillo (AJHL)
44 Wisconsin Connor Zilisch Freshman F 6' 1" (1.85 m) 212 lb (96 kg) 1999-08-07 Appleton, Wisconsin Topeka (NAHL)
52 Illinois Blake Wareham Senior D 6' 0" (1.83 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1997-03-05 Park Ridge, Illinois Janesville (NAHL)
53 Minnesota Lincoln Erne Sophomore D 6' 0" (1.83 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1998-09-26 Blaine, Minnesota Minot (NAHL)
58 Quebec Derek Hamelin Junior D 5' 11" (1.8 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1997-01-21 Mercier, Quebec Langley (BCHL)
71 Alberta MacGregor Sinclair Sophomore F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1998-08-28 Irma, Alberta Battlefords (SJHL)
72 New Jersey Max Kouznetsov Freshman F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 2000-12-06 Voorhees, New Jersey Johnstown (NAHL)
77 Ontario Jack Lyons Freshman D 6' 1" (1.85 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1999-07-04 Mississauga, Ontario Oakville (OJHL)
81 Ontario Mitchell Martan Junior F 5' 8" (1.73 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1998-06-30 Whitby, Ontario Wellington (OJHL)
83 Michigan Austin Alger Senior F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1997-09-23 Livonia, Michigan Miami (NCHC)
89 Quebec Simon Gravel Sophomore F 5' 10" (1.78 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1999-04-10 Boucherville, Quebec Brooks (AJHL)
91 Finland Jami Virtanen Freshman F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 192 lb (87 kg) 2000-08-07 Pori, Finland Ässät U20 (Nuorten SM-liiga)
94 Ontario Hudson Lambert Sophomore D 6' 0" (1.83 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1998-08-17 Richmond Hill, Ontario Brampton (OJHL)

Standings

[edit]
Conference record Overall record
GP W L T OW OL SW PTS PT% GF GA GP W L T GF GA
#15 American International †* 12 11 1 0 1 0 0 32 .889 47 18 19 15 4 0 67 40
Army 15 10 4 1 3 1 1 30 .667 42 33 22 15 6 1 71 48
Robert Morris 15 10 5 0 2 1 0 29 .644 58 48 24 15 9 0 85 69
Canisius 13 8 5 0 1 1 0 24 .615 42 34 17 11 6 0 59 46
RIT 13 7 5 1 0 0 1 23 .590 43 40 20 9 9 2 68 70
Sacred Heart 13 6 6 1 1 2 0 20 .513 35 38 18 6 10 2 43 59
Mercyhurst 16 7 8 1 1 1 1 23 .479 54 50 21 8 12 1 64 67
Bentley 15 4 11 0 1 5 0 16 .356 35 48 16 5 11 0 42 51
Niagara 15 3 9 3 0 2 1 15 .333 39 53 22 7 12 3 57 70
Air Force 13 3 9 1 2 1 0 9 .231 32 49 14 3 10 1 35 56
Holy Cross 12 3 9 0 2 0 0 7 .194 22 38 16 4 12 0 30 52
Championship: March 20, 2021
† indicates conference regular season champion
* indicates conference tournament champion (Riley Trophy)
Rankings: USCHO.com Top 20 Poll

Schedule and Results

[edit]
Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Decision Result Attendance Record
Regular Season
November 27 5:05 PM at Robert Morris Clearview ArenaNeville Township, Pennsylvania   Barczewski W 5–2  0 1–0–0 (1–0–0)
November 28 7:05 PM vs. Robert Morris Clearview ArenaNeville Township, Pennsylvania   Barczewski L 4–5  0 1–1–0 (1–1–0)
January 2 4:35 PM vs. Mercyhurst LECOM HarborcenterBuffalo, New York   Ladd W 3–2  0 2–1–0 (2–1–0)
January 3 3:00 PM at Mercyhurst Mercyhurst Ice CenterErie, Pennsylvania   Ladd W 3–0  127 3–1–0 (3–1–0)
January 30 5:00 PM at RIT Gene Polisseni CenterHenrietta, New York   Ladd L 3–0  0 3–2–0 (3–2–0)
February 9 7:05 PM at Mercyhurst Mercyhurst Ice CenterErie, Pennsylvania   Barczewski W 3–1  0 4–2–0 (4–2–0)
February 12 7:05 PM vs. Robert Morris LECOM HarborcenterBuffalo, New York   Ladd W 5–3  0 5–2–0 (5–2–0)
February 13 7:05 PM vs. Mercyhurst LECOM HarborcenterBuffalo, New York   Barczewski W 3–0  0 6–2–0 (6–2–0)
February 16 7:05 PM vs. Mercyhurst LECOM HarborcenterBuffalo, New York   Ladd W 5–4 OT 0 7–2–0 (7–2–0)
February 19 9:05 PM at Air Force Cadet Ice ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado   Barczewski L 3–4 OT 100 7–3–0 (7–3–0)
February 20 7:00 PM at Air Force Cadet Ice ArenaColorado Springs, Colorado   Ladd L 1–5  100 7–4–0 (7–4–0)
February 26 7:30 PM at Niagara Dwyer ArenaLewiston, New York   Barczewski W 5–1  0 8–4–0 (8–4–0)
February 27 7:05 PM vs. Niagara LECOM HarborcenterBuffalo, New York   Ladd L 0–4  0 8–5–0 (8–5–0)
Atlantic Hockey Tournament
March 12 7:05 PM vs. RIT* LECOM HarborcenterBuffalo, New York (Atlantic Hockey Quarterfinals game 1)   Barczewski W 5–2  89 9–5–0
March 13 7:05 PM vs. RIT* LECOM HarborcenterBuffalo, New York (Atlantic Hockey Quarterfinals game 2)   Barczewski W 6–2  109 10–5–0
Canisius Won Series 2–0
March 19 7:05 PM vs. #19 Army* MassMutual CenterSpringfield, Massachusetts (Atlantic Hockey Semifinals)   Barczewski W 4–3 OT 0 11–5–0
March 20 7:00 PM at #15 American International* MassMutual CenterSpringfield, Massachusetts (Atlantic Hockey Championship)   Barczewski L 2–5  0 11–6–0
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Eastern Time.

