Campus Watch

by Amy Moritz

What did you do on your summer vacation?

For a number of college hockey players the answer to that question includes spending a week at an NHL development camp.

Two players from Canisius and one for Niagara are participating in prospect camps along with a number of other players from Atlantic Hockey. (This of course without the official release of the Buffalo Sabres development camp roster. That camp opens on Monday.)

Tony Capobianco, the most decorated goaltender in Canisius program history, was invited to the Philadelphia Flyers Develoment Camp which began on Thursday. Capobianco, who graduated from Canisius in May,finished with school records in saves (3,061), save percentage (.920), goals against average (2.71) and shutouts (eight).

James Mazza, who verbally committed to the Golden Griffins for 2015, is participating in the New York Islanders develoment camp.

Niagara defenseman Vince Muto (Niagara Falls) is finishing his time with the Montreal Canadiens. In his freshman season, Muto played in 37 games notching 19 points from the blue line (five goals, 14 assists).

Mercyhurst has five players at development camps, leading tally in Atlantic Hockey. Senior Matthew Zay is with the Chicago Blackhawks while recent graduates Dan O'Donoghue and Nick Jones are with Arizona and San Jose, respectively.

Verbal recruits for 2015 also participating are Tommasco Bucci and Chris Makowski, both with the Islanders.

Others from Atlantic Hockey include Air Force senior Cole Gunner (Chicago), Bentley senior Alex Grieve (Islanders), Robert Morris junior Brandon Denham (Calgary) and Sacred Heart junior Alex Vazzano (Ottawa).

by Amy Moritz

We already knew that Canisius was playing at Niagara and hosting RIT. Now we get the full picture of the Golden Griffins' first year at HarborCenter after the team released its schedule Wednesday morning.

The opening game at HarborCenter will be a two-game series against Ohio State on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. Both games are set for a 7:35 p.m. start. 

The first Atlantic Hockey games in the new digs come Nov. 14-15 when RIT comes to Buffalo.

With HarborCenter a few weeks behind schedule, Canisius will open the season in First Niagara Center, hosting Western Michigan (NCHC) Oct. 10-11. It will be the first time Canisius has played in First Niagara Center since the 2003-04 season when the hosted New Hampshire and UMass-Lowell along with Niagara for the Punch Imlach College Hockey Showcase.

Their other non-conference series is a two-game set at Maine, Jan. 2-3.

The home schedule features a five-game conference homestand to close out the first semester, playing Mercyhurst (Nov. 22), Air Force (Nov. 28-29) and AIC (Dec. 5-6) at HarborCenter before the holiday break.

New this year is a Kids' Day game as the Griffs have scheduled an 11:05 a.m. game on Friday, Jan.9 against Holy Cross.

The rematch of last year's conference championship game won't happen until the last month of the regular season when Canisius travels to Robert Morris Feb. 6-7. It's the only time the teams are scheduled to meet after the Colonials upended the Griffs in the title game last March.

Canisius closes out the regular season with two games at Air Force (Feb. 27-28) with the regular season home finale against Mercyhurst Feb. 21.

Overall the Griffs will play 16 regular-season games at HarborCenter.

The complete Canisius schedule:

Oct. 10 -- Western Michigan (First Niagara Center), 7:35 p.m.
Oct. 11 -- Western Michigan (First NIagara Center), 7:35 p.m.
Oct. 17 -- at Army, 7:05 p.m.
Oct. 18 -- at Army, 7:05 p.m.
Oct. 24 -- at AIC, 7:05 p.m.
Oct. 25 -- at AIC, 7:05 p.m.
Oct. 31 -- Ohio State, 7:35 p.m.
Nov. 1 -- Ohio State, 7:35 p.m.
Nov. 7 -- at Sacred Heart, 7:05 p.m.
Nov. 8 -- at Sacred Heart, 7:05 p.m.
Nov. 14 -- RIT, 7:35 p.m.
Nov. 15 -- RIT, 7:35 p.m.
Nov. 21 -- at Mercyhurst, 7:05 p.m.
Nov. 22 -- Mercyhurst, 7:35 p.m.
Nov. 28 -- Air Force, 2:05 p.m.
Nov. 29 -- Air Force, 7:35 p.m.
Dec. 5 -- AIC, 7:35 p.m.
Dec. 6 -- AIC, 7:35 p.m.
Jan. 2 -- at Maine, 7:05 p.m.
Jan. 3 -- at Maine, 7:05 p.m.
Jan. 9 -- Holy Cross (Kid's Day), 11:05 a.m.
Jan. 10 -- Holy Cross, 7:35 p.m.
Jan. 16 -- Bentley, 7:35 p.m.
Jan. 17 -- Bentley, 7:35 p.m.
Jan. 22 -- at Niagara, 7:05 p.m.
Jan. 24 -- at Niagara, 7:05 p.m.
Feb. 6 -- at Robert Morris, 7:05 p.m.
Feb. 7 -- at Robert Morris, 7:05 p.m.
Feb. 13 -- Army, 7:35 p.m.
Feb. 14 -- Army, 7:35 p.m.
Feb. 20 -- at Mercyhurst, 7:05 p.m.
Feb. 21 -- Mercyhurst, 7:35 p.m.
Feb. 27 -- at Air Force, 9:05 p.m.
Feb. 28 -- at Air Force, TBA

by Amy Moritz

Niagara and Canisius will only play twice in the regular season. Both games will be at Niagara's Dwyer Arena. They will not play each other in the brand new HarborCenter in downtown Buffalo, which is the new home for Canisius hockey.

Wait. What?

Confusion and disbelief were the typical reactions after the Atlantic Hockey schedule was released with little consideration apparently given to Western New York rivalries.

First up, a look at the basics of the conference scheduling. 

With Connecticut leaving Atlantic Hockey for this year for Hockey East (despite the Huskies still being on the official Atlantic Hockey website), Atlantic Hockey is down to 11 members. So the conference decided that scheduling would go like this: programs would play four teams four times. The remaining six teams would be played only twice -- three of them in two-game home series, three of them in two-game road series.

Explained Atlantic Hockey commissioner Bob DeGregorio, "It’s going to be a cycle over the next few years. … Some years you will play people away and not home and some years you will be playing people both home and away. With 11 schools it takes 10 years to complete the cycle."

In an article last May on USCHO.com, Atlantic Hockey commissioner Bob DeGregorio said, "We are still working out the formula. Our intention is to be fair and also maintain local rivalries."

But when asked about the schedule and local rivalries on Wednesday, DeGregorio spoke only of the difficulty in working with an odd number of teams.

"We presented the schedule to the coaches at the coaches’ meeting and it passed. It wasn’t unanimous, but it passed at the coaches' meeting," DeGregorio said. "Then we presented it to the directors and it passed unanimously. The final decision is in the directors’ hands. In perfect honesty with 11 schools it’s very difficult to do a schedule. It stinks. We’re making the best of it. For the first time people who never traveled to Air Force every year will have to go to Air Force a couple of years in a row. That’s the way it works. There’s no easy solution to this unless we get a 12^th team and then go back to the drawing board."

