November 30th, 2023
Ice Hockey Splits Weekend Series with Falcons, Earn Points in Both Games
Written by: Andrew Nowel
The Canisius Golden Griffins ice hockey team refocused their attention back to the ice after a well-deserved Thanksgiving. The Golden Griffins were coming off a huge 5-1 victory over the Robert Morris Colonials and entered last weekend with high expectations, but the Air Force Falcons weren’t going to get swept easily. After a 3-1 victory for the Golden Griffins on Friday, the Falcons won in a shootout on Saturday to split the weekend series.
The 1st period of Friday’s game was dominated by the Falcons as they struck 1st on the power-play with 3:53 left in the period. The Golden Griffins didn’t take long to answer as the game hit the 2nd period. Only 2 minutes into the period, Freshman defenseman Jack Budd scored his 1st goal of the season to tie the game at 1. Senior forward Randy Hernandez earned his 5th assist of the season while Sophomore forward Grant Porter earned his 3rd assist of the season on Budd’s goal.
It wouldn’t take long for the Golden Griffins to take the lead in the game as just over 2 minutes later, Junior forward Matt Vermaeten scored his 4th goal of the season to give the Golden Griffins a 2-1 lead in the game. The goal was a short-handed goal, and it was unassisted. The Golden Griffins finished the game off with an empty-net goal by none other than Freshman forward Matteo Giampa, scoring his 9th goal of the season. Graduate Student defenseman David Melaragni earned his 4th assist on the goal that gave the Golden Griffins a 3-1 victory and their 4th win of the season.
The Golden Griffins entered Saturday with a lot of confidence, and it showed early on. The Golden Griffins scored the first 2 goals of the game and led 2-0 at the 2nd intermission. Senior forward Kyle Haskins got the scoring started in the 1st period with his 2nd goal of the season, assisted by Graduate Student forward Erik Urbank, his 5th, and Senior forward Cooper Haar, his 2nd. Porter added to the Golden Griffins 1-0 lead with his 1st of the season during the 2nd period with the assists being awarded to Vermaeten, his 1st, and Hernandez, his 6th.
The Falcons weren’t going to let the Golden Griffins skate all over them as they would tie the game with 2 goals in the 3rd period. The 2nd goal came with 42 seconds left to play in regulation. This frustrated the Golden Griffins, but they couldn’t find the counter and the game would end in a 2-2 tie with the Falcons outsourcing the Golden Griffins 1-0 in the shootout.
The Golden Griffins were disappointed to not come away with the 2 wins against the Falcons and keep their winning streak going, but Head Coach Trevor Large and his players know that they have to refocus for this week. The Golden Griffins will host the Mercyhurst Lakers tomorrow at 7 PM.
Stats for the Air Force series
Golden Griffins- 39 shots, +19 rating, 42% faceoffs, 34 penalty minutes, and 48 blocks.
Senior goalie David Fessenden had 65 saves with 3 goals against in total through both games.
Falcons- 67 shots, -20 rating, 58% faceoffs, 33 penalty minutes, and 25 blocks.
The Falcons Junior goalie had 34 saves with 4 goals against in total through both games.
November 29th, 2023
Men’s Lacrosse Closes Out Fall Prep, Excited For New Season Only Months Away
Written by: Andrew Nowel
The Canisius Golden Griffins men’s lacrosse team is winding down their fall training as the 1st semester of the 2023-2024 academic year winds down in the next couple of weeks. Team chemistry and togetherness are 2 big reasons why Head Coach Mark Miyashita knows this team will be successful as the new season fastly approaches.
Everyone on the team has put in the work this fall to show Coach Miyashita and his coaching staff that the team is ready for the challenges that will come up in only a couple of months.
“A lot of good work across the board from Seniors all the way down to Freshman, and right now we’re just trying to get everyone back healthy,” said Coach Miyashita this afternoon. “Going into the season, our expectation is to close the gap and come up on the winning side of some of those short 1, 2, and 3-goal losses that we had last season.”
The Seniors and Juniors on the team did a really good job during this fall prep to bring the team together, Coach Miyashita explained.
