By: Connor Pohlman
In the first game of their two game series against Sacred Heart, Canisius allowed the Pioneers to score four unanswered goals to break open a 1-1 contest and defeat Canisius, 6-3, in Atlantic Hockey Association action Friday Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Conn.
Graduate student Nick Bowman and seniors Ryan Miotto and David Melaragni accounted for the three goals for the Golden Griffins (2-6-0, 0-1-0 AHA). Miotto also added an assist on Bowman's tally for a two-point evening.
Sacred Heart took a 1-0 lead just 4:31 into the contest as Joughin slid Neil Shea's centering feed between the legs of Canisius netminder Jacob Barczewski for the game's opening tally.
Miotto brought the Griffs level with 13:50 elapsed in the opening frame when he deposited a loose puck into the Sacred Heart cage from the middle of the slot for his second goal of the season.
The Pioneers took control of the game moments later, using a pair of tallies just 18 seconds apart to build a 3-1 edge.
SHU added to its lead with a pair of goals in the second period. Steele made it a 4-1 contest near the midway point of the frame as a shot from Austin Magera deflected off of him into the Canisius goal while Connolly got the scoreboard with less than two minutes to play in the stanza as he scored on a diving effort from the bottom of the left face-off circle.
Bowman made it a 5-2 game early in the third period with a power-play goal as he beat Lush with a wrist shot to the glove side for his fifth goal of the season.
Humphrey netted his second of the contest with a power-play goal at the 12:31 mark of the third, wiring a one-timer past the glove of Canisius backup netminder John Hawthorne to make it a 6-2 contest.
Melaragni closed out the scoring at the 13:36 mark of the third period, firing a wrist shot over the glove of Lush for his first of the season.
Barczewski got the start in goal for the Griffs and played two periods, making 18 saves. Senior John Hawthorne replaced Barczewski at the start of the third and stopped eight shots.
Sacred heart broke a 1-1 tie with two late goals to get their 2nd win of the series against Canisius.
Freshman Hunter Andrew scored the lone goal for the Golden Griffins (2-7-0, 0-2-0 AHA). Senior goaltender Jacob Barczewski finished with 24 saves.
The teams traded power-play goals during the first period.
Andrew brought the Griffs level just seconds before the 11-minute mark of the first period when he jammed home a loose puck from just off the left post after senior David Melaragni's attempt from the top of the point was turned aside by Lush.
The game remained tied until late in the third period, when Joughlin finished off a 2-on-1 rush by chipping the puck over the right leg of Barczewski to give the Pioneers a 2-1 lead.
Shea put the game out of reach with an empty-net goal in the final minute of regulation.