So, if Canisius and Niagara drew only two games this year, why not make sure they played in the inaugural year of HarborCenter and let Niagara host next year?

"As far as First Niagara Center, that’s up to them once they get the schedule where they want to play, it’s up to them to move their home games," was DeGregorio's response.

Of course, that doesn't quite answer the question from Western New York fans for two reasons. First, FNC is only hosting two regular season games for Canisius because HarborCenter won't be done until the end of October. Second, the two games are Niagara's home games which is the point of contention. In this inaugural year of HarborCenter, a Niagara-Canisius game would sellout in downtown Buffalo and draw potential new fans. Don't want to cut Niagara out of home games? Make sure that Canisius and Niagara play four times this season.

"We're certainly disappointed to not be playing Niagara in the HarborCenter," Canisius athletic director Bill Maher said. "It's something we hoped could have been worked out. Given the complexities of the Atlantic Hockey schedule and moving to 28 conference games, it was not possible. I do know the commissioner worked very hard and he just wasn't able to make it work.

"You're trying to work with 11 schools all of which have their own levels of priorities. Then you try to balance the east and the west split and travel partners. It's a complex mouse trap. ... Every school has one vote and therein lies the challenge. There are a number of things in our world we would decide differently, but we're one of 11. That's what happens with membership."

While scheduling is complicated, Atlantic Hockey is missing the opportunity to not only protect regional rivalries but enchance them, which in turn helps grow interest in the teams, the league and college hockey as a whole.

Apparently Canisius and Niagara are not consider local rivalries worthy of maintaining.

Neither is Canisius and RIT. Those two teams will also only play twice, both times at HarborCenter with no return games to RIT's brand new campus facility, the Polisseni Center.

This is terribly short-sighted of Atlantic Hockey.

Regional rivalries drive college sports and while fans in Western New York may not yet embrace Atlantic Hockey, they do understand Canisius-Niagara which has a 100-plus year tradition. RIT is new on the scene and Division III in all sports with the exception of the elevated hockey program. But already it hasn't taken long for Buffalo and Lewiston to develop rivalries with Rochester.

Atlantic Hockey did preserve the integrity Niagara-RIT rivalry which will be a pair of home-and-home weekends. But the rivalry has to go deeper than superficial one always pointed out by higher ups. Yes, Niagara coach Dave Burkholder was an All-American goalie for RIT in the 1980s. But that was before the current roster of playres was born (sorry Burkie). RIT may hold on to that memory, but without a long tradition against the Tigers, it merely registers as an interesting footnote at Niagara.

There are better reasons to enchance the rivalries and one of them is to create games which showcase three of the strong programs in the league pitted against each other.

So let's look at the three Western New York programs:

Niagara entered Atlantic Hockey after College Hockey America folded. It has four NCAA appearances on its resume including the first (and currently only) at-large bid to the NCAA tournament from Atlantic Hockey, which came in 2013.

RIT has a history of national success at the Division III level before elevating to Division I in 2006. The Tigers are the only Atlantic Hockey team with a Frozen Four appearance. That came in 2010. RIT will begin play in the brand-spanking new Pollisseni Center this year -- a $38-million facility which will seat about 4,000, perfect for its very enthusiastic fan base which also travels well, especially to regional games. 

Canisius made its first NCAA tournament last year and again made it to the conference championship game. Their success and clear investment in hockey helped land the deal with the Buffalo Sabres to move the Golden Griffins into the new HarborCenter, an 1,800-seat state-of-the-art rink attached to First Niagara Center and an NHL-quality facility.

There are good things happening with programs within Atlantic Hockey. But the league's strategy to grow the league seems to go along the lines of, "Hey look! We have some good teams, players and coaches. You really should come see us." Marketing doesn't work that way. And the work the individual schools are doing to enhance their programs needs better support at the league level.

Which is where the schedule comes into play.

A strong trio in Western New York helps strengthen the entire league, which among the 59 Division I teams has the nine worst average attendance figures. Scheduling Canisius, Niagara and RIT to play each other four times during the regular season, particularly in a year where two of them are opening brand-spanking-new facilities, is an opportunity to draw in, and possibly retain, new fans. It's an opportunity to showcase the best of what's going on in the league. It's an opportunity to increase exposure for the individual teams and for the league.

But all it turned out to be was another opportunity wasted.

by Amy Moritz

It's an interesting schedule for the Niagara hockey team.

The Atlantic Hockey season is capped with home-and-home series against the defending champion while its local rivalry has been cut in half. And the six non-conference games are pretty challenging as the Purple Eagles released their 2014-15 hockey schedule late Tuesday afternoon.

Niagara opens the season at Dwyer Arena Oct. 10-11 with two games against ECAC teams. Clarkson comes to Monteagle RIdge on Oct. 10 with St. Lawrence visiting Oct. 11.

Niagara then kicks off Atlantic Hockey play against defending champion Robert Morris, traveling to Moon Township on Oct. 17 and returning to Dwyer on Oct. 18. They close out the regular season against the Colonials, the team which defeated Niagara in overtime in the conference semifinals last season, playing at Dwyer on Feb. 27 and in Moon Township on Feb. 28.

Along with the ECAC openers, Niagara's non-conference schedule includes two-game road series at Notre Dame (Oct. 24-25) and at North Dakota (Jan. 16-17).

Now for the mixed news for Western New York college hockey fans.

Niagara will meet RIT four times, with home-and-home series. They meet Dec. 12 and Feb. 7 at the new Polisseni Center on the RIT campus and Dec. 13 and Feb. 6 at Dwyer Arena.

But the annual Western New York grudge match on ice will be a disappointing two games this year, both at Dwyer Arena. Niagara hosts Canisius on Thursday, Jan. 22 and Saturday, Jan. 24.

With Atlantic Hockey membership dropping to 11 teams this season, the league went to a new scheduling format -- play four teams four times then play the other six only twice.

The conference apparently decided that Niagara-RIT was a protected rivalry and not Niagara-Canisius. It also means one of the most interesting matchups in the league will not get a showcase in the Golden Griffins' new home at HarborCenter.