“They’ve really taken the owness of being responsible for each other,” said Coach Miyashita. “Whether that was organizing their own community service activities or wanting to come in and watch some extra film, they’ve just been really proactive as a group. We’ve been spending some more time on the mental skills training side of things as well, and hopefully all these things start to pay dividends once we hit the spring.”
Coach Miyashita enters his 7th season as the head coach of the team, and he is very proud of what he is seeing from the upperclassmen, not just the captains, Junior Patrick Mitchell and Seniors Jackson Webster, Erik Allen, and Jacob Pahnke, but the upperclassmen as a whole.
“They’re learning to be leaders,” said Coach Miyashita. “When you’re leading your peers, guys you are close with, living with, and going to class with, it’s understanding that being a good teammate is tough. Being a leader is difficult because sometimes you have to have difficult conversations with guys if they’re not doing the right things to benefit the team.”
The Golden Griffins are ready to take the field in February, and though the official schedule hasn’t been released yet, the Golden Griffins look to keep hanging out with one another to bond friendships that will last a lifetime and build up a program in a university that matures people into leaders.
November 27th, 2023
Women’s Basketball Falls to Fighting Illini 90-58
Written by: Andrew Nowel
The Canisius Golden Griffins traveled to Champaign, Illinois to match up against the Illinois Fighting Illini yesterday afternoon. This wouldn’t be an easy game for the Golden Griffins to win, and it showed how good the Fighting Illini were when they won the game 90-58. The Illini stayed out of foul trouble and caused the Golden Griffins to turn over the ball 20 times as well as outsourcing the Golden Griffins in all 4 quarters.
The Fighting Illini outscored the Golden Griffins 23-11 in the 1st quarter which the Fighting Illini’s extended by 7 during the 2nd quarter. The Fighting Illini led 50-31 at the half, creating scoring chances left and right. They made 13 of their 15 free throws while the Golden Griffins only earned 3 free throws, making 2 of them.
Sophomore forward Sisi Eleko made both of the 2 made free throws in the 1st half as well as finishing the game as the lead scorer on the Golden Griffins. With 13 points and a team leading 6 rebounds, Eleko continued her dominant Sophomore season even though the team struggled.
The Golden Griffins struggled to score coming out of halftime. The Fighting Illini outscored them 23-12 in the 3rd quarter, taking a 30-point lead into the final quarter. They would win the game 90-58 as the Golden Griffins nearly won the 4th quarter, but the Fighting Illini outscored them 17-15 in the final quarter.
Foul trouble was a big reason for the Golden Griffins struggle as Eleko took 5 personal fouls, holding her to only 21 minutes while Sophomore forward Adrien LaMora also took 5 personal fouls and only played 19 minutes. Sophomore guard Brooklyn Thrash stepped up in this game with 10 points, a rebound, and an assist, playing 30 minutes, the 2nd most of the team to Graduate Student guard Grace Heeps’ 37 minutes.
After the game, Golden Griffins Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh commented on the loss and how she thought the team played overall. The Golden Griffins also were facing a very familiar face as the Fighting Illini head coach, Shauna Green, leads the women’s basketball program in points with 2,012 all-time.
“Wish we wouldn’t have turned over the ball as much, I think we spotted them quite a few points, and I think we could have done a better job of making them earn their points,” said Coach Nusseibeh. “It’s a great experience as I said before the game in the huddle; this is why you play the game. You play the game to play the game in arenas like this, in front of crowds like this, against programs like this. Coach Shauna, our all-time leading scorer, is the head coach of Illinois women’s basketball, and she’s doing a phenomenal job, so I think it was an incredible experience for our Griffs to play against one of the greatest Griffs to ever come through our program.”
The Golden Griffins will travel to Olean, New York on Thursday to face the St. Bonaventure Bonnies with tipoff at 7 PM.
Stats for the game
Golden Griffins- 58 points, 29 rebounds, 20 turnovers, 1 block, 3 steals, 37.9% FG, 37.0% 3PT, and 80.0% FT.
