Canisus College Rallies to Tie No. 17 St. Cloud State

Courtesy of Canisius Sports Information

St. Cloud, Minn. - The Canisius College hockey team scored the final three goals of the game to rally and tie nationally-ranked St. Cloud, 3-3 on Saturday night. The Griffs' tie against the 17th-ranked team in the country was the first time that Canisius has either won or tied against a nationally-ranked opponent in school history.

"It was a terrific tie that feels like a win because of the energy and passion that was spent during the last two periods," said Canisius head coach Dave Smith. "Our strength and conditioning got better and we felt stronger as a team as the game progressed."

Senior Bryce Luker (Rigaud, Quebec) anchored the Canisius rally, stopping 43 shots in goal. His 43 saves are his best in a Canisius uniform and only four short of his career high. Luker posted 47 saves in 2003 as member of the Michigan Tech hockey team, also against St. Cloud State.

"Bryce Luker was outstanding in the net," Smith said. "He gave us a chance to hang around and get a result from this game."

Three different players tallied goals for the Griffs. Senior David Kasch (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario) and sophomores Dave Cianfrini (Dundas, Ontario) and Chris Forsman (Powell River, British Columbia) all posted goals to lead the Griffs rally.

St. Cloud State started the game strongly, scoring the first three goals of the game. Craig Gaudet scored 3:40 into the contest and Nate Dey added a power-play goal 2:29 later. Tony Mosey rounded out the scoring for the Huskies, scoring the team's third goal of the evening 4:08 into the second period.

Despite being in a three-goal hole against a nationally-ranked opponent, Canisius did not back down. The first Griffs' goal of the season came midway through the second period. Forsman found the back of the net from right in front of the goal at the 9:44 mark. Sophomore Josh Heidinger (Buffalo, N.Y.) and freshman Derek Danowski (Warren, Mich.) recorded the assists on the score. It was the first-career point for Danowski.

Canisius struck with two early goals in the third period to knot the game. Sophomore Carl Hudson (Smooth Rock Falls, Ontario) found a wide-open Kasch 3:21 into the period to bring the Griffs within one. Freshman Pat Kenney (Amherst, N.Y.) also posted an assist on the score, recording his first collegiate point.

Before the two teams could blink, the Griffs added another goal to tie the game. Cianfrini took advantage of a poor Husky clear and fired the puck in for his first goal of the season.

After the Griffs tied the game, Luker continued to make a number of outstanding saves in the third period and overtime to help the Griffs record the tie. For the game, St. Cloud State outshot Canisius, 46-13.

"It was a gritty and determined performance to get a tie," Smith said. "It shows us how hard it is and what we need to do to be successful at this level."

The Canisius penalty kill unit excelled on the evening. The Griffs killed 10-of-11 Husky power plays, including the last 10. St. Cloud State also used an extra attacker for a period of time but still could not get the puck past Luker. Canisius went 0-for-5 on its power play attempts.

The Griffs return to the ice on Friday, squaring off against Alabama-Huntsville at the Mutual of Omaha Stampede. Game time is set for 5 p.m. ET in Omaha, Neb.

Game Notes: The Griffs entered the game 0-11-0 all-time against ranked opponents ... The three goals that Canisius scored are tied for the most by the Griffs against a ranked opponent ... Canisius also scored three goals against No. 2 Maine in 1999.