Niagara's complete hockey schedule:

Oct. 10 -- Clarkson, 7 p.m.
Oct. 11 -- St. Lawrence, 7 p.m.
Oct. 17 -- at Robert Morris, 7 p.m.
Oct. 18 -- Robert Morris, 7 p.m.
Oct. 24 -- at Notre Dame, 7 p.m.
Oct. 25 -- at Notre Dame, 7 p.m
Oct. 31 -- AIC, 7 p.m.
Nov. 1 -- AIC, 7 p.m.
Nov. 7 -- at Bentley, 7:05 p.m.
Nov. 8 -- at Bentley, 7:05 p.m.
Nov. 21 -- Army, 7:05 p.m.
Nov. 22 -- Army, 7 p.m.
Dec. 5 -- Holy Cross, 7 p.m.
Dec. 6 -- Holy Cross, 7:05 p.m.
Dec. 12 -- at RIT, 7 p.m.
Dec. 13 -- RIT, 7:05 p.m.
Jan. 2 -- at Sacred Heart, 7:05 p.m.
Jan. 3 -- at Sacred Heart, 7 p.m.
Jan. 9 -- at Air Force, 9 p.m.
Jan. 10 -- at Air Force, 9 p.m.
Jan. 16 -- at North Dakota, 8 p.m.
Jan. 17 -- at North Dakota, 8 p.m.
Jan. 22 -- Canisius, 7 p.m.
Jan. 24 -- Canisius, 7:05 p.m.
Jan. 30 -- at Holy Cross, 7 p.m.
Jan. 31 -- at Holy Cross, 7 p.m.
Feb. 6 -- RIT, 7 p.m.
Feb. 7 -- at RIT, 7:05 p.m.
Feb. 13 -- at Mercyhurst, 7 p.m.
Feb. 14 -- at Mercyhurst, 7 p.m.
Feb. 20 -- Air Force, 7 p.m.
Feb. 21 -- Air Force, 7 p.m.
Feb. 27 -- Robert Morris, 7 p.m.
Feb. 28 -- at Robert Morris, 7 p.m.

by Amy Moritz

Time for some college hockey news and notes to get you through a post-holiday work week:

Development Camp Update

NHL development camps are underway (or soon to be) and Niagara and Canisius already have some players getting the advantage that comes with a week training with an NHL organization. Niagara freshman Vince Muto is at the Montreal Canadiens development camp this week while James Mazza, a 2015 verbal commitment to Canisius, is at the New York Islanders development camp.

Student-Athletes of the Year

To be a Student-Athlete of the Year in Atlantic Hockey, players must havae a 4.0 grade point average. This year, the league announced 10 winners, including two each from Canisius and Niagara. Golden Griffin sophomore Stephen Miller earned his second-straight honor along with senior Ryan Bohrer. For Niagara, graduate student Kevin Ryan (Eden) and freshman Kevin Patterson earned the nod.

All-Academic Teams

The league also announced all-academic teams, for players who post a 3.0 grade point average.

Canisius had a program record 23 players earn all-academic status with 15 of those returning honorees. The list includes: Bohrer, senior Tony Capobianco, freshman Shane Conacher, sophomore Ralph Cuddemi, senior Ben Danford, sophomore Stephen Farrell, freshman Geoff Fortman, junior Cody Freeman, senior Kyle Gibbons, junior Matthew Grazen (East Amherst), sophomore Adam Harris, freshman Jack Hidi, junior Doug Jessey, freshman Josh Kielich (Orchard Park, junior Carl Larsson, senior Taylor Law, junior Mitch McCrank, Miller, junior Braeden Rigney, junior Logan Roe, sophomore Chris Rumble, senior Patrick Sullivan (Derby) and junior Tyler Wiseman.

Niagara placed 11 players on the all-academic team with seven retuners: freshman Tyler Akeson, junior Michael Benedict (Eden), sophomore Matt Chiarantano, sophomore Matt Dineen, sophomore Dan Kolenda, freshman Phil Nasca, Patterson, sophomore Christopher Paulin (Lockport), senior Ryan Rashid, Ryan and senior Matthew Williams.

NOCO donates to Canisius

In case you missed it earlier, NOCO donated $25,000 to the Canisius Locker Room Fund to help finance the Griffs new home at HarborCenter. The Griffs are scheduled to move in to the building at the end of October.

Walsh named intern assist coach

Tyler Walsh, who spent last season as the director of hockey operations for Canisius, was named the intern assistant coach for the U.S. National Under-17 Team, part of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program.

While with the Griffs, Walsh was responsible for the video coordination and travel while assisting with scouting reports.

A graduate of Maine, Walsh is the son of Shawn Walsh, former head coach for the Black Bears (1984-2001) while his grandfather, Ron Mason, was recently inducted into the USA Hockey Hall of Fame for his coaching career with Lake Superior State, Bowling Green and Michigan State.

by Amy Moritz

The Canisius College hockey locker room just got a little boost.

NOCO announced a $25,000 donation to the Locker Room Project for the Golden Griffins new home at HarborCenter. The Griffs are scheduled to open in the new building at the end of October.

"NOCO is honored to collaborate with both Canisius College and HarborCenter in establishing a first-rate hockey facility for players and fans alike," Michael Newman, executive vice president of NOCO said in a release. "We are excited about the ongoing development throughout the City of Buffalo and by contributing to the Canisius Locker Room Project we are not only supporting the college but also contributing to the revitalization of downtown Buffalo and the Canalside District."

The Griffs move into HarborCenter may be delayed a few weeks as construction finishes up, although the school said it already has a contingency plan with the Buffalo Sabres which would put games in First Niagara Center until the 1,800-seat HarborCenter arena opens at the end of October.

In the official release, coach Dave Smith echoed continuing gratitude for community support in growing college hockey in Western New York.

"We are thrilled with the commitment that NOCO has shown the Canisius hockey program,” Smith said. “Its contribution will go long a way in establishing the HarborCenter as one of the unique facilities in hockey and making our locker room state-of-the-art. We are excited to have NOCO be a part of this project and supporting Canisius hockey as we look to continue to elevate our program."

Both Canisius and Niagara are expected to release their schedules sometime in the next two weeks.

The boss is on vacation. So we asked Khalil Mack (@46Mack) to write MMQB. Here it is: http://t.co/5PaIAcLC9b

— The MMQB (@theMMQB) July 7, 2014

By Keith McShea

As you can see by the tweet above, University at Buffalo graduate Khalil Mack stepped in for the vacationing Peter King on this week's Monday Morning Quarterback column. 

Some short excerpts: 

• "Although it wasn’t a powerhouse program, I loved my time at Buffalo."
• "The NFL is a business. We know that as players, but the experience that hammered that home for me the most was the NFLPA Rookie Premiere. ... The demands and rewards of the business are tied together and it is amazing to see how many people are behind the scenes working every day to help connect us with our fans."

Mack even does his own version of King's "10 things I think I think," which included: 

"7. I think my first impression of Oakland was, “Wow, the weather out here is nice.” It’s a lot different from where I was in Buffalo."

Some of the best stuff in the entire article is the other entries in "10 things," including the first four, which focus on how he is adapting his game to the NFL with the help of Oakland veterans. 

"But I have to be careful what I say for my opponents who might read this."