Fighting Illini- 90 points, 39 rebounds, 7 turnovers, 5 blocks, 11 steals, 50.0% FG, 15.8% 3PT, and 85.2% FT.
November 26th, 2023
Men’s Basketball Concludes Holiday Tournament with 2-1 Record
Written by: Andrew Nowel
The Canisius Golden Griffins men’s basketball team went into the 2023 Northern Classic, a tournament that is always played during the Thanksgiving weekend, with a 2-2 record, looking to improve and defeat a couple of strong opponents. The Golden Griffins won on Friday against the Wofford Terriers 76-67 to begin the tournament with a victory and continued the momentum into Saturday with a 85-77 victory over the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. The perfect 3-0 record would be stopped by a close 77-73 loss to the Bowling Green Falcons this afternoon, ending the tournament with a 2-1 record for the Golden Griffins while also improving the Golden Griffins overall record to 4-3 on the season.
The Golden Griffins were still without Sophomore guard Tahj Staveskie as they entered their game on Friday against the Terriers. They didn’t shoot as well as they would have liked, but the Golden Griffins played amazing defensively to give them a 36-21 halftime lead. The 15-point lead would hold as the Terriers’ comeback was cut short, and the Golden Griffins won 76-67 to begin the tournament. Senior guard Siem Uijtendaal played a key role in the defensive success as he earned 7 steals with a block and 9 rebounds as well as 19 points offensively.
Saturday’s game against the Hilltoppers was a closer 1st half as the Hilltoppers led at halftime, 37-33. The Golden Griffins exploded with offensive chances in the 2nd half as they outscored the Hilltoppers 52-40 in the half, winning the game 85-77. The Golden Griffins defense came up clutch in the final minutes as blocks and steals would help boost them to the victory. Junior forward Frank Mitchell had another great game with 17 points and 16 rebounds.
With 2 wins in the bag for the Golden Griffins, they were feeling confident heading into their final game of the tournament this afternoon. The Falcons had a 38-37 halftime lead, but the Golden Griffins knew what they had to do. However, the Falcons didn’t let the Golden Griffins offense get going as they shut them down to take a 77-73 victory. The main reason was that the Falcons didn’t foul the Golden Griffins. The Golden Griffins only had 3 free throws in the entire game which allowed the Falcons to stay out of foul trouble and not give the Golden Griffins chances to earn extra points. Mitchell earned 19 points with 3 blocks while Junior guard Tre Dinkins earned 16 points and 7 assists.
Golden Griffins Head Coach Reggie Witherspoon commented about the win over the Hilltoppers and how big it is for the guys to earn that win against a very good team.
“This is a really good team; it’s been a really good team over the years, and I told them to just battle through the adversity,” said Coach Witherspoon on Saturday. “I think [this win] gives them a vision of what could happen if they all pull together and no one cares who gets the credit. It’s an old saying, but it’s very difficult to arrive at that spirit and that unity.”
Coach Witherspoon commented after today’s loss on the loss and how it was hard fought by his team.
“I think our guys really fought hard, the whole game,” said Coach Witherspoon. “They battled a really good team, and we were in a position where we could have won it in the end. To come in on the 3rd night and only have 6 turnovers shows how it was a hard fought game.”
The Golden Griffins will return home to open MAAC play against the Quinnipiac Bobcats on Friday at 7 PM.
Stats for the weekend
Golden Griffins (total for weekend)- 234 points, 108 rebounds, 31 turnovers, 12 blocks, 22 steals, 43.2% FG, 36.1% 3PT, and 71.4% FT.
Terriers (on Friday)- 67 points, 45 rebounds, 15 turnovers, 5 blocks, 6 steals, 35.5% FG, 26.9% 3PT, and 61.5% FT.
Hilltoppers (on Saturday)- 77 points, 38 rebounds, 15 turnovers, 2 blocks, 5 steals, 48.4% FG, 20.0% 3PT, and 59.1% FT.
Falcons (today)- 77 points, 35 rebounds, 6 turnovers, 4 blocks, 2 steals, 50.0% FG, 46.7% 3PT, and 63.2% FT.
