Hockey doubles down in losses in Connecticut

By: Kaitlyn Belile, Assistant Features Editor

The Griffs hockey team was swept by the Sacred Heart Pioneers last weekend. The Griffs left Fairfield Conn. recording only three goals throughout the weekend, while the Pioneers had nine. The team has struggled finding success in away games, with their away record being 2–5–0, despite having an overall record being 5–6–1. 

The Griffs’ captain, Oliver Tarr, scored two of the three goals from the weekend for the Griffs, scoring in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. Defenseman Robert Kincaid recorded his first goal of the season, which is also the first time a Canisius defenseman has found the back of the net this year.

After this weekend, Tarr is up to four goals this season, tied for second place in amount of goals with Grant Porter. “We’re just kind of focusing on ourselves, trying to get our identity back,” said Tarr. After a tough weekend, he is taking away the positive that he was able to “open up the floodgates a little bit and get [his] offensive game going,” but recognizes that the team still has a lot to work on.  

Sacred Heart’s Felix Trudeau had a five-goal weekend, scoring his first career hat trick on Friday night, and tallying another two goals Saturday. He is now the leading goal scorer in the AHA with nine goals. He is also one of two players in the AHA to have a hat trick this season, alongside Niagara’s Maxim Muranov. Tarr says that “obviously [Trudeau] had a pretty good weekend against us, [but] we try and focus on things we can control.” The team isn’t changing their plan, but they are working on the ways to improve themselves and their game. 

The Griffs are back home this weekend, Friday Nov. 21 and Saturday Nov. 22 against the Mercyhurst Lakers.