Some links to News features on Mack:

• Bob DiCesare's Mack feature from The News' 2013 college football preview
• Jay Skurski's story on Mack's pro day (with VIDEO)
• Jay Skurski's draft preview story on Mack
• Jay Skurski's draft night story after the Raiders took Mack fifth overall 
• Photo gallery of Mack at the draft

UB's nonconference schedule includes a Big 4 home game against Niagara in Alumni Arena. (Harry Scull Jr./News file photo)

By Taylor Nigrelli

The University at Buffalo’s men’s basketball nonconference schedule will include two games against teams who were in the Final Four last year as well as a marquee Big 4 matchup downtown, the school announced today.

The Bulls will take on 2013-14’s national runner-up, Kentucky, on Nov. 16 as part of the Cawood Ledford Classic, a 10-day, multiple-team event.

UB will also travel to take on the Wisconsin Badgers, who lost to Kentucky in a Final Four matchup in April, on Dec. 28.

According to second-year coach Bobby Hurley, the program was looking for a more challenging non-conference slate after winning its first-ever outright Mid-American Conference East Division title in 2013-14.

"We wanted to challenge ourselves in the non-conference season and we certainly accomplished that," Hurley said in a statement. "These are the types of games that the guys we are recruiting expect to play each year as we move forward.”

For the second year in a row, the First Niagara Center will play host to UB and Canisius as the two will face off Nov. 29.

The Bulls will also take on Big Four rivals St. Bonaventure and Niagara University Dec. 3 and Dec. 19, respectively. UB will host the Purple Eagles and travel to take on the Bonnies.

UB will open the season Nov. 14 with a women’s and men’s doubleheader against South Dakota State as a make up for last year’s weather-related postponement.

The Cawood Ledford Classic includes road games for the Bulls against Texas-Arlington (Nov. 18) and Grand Canyon (Nov. 25) as well as a home game against Montana State (Nov. 21).

Other non-conference opponents include: Robert Morris (Dec. 7), Drexel (Dec. 16), Binghamton (Dec. 30) and Cornell (Jan. 3).

The Bulls will also host an exhibition against Wheeling Jesuit Nov. 6. The Mid-American Conference schedule is set to be released later this summer. Season tickets for Alumni Arena will go on sale July 21.

Here is a look at the Bulls' 2014-15 nonconference slate:

Niagara takes on the Cold Water Challenge. (courtesy Niagara sports information.)

by Amy Moritz

It started on Facebook as the cold water challenge -- friends challenging other friends to dunk themselves in icy cold water tied into contributions to various charities.

The Women's Basketball Coaches Association took the idea and created a bunch of summer fun on social media.

Coaches and players from around the country are challenging each other in the #ChillinForCharity to raise money for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.

Here's how it works: Coaches are challenged and they either have to be doused in cold water or donate $250 to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. If they take the challenge, the person who challenged them has to donate $50. After taking the challenge coaches then challenge someone else. Many of the videos have been posted on the WBCA website along with photos all over Twitter.

"The women's basketball community really comes together behind causes," Niagara coach Kendra Faustin said. "We very competitive on the court, but step away from the court and we're really very good at remembering we're a big community. And this was a lot of fun."

All the Big 4 women's basketball programs took part.

St. Bonaventure taking on the Cold Water Challenge. (@CoachAndiD)

HarborCenter President John Koelmel takes in the main hockey rink, which is taking shape, on June 25. (Derek Gee/Buffalo News)

By Amy Moritz

Today was a big day for HarborCenter. Five months after construction began the final beam of structural steel was swung into place to top off the parking ramp and rinks. Officials said HarborCenter would be ready to go at the end of October.

There's only one problem. College hockey season begins in early October, including home games for the Canisius College Golden Griffins. The program is scheduled to move into HarborCenter this season.

Ah, but no worries. Canisius athletic director Bill Maher said the school and the Buffalo Sabres had already planned for the possiblity of construction delays. Canisius has worked in partnernship with the Sabres for a smooth transition and early season games will be played in First Niagara Center should the rinks at HarborCenter not be ready when the Griffs drop the puck on the 2014-15 season.

Canisius will be releasing its season schedule as early as next week.

The last time regular season college hockey was played at First Niagara Center was Oct. 24-25, 2003, when Canisius, Niagara, New Hampshire and UMass-Lowell played in the Punch Imlach College Hockey Showcase.

by Amy Moritz

A new face will be behind the bench in Atlantic Hockey as David Berard was named the new head coach at Holy Cross today. He takes over the program after Paul Pearl resigned after 19 seasons to take the associate head coaching job at Harvard.

David Berard was named Holy Cross head coach. (www.goholycross.com)

Berard was a longtime assistant at Providence, his alma mater, and served as the interim head coach at the Connecticut for the majority of the 2012-2013 season. During that season the Huskies finished the year 10-3-2, sweeping Robert Morris in the Atlantic Hockey quarterfinal series before losing in the conference semifinals.

A 1992 graduate of Providence, he was a goaltender for the Friars with one of the most successful classes in that program's history. In his four-year career, the Friars won 87 games and twice qualified for the NCAA tournament.

The Crusaders went 11-13-3 in conference play this past season, 14-22-3 overall. The team won two Atlantic Hockey titles and advanced to the NCAA tournament in 2004 and 2006.

The Polisseni Center construction is nearly completed. (Democrat & Chronicle)

by Amy Moritz

While the Canisius hockey team is anxious to move into its new digs at HarborCenter this fall, RIT is getting ready to move into its brand spanking new hockey home as well.

The Polisseni Center on the school's Rochester campus is set to open in September to host both the Tigers' men's and women's hockey programs.

Democrat & Chronicle reporter Jim Mandelaro has an update on the construction, complete with a gallery of photos and video, of the new arena.

Polisseni Center will seat about 4,000, including 290 club seats and six luxery suites. Fans will have more choices from two concession stands along with 13 restrooms, 275 parking spaces outside the arena and a Barnes and Noble for all your RIT hockey merchandising needs.

The rink itself is also bigger -- 200 feet by 85 feet. That's considered regulation size but 15 feet longer than the 46-year old Ritter Arena.

The Atlantic Hockey schedule has not been released yet, so no word when Niagara and Canisius will have the opportunity to play in the new building.

by Amy Moritz

When Bentley scored the game-winning overtime goal against Canisius to take the first game of the Atlantic Hockey  playoff series, the Falcons were very much offsides. The officials missed the call, the play continued and the goal was scored.

The Golden Griffins came back to win the next two games eventually advancing to the Atlantic Hockey Championship game. But that missed offsides call, and a few others in key games over the last few years, is one of the reasons the NCAA Ice Hockey Rules Committee recommended changes to video replay which allowed for a play to be reviewed if an offsides or too many men penalty was missed and a goal was scored.

"It's an evolution to the rule and we've been a piece of that," Canisius coach Dave Smith.

The rest of the rule recommendations are sublte (see this post on SBNation for a good summary of the changes) and among them involve faceoff locations which favor the attacking team, both when the puck goes out of play and in calling a hand pass or high stick.

"The bottom line is that any time you can help try to create offense, it's a good thing," Niagara coach Dave Burkholder said. "We want to increase scoring."