[6]

Scoring statistics

[edit]
Name Position Games Goals Assists Points PIM
Keaton Mastrodonato C 17 9 9 18 4
Mitchell Martan LW 16 6 9 15 21
Grant Meyer RW 13 3 8 11 8
Lee Lapid C 17 5 5 10 10
Simon Gravel C/RW 13 5 4 9 0
Matt Long F 15 3 6 9 10
Ryan Miotto F 15 2 7 9 8
J. D. Pogue LW 13 5 3 8 6
Logan Gestro D 17 1 7 8 12
Max Kouznetsov C/LW 17 4 3 7 8
Jami Virtanen LW/RW 17 4 3 7 4
Austin Alger F 17 3 4 7 6
David Melaragni D 17 2 4 6 12
Cooper Haar RW 13 1 4 5 6
Kevin Obssuth LW 16 3 1 4 19
Jackson Decker D 14 1 3 4 4
Derek Hamelin D 15 0 4 4 4
Blake Wareham C 17 0 4 4 0
Lincoln Erne D 17 0 3 3 8
Niclas Puikkonen C/W 6 1 1 2 0
Hudson Lambert D 4 0 2 2 2
Jacob Barczewski G 11 0 2 2 2
Jack Lyons D 10 1 0 1 0
Tucker Weppner G 1 0 0 0 0
Nick Parody D 1 0 0 0 0
Connor Zilisch F 2 0 0 0 0
David Baskerville C 4 0 0 0 0
Matt Ladd G 11 0 0 0 0
Bench 0 0 0 4
Total 17 59 96 155 154

[7]

Goaltending statistics

[edit]
Name Games Minutes Wins Losses Ties Goals Against Saves Shut Outs SV % GAA
Tucker Weppner 1 1:25 0 0 0 0 1 0 1.000 0.00
Jacob Barczewski 11 653 7 3 0 25 315 1 .926 2.30
Matt Ladd 7 376 4 3 0 18 189 1 .913 2.87
Empty Net - 6 - - - 3 - - - -
Total 17 1037 11 6 0 46 505 2 .917 2.66

Rankings

[edit]
Poll Week
Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 (Final)
USCHO.com NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR - NR
USA Today NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR

USCHO did not release a poll in week 20.[8]

Awards and honors

[edit]
Player Award Ref
Jacob Barczewski Atlantic Hockey Regular Season Goaltending Award
Jacob Barczewski Atlantic Hockey First Team [9]
Keaton Mastrodonato

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "NCAA approves blanket waiver for 2020 fall sports athletes to retain year of eligibility". CBS Sports. August 21, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  2. ^ "DI Council grants waiver to allow transfer student-athletes to compete immediately". NCAA. December 16, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  3. ^ "USCHO Division I Men's Poll - February 15, 2021". USCHO. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  4. ^ "Bracket Analysis: Success against best teams in your league guided NCAA Selection Committee; travel wasn't major consideration". USCHO. March 22, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  5. ^ "2020–21 Ice Hockey Roster". Canisius College. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  6. ^ "Canisius Golden Griffins (Men) 2020-2021 Schedule and Results". College Hockey Stats. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  7. ^ "Canisius College 2020-2021 Skater Stats". Elite Prospects. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
  8. ^ "USCHO Division I Men's Poll". USCHO.com. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  9. ^ "Atlantic Hockey Announces All-Conference and All-Rookie Winners". Atlantic Hockey. March 11, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021.