Canisius and Niagara To Host Annual Xerox Punch Imlach College Hockey Showcase

July 11, 2003

Hosts Canisius and Niagara join national runner-up New Hampshire and UMass Lowell in annual event at HSBC Arena.

BUFFALO, N.Y. - The Canisius College and Niagara University men’s hockey teams will host NCAA Division I national runner-up University of New Hampshire and the University of Massachusetts-Lowell in the Xerox Punch Imlach College Hockey Showcase, which will be held at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, N.Y., Oct. 24 and 25. It will be the second consecutive year that the Showcase will be a four-team, two-day affair.

On Friday, Oct. 24, Niagara will battle former Purple Eagle head coach Blaise MacDonald and UMass Lowell in the opening game at 5 p.m. Canisius will host New Hampshire in the nightcap at 8 p.m. The visiting teams will switch opponents Sat., Oct. 25, with Niagara and New Hampshire taking the ice at 4 p.m. and the Golden Griffins closing the tournament against UMass Lowell at 7 p.m. Tickets will be on sale to the general public at the end of August.

"After hosting the NCAA Frozen Four in April, we hope that the people of Western New York remain excited about the high level of action found in college hockey," said Timothy J. Dillon, Canisius' director of athletics and a member of the NCAA Division I Ice Hockey Committee. "We are bringing back New Hampshire, a team that had a fantastic showing at the Frozen Four, and UMass Lowell, a program out of Hockey East that plays one of the toughest schedules in the country each year. Those two programs combined with Canisius and Niagara will provide hockey fans in the area with four exciting games."

"HSBC Arena and the Buffalo Sabres have been a tremendous asset to college hockey," said Mike Hermann, Niagara’s director of athletics. "It will be terrific for our fans and players to experience a top-notch NHL facility throughout this exciting weekend."

New Hampshire finished the 2002-03 season with a 28-8-6 overall record and was the co-champion of Hockey East with a 15-5-4 conference mark. The Wildcats defeated Cornell 3-2 in the national semifinals at HSBC Arena April 10, before falling to Minnesota 5-1 in the national championship two days later. Head coach Dick Umile returns to Buffalo with senior goalie and 2003 USA Hockey Player of the Year Mike Ayers, who finished with a 27-8-6 record last season and posted a 2.18 GAA and a .926 save percentage.

Mass.-Lowell, also a member of Hockey East, finished the 2002-03 season with an 11-20-5 overall mark and a 4-16-4 record in the league. The Riverhawks will be looking to improve on those marks with a roster filled with a majority of sophomores and juniors who gained valuable experience in the rigors of Hockey East action.

"It’s great to be back as a part of this annual tournament to showcase the high level of college hockey in Western New York," said Canisius head coach Brian Cavanaugh. "To be part of an event with the national runner-up New Hampshire and an up-and-coming program in Lowell is a great boost to the non-conference schedule that will prepare us for a challenging season in Atlantic Hockey."

"Our program is very excited to add these two quality opponents to our already competitive schedule," said Niagara head coach Dave Burkholder. "Playing against UNH and Lowell at the HSBC Arena will generate a great deal of exposure for Niagara University and college hockey in Western New York."

Canisius, a member of Atlantic Hockey, which recently formed after all nine teams from the MAAC Hockey League left to start their own conference, advanced to the MAAC playoffs in all five years since moving to Division I hockey in 1998-99. The Golden Griffins return 21 letter winners from a 12-21-4 squad a season ago. Niagara, out of College Hockey America, finished 15-17-5 last season and will return 24 letter winners, including senior Joe Talleri who finished 11th in the country in points (55) and ninth in goals scored (26). The Purple Eagles finished strong in the second half on the season, compiling a 10-2-2 mark in their final 14 games and finishing second in the CHA regular season.

Canisius, Niagara, and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference co-hosted the 2003 NCAA Frozen Four this past year at the HSBC Arena.