Note that this year all Atlantic Hockey teams will be required to have video replay capabilities as per NCAA rules, although the availability of camera angles may differ from rink to rink.

The subtly of college hockey was in the news around the web this summer after coaches at their annual convention took up the topic of verbal commitments. The coaches have had an informal "gentleman's agreement" in which once a player makes a verbal commitment to a school, other coaches will stop recruiting him.

Some coaches, particularly at the bigger schools, would like that to change.

Here's what happens: A verbal commitment is made before a player can sign an NCAA National Letter of Intent. The verbal is non-binding and happens in every single NCAA sport.

College hockey, however, isn't just recruiting against other schools. It's recruiting against major junior hockey (see: Ontario Hockey League) which means the process extends to athletes at a younger age because once a player signs with a major junior team, he loses his amateur status in the eyes of the NCAA.

Two things tend to happen. The bigger schools stockpile verbal recruits, meaning they make non-binding verbal agreements with more players than they have available scholarships/roster spots. Since many hockey players will enroll at an older age (it's not uncommon to have a 21-year-old freshman on your college hockey roster), schools can push verbal commitments back, keeping a player tied to a school for a number of years before he even signs his letter of intent.

The second thing is that smaller or mid-major programs will hit the youth rinks to find talented players at a young age, recruit them hard and get them to verbally commit before the bigger schools find out about them. The big schools would love a chance to recruit those kids, only after the smaller schools have done the leg work to find them.

Both local coaches support halting the recruiting process once a player has made a verbal commitment.

"I support the verbal commitments and honoring those," Smith said. "I think it's important to have to maintain the integrity of college hockey. We're all in this together. If that young man made a commitment, I don't think he should deal with pressure to go some place else. It's all about what helps college hockey and all boats rise when the best kids decide to play college hockey."

"I'm a proponent of the verbal commitments," Burkholder said. "You're out there working hard and if you get a kid who you feel is right for your program and is a good fit and makes a verbal commitment, no one else should be able to recruit him. ... It's something that as a body we should be monitoring and then if it becomes an issue with some programs, hold them accountable."

By Bob DiCesare

Antoine Mason's announcement that he'll play his final season at Auburn is being portrayed nationally as a quality catch for new Tigers coach Bruce Pearl. Whether that proves true depends on if Mason, a 6-foot-3 guard with one season of eligibility remaining, makes a seamless transition from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, ranked No. 16 in the RPIs last season, to the SEC, ranked No. 7.

Mason averaged 25.6 points for Niagara last season, and that makes him the top returning scorer in the country. He pretty much had free reign as the Purple Eagles went young after coach Joe Miahlich left for Hofstra and three significant players transferred out. New coach Chris Casey gave him mega-minutes and rode the horse -- for better or worse. There weren't many other options at the offensive end.

Will Auburn grant Mason the same kind of freedom? And will his physical approach to offense remain effective against taller, stronger guards in the SEC?

Mason has always craved a challenge, whether it was coming back from the injury that ended his true freshman season or trying to carry his young teammates in the post-Mihalich upheaval. But despite his warrior-like attitude and his undeniable grittiness it's interesting that coaches left him off the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conferene first team after last season, going with five players instead of six even though Mason had been part of a six-man first team the season before.

Was that a commentary on his style? Does the demotion mean the coaches perceived his approach at exceedingly me-first? Maybe so. But there's no denying his offensive gifts.

That aside, Mason's departure was the best thing for Niagara moving forward. Casey can now build a program without deferring to one player. He can develop balance within the offense, something that wasn't going to happen so long as Mason was in uniform. This is a transfer situation that should prove best for all involved.

The Oakland Athletics selected Niagara University pitcher Jordan Schwartz in the fourth round of the 2014 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Friday.

Schwartz is a 6-foot-2 righty from Hornell, who was taken with the 132nd pick of the draft. He is the second highest drafted Purple Eagle in program history. Doug Farrell was picked in the second and third rounds of the 1971 and 72 drafts by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Schwartz is the sixth Niagara player drafted by an MLB squad since 2005. The others include  James Avery, Dan Griffin and Reed Eastley (2005), Jeff Vincent (2006), and Wynton Bernard (2012).

Schwartz was sort of like Niagara's version of Babe Ruth, playing the outfield when he wasn't pitching. On the mound, he led the Purple Eagles' staff with a 3.12 earned-run average in 14 starts and tossed five complete games. He led the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in strikeouts (109), while holding opponents to .217 batting average. He also made 38 starts in the outfield, batting .258 with three doubles, 20 RBIs and 132 runs scored.

"I am extremely proud of Jordan and few deserve it more than him,” Niagara head coach Rob McCoy said. “He worked extremely hard and made himself what he is today. He's a perfect example of what can be achieved when using trials and struggles to get stronger and tougher, instead of getting consumed by them. I look forward to him growing even more as a pro."

by Amy Moritz

The longest winning streak in the nation just kept roling on Friday as the Canisius Golden Griffins defeated Fairfield, 6-2, in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament at FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood, N.J.

It was the Griffs 18th straight win -- the longest streak in the country -- and their 40th overall. That's the second straight season, and third since 2008, that the Griffs have registered 40 wins.

The offense worked incrementally but again forcefully. Senior Jimmy Luppens reached base in all five plate appearances getting base twice via hit, twice via walk and once via hit by pitch. Sophomore Anthony Massicci was 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Junior Connor Panas reached base three times while senior Ronnie Bernick was 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Alex Godzak won his sixth straight start, giving up two runs (one earned) in 6 1/3 innings.

Iannick Remillard shut the door over the final 2 2/3 innings to pick up his second save of the season.

Canisius will play in the championship round Saturday. The schedule will be based on the results of the next two games of the tournament. The Griffs will defend their MAAC title against one of three remaining teams -- Siena, Monmouth or Fairfield.

by Amy Moritz

A sparkling performance from Mike Burke on the mound lifted the University at Buffalo to the Mid-American Conference semifinal round.

Burke threw a complete-game shutout as the Bulls defeated Miami (Ohio) 4-0 at All Pro Freight Stadium in Avon, Ohio Friday afternoon.

The Bulls (26-25) will face Akron at 9:30 Saturday needing to win twice in the double elimination tournament to bounce the Zips and move on to the championship round.

Burke scattered seven hits and striking out four to give him the program's modern era record of 78 strikeouts in a season. He threw 102 pitches, 75 of them for strikes in an effective outing.

But then again, Burke has played well in elimination games for the Bulls. The senior from Cleveland is 3-0 in MAC tournament games allowing just two earned runs in 26 innings pitched. All three wins were in elimination games.

Last year he threw eight shutout innings against Northern Illinois while in 2012 he gave up two runs in eight innings to Western Michigan. 

The Bulls rode the strength of Burke's arm, nursing a 1-0 lead it took in the first inning on a sacrifice fly from Tyler Mautner.