November 24th, 2023
Ice Hockey Dominates Colonials 5-1 Heading into the Holidays
Written by: Andrew Nowel
The Canisius Golden Griffins ice hockey team returned home to host the Robert Morris Colonials in a 1-game series this past Tuesday. They would control every part of the game as the Golden Griffins won 5-1 behind Freshman forward Matteo Giampa’s 2 goals.
Scoring 5-on-5 has been a problem for the Golden Griffins, so when they scored 5-on-5 to open the scoring with 1:27 left in the 1st period, they were ecstatic. Junior forward Matt Vermaeten once again found the back of the net, giving him his 3rd goal of the season and 3 in 3 consecutive games. Senior forward Randy Hernandez earned his 4th assist of the season while Sophomore forward Grant Porter earned his 2nd assist of the season on the goal. The Golden Griffins took a 1-0 lead into the 1st intermission.
The 2nd period continued the Golden Griffins dominance as 2 more goals were scored by the Golden Griffins. Giampa added his 7th and 8th goals of the season as they took a 3-0 lead over the Colonials. Graduate Student defenseman David Melaragni earned his 3rd assist of the season and Senior defense Jackson Decker earned his 4th assist of the season on Giampa’s 1st goal while Senior forward Max Kouznetsov earned his 4th assist of the season and Freshman defenseman Jack Budd earned his 1st assist of the season on Giampa’s 2nd goal. Giampa’s 1st goal came on the power-play, showing that the Golden Griffins could score both 5-on-5 and on special teams.
The Colonials did score about 5 minutes into the 3rd period, but not even 2 minutes later, the Golden Griffins answered to take a 4-1 lead. Senior defenseman Cody Schiavon scored his 1st goal of the season with the assists being awarded to Budd, his 2nd of the season, and Sophomore forward Oliver Tarr, his 4th of the season. The Golden Griffins would add 1 more goal to finish the game with a 5-1 victory. Melaragni scored the final goal, his 1st of the season with the assists going to Decker, his 5th, and Senior forward Cooper Haar, his 1st of the season.
This was a great game for the Golden Griffins as they gave themselves a nice bounceback victory after a tough loss the previous game against the Army Black Knights. The Colonials only goal did come on the power-play, and the Golden Griffins struggled to stay out of the box, but the way they played both offensively and defensively showed a lot of potential in this season.
The Golden Griffins improved to 3-7-1 (3-3-1) on the season and will stay home to host the Air Force Falcons today at 1 PM.
Stats for the game
Golden Griffins- 40 shots, +19 rating, 54% faceoffs, 10 penalty minutes, and 18 blocks.
Senior goalie David Fessenden recorded 29 saves with 1 goal against.
Colonials- 30 shots, -19 rating, 46% faceoffs, 23 penalty minutes, and 8 blocks.
The Colonials Graduate Student goalie had 27 saves with 5 goals against and got pulled after the Golden Griffins 5th goal. The Colonials Freshman goalie made 8 saves with 0 goals against in the final 7 minutes of the game.
November 24th, 2023
Men’s Basketball Cruises to 40-Point Victory over Saints
Written by: Andrew Nowel
The Canisius Golden Griffins men’s basketball team returned home to open their home schedule against the D’Youville Saints. It was the Golden Griffins’ home opener, and the game would be dominated by the Golden Griffins. Leading by 19 at halftime, the Golden Griffins didn’t ease off the gas pedal as they won 109-69, earning their 2nd win of the season.
The Golden Griffins got off to a great start with a 12-4 lead in the first 3 minutes of the game. However, the Saints worked their way back to a 14-12 deficit, but the Golden Griffins extended the lead again to 23-14 with 11:02 to play in the 1st half. The Golden Griffins wouldn’t score for nearly 4 minutes, but the Saints only scored 4 points in that span as the Golden Griffins then continued to extend their lead further. They took a 47-28 lead into the half, pleasing many of the fans and students that were watching from the stands.
