Canisius hockey finishes season with four players named to AHA all-conference team

By: Kaitlyn Belile, Features Editor

The Canisius men’s hockey team finished seventh in the standings and went 16–15–2 overall and 11–12–2 in conference play. Four members of the team were named part of the Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) all-conference team: Grant Porter, Walter Zacher and Killian Kiecker-Olson were named All-AHA third team with freshman defenseman FJ Buteau being named part of the AHA All-Rookie team.

During the last regular season games, the Griffs split their series against their rivals, the Niagara Purple Eagles. Friday night, the Griffs went to Niagara and lost 3–2 while the following night, the Griffs hosted the Purple Eagles and won 5–1. On Friday, Feb. 27, the Griffs two goals were scored by Porter and Kiecker-Olson. Porter finished eighth in the AHA for goals scored with 12 goals in the season. On Feb. 28, the Griffs goals were credited to Hunter Andrew, Rhys Chiddenton and three from Alton McDermott, who grabbed his first career hat trick. 

In the first AHA playoff game on March 3, the Griffs lost 5–2 in regulation to the Mercyhurst Lakers. The Griffs lost to the 10th-ranked Lakers with two goals, scored by Hunter Price and Zacher. Zacher led the team and was second in the AHA in goals with 19 in 32 games. 

Zacher, a junior from Williamsville N.Y., transferred to Canisius this past season from Robert Morris University. He says that, “coming in as a new player you never know what it’s going to be like. But the guys in the locker room made it feel like I have been here for three years. I think the chemistry that was built off the ice created a culture that made it easy to play with these guys.” 

Trevor Large, the Griffs coach, has been preaching the importance of culture since the beginning of the season. He has built a community of players that have built connections with each other on and off the ice. Zacher later went on to say, “you learn from the past and not dwell on it and it starts from the coaching staff and it radiates through the team.” 

Zacher credits his teammates and coaches to the success he found this season. He states that, “the coaches were great in keeping the positivity in the locker room. The season is long with ups and downs but the coaches helped make coming to the rink so enjoyable all year which makes a big impact on the ice.” Along with his coaches, his teammates were “always picking each other up to push each other to be better,” he said. 

The rest of the AHA playoffs will wrap up this weekend, Mar. 13–15, featuring the Holy Cross Crusaders playing the Bentley Falcons and Robert Morris University playing the Sacred Heart Pioneers.

Via GoGriffs