In the eighth, Matt Pollock had an RBI double and scored on an error by the Miami third baseman.

The Bulls added one more in the ninth on an RBI single from Brian Dudek.

Former Niagara Purple Eagle Vince Rocco played for Italy in the World Championships

by Amy Moritz

Each tournament is an opportunity for Vince Rocco to grow as a hockey player. After all, you learn a lot when you're lining up across from Jaromir Jagr in an international competition.

The results weren't what Rocco was hoping for, but the experience was invaluable. The former Niagara Purple Eagle was on his third national team for Italy, which went just 1-7 in the preliminary round at the IIHF World Championships in Belarus.

"I thought we had a good tournament," Rocco said via Skype. "It was the third time for me going to the World Championships so I knew what to expect. For a small hockey country like Italy, I thought we played well enough to stay up. Unfortunately we didn't get the bounces to go our way. All in all it wa sa great experience. Obviously you learn some valuable lessons at that level."

Rocco, a native of Woodbridge, Ontario, played at Niagara from 2005-09 and finished with 120 career points (46 goals, 74 assists) and captained the 2007-08 team that won the College Hockey America title and NCAA tournament berth.

He decided to play in Italy and after two seasons he fulfilled the residency requirement to get his Italian passport and become eligible for the national team.

"You have no idea what to expect and once you get over there you realize how good the hockey really is," Rocco said. "You don't realize that every team in Italy has 10 or 11 guys from Canada and America, guys who have played years in the American League or have NHL experience. It's really a good league to get in to."

After four years in Italy, Rocco moved to Sweden this past season, taking the opportunity to upgrade the level of league.

The opportunities overseas include a different type of hockey lifestyle. Teams typically play 40-60 games, more akin to a college schedule than a North American pro schedule, allowing for more time to explore nearby European cities.

The hockey itself is on a bigger ice surface and the while the game overall is faster, Rocco has found the quickness comes not so much in speed as in smarts.

"College hockey especially emphasises skating as fast as you can for short bursts of speed and playing with high energy all the time," Rocco said. "When you go to the pro game, it slows down a bit. Guys are smarter with the puck. You've got to read the game better and have more patience making plays. In college hockey, you don't have the time to do that.

"I'm still growing as a hockey player. I'm still learning. The World Championships help to realize, playing against guys like Jaromir Jagr, what it really means. I just learn every year and take little things from different players and teams to become a better player myself."

This World Championships, he also got to reunite with his former teammate and roommate, Dan Sullivan. The defenseman also went to Italy after finishing at Niagara in 2009 but made his first Italian national team this season. The native of Scarborough, Ontario had seven goals and 23 assists while at Niagara.

"Getting to play at this level with a guy I roomed with and played with for four years was really nice," Rocco said. "It was great to reminisce and play with him again."

Rocco will return to Canada on Saturday and decide over the summer where he will play next year.

 by Amy Moritz

The nation's longest winning streak extended to 17 as the Canisius Golden Griffins won its opening game of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament, 10-1, over Quinnipiac.

The Griffs fell behind, 1-0, at FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood, N.J., but a two run-home run from Jimmy Luppens in the bottom of the first gave Canisius a lead it would build on.

 Luppens finished by driving in four runs on three hits while Anthony Massicci drove in three runs on three hits.

It was the sixth straight game the Griffs have scored nine or more runs and 23rd time this season as they improved to 39-14.

Rohn Pierce gave up just one run — in the first inning — and finished with three strikeouts and three hits in six innings throwing just 70 pitches

Canisius plays at noon on Friday against the winner of today’s game between Fairfield and Siena.

by Amy Moritz

Antoine Mason has been granted permission to pursue other options, Niagara University announced this evening.

The guard from Queens has one year of NCAA eligibility remaining. He started three games as a freshman before a foot injury took him out of the lineup for the rest of the season. Mason took a medical redshirt.

He earned his bachelor's degree in finance earlier this month and has one more year to play Division I basketball while pursuing his master's degree.

Mason finishes as the third all-time leading scorer in Niagara history with 1,943 points.

"I know Antoine enjoyed playing here and I'm sure this was a difficult decision for him and his family," Niagara coach Chris Casey said in a press release. "Antoine played a big role in our basketball program for the past four years and we are proud that he earned his bachelor's degree from Niagara University. Now it is time to for us to move forward with the players who are committed to continuing the tremendous legacy of the Niagara University Purple Eagles."

News Staff Report

St. Bonaventure announced today that it will break ground this week on a $2 million renovation to its McGraw-Jennings Athletics fields complex.

The field that is home to the Bonnies’ men’s and women’s soccer and women’s lacrosse teams will be converted to an artificial playing surface manufactured by A-Turf of Cheektowaga, while lights will also be installed among other upgrades. 

Construction is scheduled to take approximately three months and is expected to be completed in time for the start of the Bonnies’ soccer seasons in August. While work is expected to begin this week, a groundbreaking ceremony will be held on Saturday, June 7, at 3 p.m. during Alumni Reunion.

The project was funded by a lead gift of $1 million from Tom (1980 Bona grad) and Michelle Marra.

St. Bonaventure Director of Athletics Steve Watson said in a release that this was the first phase. “The renovation of the softball field is necessary," he said, "and I am confident that many loyal Bonnies alumni and fans will help us make that a reality as well.”

This project will be the first major upgrade to St. Bonaventure’s outdoor facilities since the baseball field was converted to artificial turf in 2006, which also was funded by a gift from Tom Marra.

News Staff Report

The University at Buffalo baseball program won its Mid-American Conference tournament opener for the first time Wednesday morning in the opening game of this year's tournament at All Pro Freight Stadium in Avon, Ohio. 

Sixth-seeded UB (25-24) knocked off third-seeded Miami (Ohio), 6-5, thanks to 15 hits against a Miami team (29-26) which won the MAC East title in the regular season. It is the first time in three attempts that UB has won its MAC opener.

Senior Kevin Hughes, a Starpoint graduate, pitched into the ninth to earn his fifth win. Hughes, a sixth-year senior, struck out six and walked one during a 126-pitch effort.

All nine UB batters had at least one hit, with senior Mike Burke going 3-for-5 and senior Thomas Richards, sophomore Kyle Brennan and freshman Brian Dudek (St. Mary's/Lanc.) each adding two. The lower part of the UB lineup (Nos. 5-9) had 10 of the team's 15 hits.

UB advances in the winner's bracket of the double-elimination tournament and will play at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

The Bulls' opponent will be either second-seeded Central Michigan (Bulls were 1-2 against the Chippewas in the regular season) or seventh-seeded Akron (Bulls swept the Zips, 3-0). CMU and Akron play at 8 p.m. Wednesday.

UB rebounded from Miami's two-run first inning to take a 5-2 lead through 4-1/2 innings against Miami left-hander Seth Varner, who earned conference Pitcher of the Year honors after striking out 111 batters in 97.1 innings and notching seven wins in the regular season.