The Golden Griffins were hitting their 3’s on Monday which created a lot of scoring chances both outside of the key and inside the paint. The Golden Griffins hit 8 three-pointers in the 1st half, accounting for 24 of their 47 points. They would finish the game with 13 made 3-pointers and Junior guard Tre Dinkins stepped up once again in this area. He shot 5-6 from 3 and 6-9 from the field with 6 rebounds and 19 points.
The 2nd half started like the 1st half with the Golden Griffins coming out with energy. They built on their 19-point halftime lead, making it bigger and bigger as the game neared the middle of the 2nd half. With a 73-52 lead, the Golden Griffins went on a 11-2 run to extend their lead even further. The Golden Griffins won the game 109-69 in a very convincing fashion.
The Golden Griffins improve to 2-2 on the season. After the game, Golden Griffins Head Coach Reggie Witherspoon commented on the performance from both the Saints and the Golden Griffins as the Golden Griffins had many players step up with a couple of injuries plaguing their team.
“Give D'Youville a lot of credit,” said Coach Witherspoon. “They played hard. They are a scrappy bunch. They had 12 offensive rebounds in the 1st half. I challenged our guys at halftime to limit their offensive rebounds, and we did, they only had 6 in the 2nd half, but credit to them for coming out here tonight and really giving us a battle. I thought we had some great contributions from everyone tonight. Even down until the end there, we got great effort from guys like [Graduate Student guard] Davon Ware and [Sophomore forward] Maji David-Maji, which was good to see. Being short-handed like we are, it was good to have a chance to play everyone tonight. We have some guys finding their way in new roles, roles that they didn't have even 3 weeks ago, but our guys kept going, played with good pace, and we were able to turn strong defense into points at the other end.”
The Golden Griffins will travel to Laval, Quebec for the 2023 Northern Classic and will begin the 3-game holiday tournament against the Wofford Terriers today at 4:30 PM.
Stats for the game
Golden Griffins- 109 points, 59 rebounds, 20 turnovers, 8 blocks, 6 steals, 54.5% FG, 52.0% 3PT, and 70.6% FT.
Vikings- 69 points, 35 rebounds, 13 turnovers, 2 blocks, 10 steals, 32.1% FG, 21.1% 3PT, and 76.5% FT.
November 22nd, 2023
Women’s Basketball Improves to 2-2 with Victory over Saints
Written by: Daeshaun Williams
On Monday, the Golden Griffins stepped onto the court inside the Koessler Athletic Center with one goal in mind: finish. They recently lost a close game to the Colgate Raiders because they didn’t finish the game. They were not going to make that same mistake against the D’Youville Saints. The Golden Griffins know that to win games they have to stay locked in all the way through, finishing not only the game in the closing minutes, but finishing each possession in a positive way.
The Golden Griffins once again came out clicking on all cylinders, playing good fundamental basketball, leading 15-12 at the end of the 1st quarter. In the 2nd quarter, the Golden Griffins used an 11-4 run to jump out to a 29-19 lead. By the end of the 1st half, they led 34-21.
To start the 2nd half, the Golden Griffins came out of the locker room a little sluggish, allowing the Saints to go on a run of their own to bring the score down to 39-34 in favor of the Golden Griffins. The Saints would continue this run until the end of the 3rd quarter where the Golden Griffins once large lead was now a 1-point lead. They would allow the Saints to outscore them 24-12 in the third quarter.
Entering the 4th quarter, the Golden Griffins led 46-45. They regained their focus and went on a 12-2 run halfway through the final quarter of play to take a 58-52 lead. The Golden Griffins would ride this momentum to a 67-59 win over the Saints. They were once again led by Sophomore forward Sisi Eleko, recording her 4th double-double of the season.
“I am just grateful for it,” said Eleko after the game. “I came in with confidence from my teammates, and I’m just really grateful for everything. I just told myself that I need to show up [in the] 4th quarter. It’s go time, and I need to make an impact.”
The Golden Griffins improved on a lot of things, the first being their ability to finish the game. They used a 12-2 run to finish this game, playing hard all the way through. The Golden Griffins used 5 steals to set themselves up for easy points while having efficient shooting, 50% from the field, to pace themselves and forcing the Saints to rush some of their offensive possessions. After the game, Golden Griffins Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh commented on the performance from her team and the win.
