By: Colton Pankiewicz, Sports Editor
Heading into a weekend series against Air Force, there is a sense of urgency as Canisius holds on tightly to the eighth and final spot in the playoff picture. Air Force currently sits in third place, but a Griffs sweep this weekend could put both teams in a tie for third place.
After being swept by rival Niagara, captain Max Kouznetsov said, “It doesn’t matter if it’s [Niagara] or not: we have to be ready.” The Griffs didn’t just suffer two losses in the record book, but they will now have to head to Colorado without David Fessenden, who suffered an undisclosed injury after the first loss to the Purple Eagles. Ethan Robertson will be relied on in the crease while Fessenden is out, carrying a 3.35 goals-against average and a 3–5 record in games that he started, while Alex Houston will play the back-up role.
Despite the rough stretches that have plagued Canisius this year, it also took until around this time last year for the Griffs to hit their stride, a stride that eventually won them a conference championship. The team’s bright spot this season has been freshman Matteo Giampa, whose 15 goals lead both the team and the conference.
With nine games remaining, there’s urgency to make a push upwards with a veteran team that has been in similar spots before. That urgency has an opportunity to show face on Friday and Saturday with back-to-back games at the USAF Academy.