Varner struck out the side in the first, but UB tied the game on RBI singles by senior Jimmy Topps and sophomore Nick Sinay in the second. In the third, a bases-loaded chopper by senior Mike Scarcello (Bishop Timon-St. Jude) drove in two for a 4-2 lead. Brennan added a home run, his second of the season, over the left field fence in the fifth for UB's 5-2 lead.  

Miami cut the lead to 5-4 in the bottom of the fifth and UB would take that lead to the ninth. 

UB got a key insurance run for a 6-4 lead when sophomore Tyler Mautner doubled with one out and was driven in on a two-out single by Richards.

Miami cut the lead to one on a sacrifice fly against redshirt freshman Mike Kaelin (Maryvale), who relieved Hughes with one out. With the tying run on base, Kaelin got a fly ball to end the game.

By Bob DiCesare

Simon Gray, a ninth-year athletic administrator at Eastern Kentucky, was introduced as the new athletic director at Niagara during a news conference this morning at the university.

Gray, a Pittsburgh native, became EKUs senior associate athletic director in 2011, according to his biography on the school Web site. It says that he served as senior administrator for men's and women's basketball while also acting in a variety of other capacities.

"We are very excited to welcome Simon Gray to Niagara University to lead the Purple Eagles," Rev. James J. Maher, C.M., university president, said in a news release. "His experience as an athletic administrator and his commitment to the university's mission will be critical elements in the continued success of our athletic department. He will be a great asset to our student-athletes, and our entire athletic department, and his positive impact will be felt in the Western New York community and beyond."

Steve Butler had served as Niagara's interim AD since Tom Crowley was removed from the post in September of 2013 after just 11 months on the job. Niagara named Chris Casey to replace the departed Joe Mihalich as basketball coach during Crowley's tenure, but it's unclear whether Crowley played a significant role in that hiring. Crowley has since been hired as special assistant to the commissioner in the Horizon League.

Butler was promoted to interim AD from his role of Associate AD for External Relations. Butler has been at Niagara since May of 2009.

Gray graduated from Richmond in 1998, according to his EKU bio, and worked in media relations at Boston College and East Tennessee State before becoming director of athletic public relations at Richmond. He joined EKU's athletic administration four years later and earned a master's degree in sports administration in 2010.

"Niagara University has such a strong history of athletic achievement." Gray said in the release announcing his appointment. "I am thrilled to be coming to NU and I look forward to being a part in the continued success of the Purple Eagles. This is a great opportunity and I look forward to working with people on campus, and in the local and regional communities, to spread the great name of Niagara athletics."

Ben Danford signed to play next season in France. (buffalonews.com)

by Amy Moritz

It's a big weekend for Ben Danford what with his graduation from Canisius College and his birthday wrapped into one neat celebration. Friends and family members stumped for a gift might want to look at English-French phrase books or perhaps an edition or two of Lonely Planet tour guides.

Danford became the first member of the Ice Griffs class of 2014 to secure a hockey job next year, signing with Strasbourg of France's Ligue Magnus.

"I've never been to Europe and this is a good opportunity to not only play hockey but to see the world," Danford said. "I think looking back when I'm older I won't regret the decision."

A native of Stillwater, Minn., Danford's 74 assists are the most in program history by a defenseman while his 84 points rank second. A Third-Team All-Atlantic Hockey selection he was named the Griffs' most valuable player this season.

After Canisius lost in the Atlantic Hockey championship game, Danford signed an amateur tryout contract with the Manchester Monarchs with the AHL. He played in three games before injuring knee -- an irony after Danford went his entire four year collegiate career without missing one game. That's a 158-game streak, the 13th-longest streak in NCAA history.

Danford said he never expected to have an AHL opportunity this season and while he could have tried the pro hockey route in North America and attempt to make a club out of a fall training camp, he opted for the opportunity in France.

"In the long run, this is a better fit for me," Danford said. "I think with my age and where I stand in my game right now, it just suits me better."

As far as the knee, a strained ligament from an awkward hit, he has been working his first real round of rehabilitation in his hockey career.

"I've been working out regularly and lifting the same amount of weight I did before the injury," Danford said. "It's back to normal and I can start skating soon.

"I've been very lucky in college and even in my youth years, I never had any injury that put me out this long a time. It was always just minor things here and there. This is the first time I've experienced anything like this. It's not easy. But I stayed diligent and kept working on it. The knee is stronger and feels good now."

Danford will graduate from Canisius with a degree in management on Saturday -- the same day he turns 25. He will have two months before he packs and heads over to France for training camp in August.

"It really hasn't all hit me yet," Danford said. "Once I start packing I'll probably have a huge culture shock."

The culture shock will be eased slightly by his former teammate and roommate Preston Shupe who will join Danford on the Strasbourg team. Shupe, who graduated from Canisius in 2013, played this past season with the Columbus (Georgia) Cottonmouths in the Southern Professional Hockey League.

"We pretty much signed at the same time and it was a bit of a package deal for us to go to the same team," Danford said. "We talked it over with each other and thought this opportunity was the best for fit for us.

"They start up in the beginning of August and the exhibition games start soon after that. The season runs from late August through earlier April so it's a little earlier than North America. They play a lot less games which makes it attractive and easier on the body. They play a little more than 40 games so it's similar to a college season."

by Amy Moritz

Final exams are wrapping up and Canisius College said a final farewell to the 2013-14 season by announcing its team award winners.

Senior defenseman Ben Danford was named the Ice Griffs Most Valuable Player. He's just the third defenseman in the Division I era to earn the honor. Danford set a career this season with 27 points (five goals, 22 assists). During his four year career he played in every game -- 158 straight games. He set the program's DI record for most assists by a defenseman with 74. He also became the first player in program history to be named the team's Top Defenseman for four straight years.

Senior Kyle Gibbons was named the team's Top Forward for the second straight year. He led the Griffs with 38 points (15 goals, 23 assists) and finished his career ranked fourth in program history with 130 points and second (to Cory Conacher) with 57 goals.

Freshman forward Shane Conacher earned the team's Rookie of the Year award. He ranked 20th nationally among rookies with 0.72 points per game after collecting 23 points (six goals, 17 assists). His best hockey came in the Atlantic Hockey Playoffs where he had eight points (three goals, five assists) in seven games.

Junior Braeden Rigney keeps getting better and better, winning the team's Most Improved Player Award for the second time. He had 14 points with nine goals this season after recording 11 points with three goals in his first two seasons combined.

Senior captain Ryan Bohrer received the Dr. David B. Dietz Award which goes to a player for his dedication to athletics and academics. Bohrer has a 3.979 grade point average and played in all 41 games this season.

Senior forward Patrick Sullivan, a native of Derby, was named the team's unsung hero with the Tom Chapman Memorial Award. Playing in all 41 games he had 24 points (13 goals, 11 assists).

Junior goaltender Keegan Asmundson received the team's Community Outreach Award for his work in off-ice community service programs. 

By Rodney McKissic

Reggie Witherspoon, the former University at Buffalo coach, has resurfaced at Alabama where he will assist Anthony Grant, The News has learned.

Witherspoon, who was fired at UB in 2013 after 14 seasons at the school, did not coach during the 2013-14 season. A source said Witherspoon attended the King James Shooting Stars AAU tournament last weekend in Akron, Ohio, apparently evaluating prospects for the Crimson Tide.

Witherspoon held a news conference at his home this afternoon.

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Photo gallery: Reggie Witherspoon through the years

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Alabama finished 13-19 overall and 7-11 in the SEC under Grant, who is entering his sixth season with the program.

Last summer, Witherspoon was prepared to accept an athletic administrative position at Erie Community College until a contract dispute between Witherspoon and UB couldn’t be resolved. Witherspoon was hesitant to commit to the job given UB’s stance that doing so would relieve the university of its remaining financial obligation to him. He had two years remaining on his deal with UB, which apparently is off the hook with Witherspoon now that he’s headed to Alabama.

by Amy Moritz

The ink is dry on the National Letters of Intent and Canisius hockey officially announced that four more players will be joining the Golden Griffins next season.

Forwards David Parrottino and Mike Sabatini, defenseman David Bennett and goalie Reilly Turner were formally announced by the program on Friday.

"Our program is excited about the entire incoming class," Canisius coach Dave Smith said. "We feel this class brings players who are great teammates with a lot of on-ice skill and off-ice character. It is a diverse group  that will have the opportunity to make an immediate difference in our lineup."

A quick look at the incoming class:

• Parrottino played in 56 games for the Lincoln Stars of the USHL this past season, finishing with 32 points (nine goals, 23 assists). Parrottino is a native of Rochester Hills, Mich., and is a teammate of defenseman Zack Pittman, who signed his letter of intent to join the Griffs in November.
• Sabatini was named the team MVP of the Soo Eagles of the NAHL after leading the squad with 41 points (19 goals, 22 assists). A native of Grosse Point Woods, Mich., he was selected to the 2014 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament.
• Bennett, a native of Ottawa, Ontario, was a second-team CCHL All-Star with the Cumberland Grads. He ranked sixth in the league in scoring among defenders (37 points, 11 goals, 26 assists).
• Turner was a teammate of Bennett's with the Cumberland Grads. The Temiscaming, Quebec native posted a .909 save percentage and a 3.24 goals against in 44 games.

The four join a freshman class that includes Pittman, forwards Jeff Murray, Ryan Schmeizer and Nolan Sheeran who signed in the fall.

Tony Capobianco picked up his first pro win. (phantomshockey.com)

by Amy Moritz

The first intermission was almost over and Adirondack's starting goaltender Carsen Chubak was still in the training room with an undisclosed injury. The Phantoms needed someone to lead them out onto the ice and, oh yeah, take the net.

Hey, Tony Capobianco. You're up.

The former Canisius College goalie saw his first action in the American Hockey League Wednesday night and picked up his first professional win as the Phantoms defeated the Syracuse Crunch, 5-4, in a shootout in Onondaga County War Memorial Arena.

Capobianco had just signed an amateur tryout contract with the Phantoms over the weekend as injuries in the Philadelphia Flyers organization had a trickle-down effect. (Buffalo Sabres fans, you know the drill.) He had originally signed a contract with Elmira of the East Coast Hockey League after the Golden Griffins' season ended in the Atlantic Hockey championship game. He played in two games for the Jackals but the team ended up with a glut of goalies and Capobianco was released.

When his agent called with the opportunity from Adirondack, he jumped on it, although he wasn't expecting to jump into his first game quite like that.

"The first shot was a breakaway and I made the save. That helped my confidence," Capobianco said. "The second shot was a breakaway and they scored on it. I thought, 'This will be interesting if this is the way it's going to go.' The guys played well in front of me and helped me settle down."

Capobianco gave up two goals in the third period, the second one which he would like back. The Phantoms tied the game and after a scoreless overtime it went to a shootout -- which lasted nine rounds.

The last time Capobianco participated in a shootout?

"I can't even remember it but it had to be juniors," he said. "The guys on the bench were laughing about it, that it was my first game and I was throw into a shootout. I only had two or three skates with the team before the game and I never took any breakaways or shootouts with them. I aksed the ref about the rules for skating from the crease, touching the puck. I didn't want to make a rookie mistake and look foolish."

The shootout went back and forth with Capobianco making the final two saves to earn the win.

The Phantoms, who did not qualify for the AHL playoffs, have two games left in the season. Capobianco isn't sure if he'll get a call back into the net or if Chubak will return.

The two goalies and former rivals are now actually roommates. Chubak stared for Niagara in the 2012-13 season winning Atlantic Hockey Player of the Year. He left school last year after his junior season to pursue pro hockey opportunities.

Capobianco stayed for his senior season and became the most decorated goaltender in Canisius College history (seriously, if you need a reminder, revisit gogriffs.com).

The two have plenty to talk about.

"We talked about last year and playing against each other and other guys in the league," Capobianco said. "I'm rooming with him for the rest of my stay here. We have some common ground to talk some Atlantic Hockey."

The highlight package features the goals, so not exactly Capo at his best, but does finish with his game-winning stop in the shootout.

Shane Conacher was named Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Month. (gogriffs.com)

by Amy Moritz

Shane Conacher finished his freshman season at Canisius College with some incredibly strong performances in the playoffs. Hence, he caps off the season being named Atlantic Hockey's Rookie of the Month.

Not a bad way to end the year after a bad luck start. Conacher missed nine games after his jaw was broken in the season opener at Niagara.

He found his stride as the season progressed and came into his own in seven post season games where he posted eight points (three goals, five assists) and was a plus-8.

His first career game-winning goal came in his first collegiate playoff game as the Golden Griffins swept Sacred Heart int he first round.

He was instrumental in the Griffs' third-period rally in an elimination game second-seeded Bentley. He had three points, a goal and two assists, as the Griffs rallied from a 4-1 deficit for a dramatic 5-4 double-overtime win in Game 2. He then picked up an assist on the game-winning goal in the decisive Game 3.

At the Atlantic Hockey Final Four in Rochester, he had two assists in the semifinal win over top-seeded Mercyhurst and scored a third-period goal against Robert Morris in the title game.

Conacher finished his rookie season with 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) in 32 games.

By Rodney McKissic

Add two more names to the ever expanding transfer list: St. Bonaventure's Matthias Runs and Jean Yves Toupane who the school announced will not return to the program.

These aren’t huge losses. Runs, a 7-foot sophomore center from Hilversum, Netherlands, played in just two games while Toupane, a 6-foot-7 forward from Dakar, Senegal, played in six and scored four points.

The only other Big 4 player who has elected to transfer thus far is Niagara's Tajere McCall.