“I know that our last game against Colgate, we didn’t finish strong, so that was a big focus for us in our 2 days of prep for this game,” said Coach Nusseibeh. “I don’t care if it’s D’Youville or Illinois, nothing in our mindset should or will change, so we’re going to attack Illinois the same way we prepped and attacked D’Youville.”
The Golden Griffins next game will be against Illinois on Sunday at the State Farm Center at 2 PM.
Player Spotlights:
Eleko 17 PTS 10 REB 1 BLK
Graduate Student guard Grace Heeps 13 PTS 3-4 3PT% 4-6 FG%
Senior guard Mackenzie Amalia 8 PTS 7 AST 4 STL
November 21st, 2023
Ice Hockey Falls to Black Knights 2-1, Splits Weekend Series
Written by: Andrew Nowel
The Canisius Golden Griffins ice hockey team returned to the ice in West Point, New York on Saturday night as they rematched the Army Black Knights. Coming off the 6-4 victory, the Golden Griffins were feeling confident, heading into the game. However, the Black Knights had a different idea as they defeated the Golden Griffins 2-1, shutting them down with solid defense.
The Golden Griffins opened the scoring of the game behind Junior forward Matt Vermaeten’s 2nd goal of the season with 8:23 left to play in the 1st period. This was a great start as it continued the momentum from the previous night. The Golden Griffins went into the 1st intermission with a 1-0 lead with Vermaeten’s goal being the difference maker. The assists were awarded to Graduate Student forward Erik Urbank, his 4th of the season, and Senior forward Kyle Haskins, his 2nd of the season.
The 2nd period was nearly scoreless, but the Black Knights worked to put the puck in the back of the net with 3:07 left in the period. With the game tied at 1, the Golden Griffins began the 3rd period with intensity. 7 minutes into the period, the Black Knights scored to take a 2-1 lead, and the Golden Griffins couldn’t find a way to put the puck in the back of the net to tie the game as the Black Knights won 2-1.
Only 3 total goals were scored in Saturday’s game which was a lot less than the 10 goals that were scored in total on Friday. The Golden Griffins’ offense struggled to create the same amount of scoring chances that they had been able to create on Friday as well as failing to score on 2 power-play attempts. However, the Black Knights didn’t score on any of their 4 power-plays that they had which credits the Golden Griffins penalty kill.
After the game, Vermaeten commented on the performance from the team throughout the weekend and what it means going forward.
“On Friday, we dealt with some early adversity, but we started the game with a strong penalty kill and had to play the whole game 1 forward short,” said Vermaeten on Monday. “We handled that adversity well. We definitely didn’t play our best hockey and we were still able to overcome that obstacle and win the game. After Saturday’s loss, we had a clear message from the coaching staff heading into our upcoming games this week. Scoring 5-on-5 has been an ongoing problem for us. With some video and work in practice, we’ve done what we have to do to remedy it.”
The Golden Griffins will host the Robert Morris Colonials at 7 PM tonight.
Stats for the game
Golden Griffins- 29 shots, -5 rating, 46% faceoffs, 8 penalty minutes, and 12 blocks.
Senior goalie David Fessenden recorded 29 saves with 2 goals against.
Black Knights- 31 shots, +5 rating, 54% faceoffs, 4 penalty minutes, and 10 blocks.
The Black Knights Junior goalie had 28 saves with 1 goal against.
November 21st, 2023
Swim and Dive Close Out Magnus Invite with Record-Breaking Performances
Written by: Andrew Nowel
The Canisius Golden Griffins swim and dive team jumped into the pools last Thursday to kick off the Magnus Invite, an annual invitational hosted by Cleveland State University. The Golden Griffins on both sides didn’t have great team performances, but Freshman Marin de Villard and Sophomore Toby Mayfield both broke records that highlighted a tough 3-day meet by the Golden Griffins.
The Golden Griffin women had a couple of strong performances as Junior Brenna McLaughlin placed 23rd in both the 200 IM and 200 Back. She raced a time of 2:07.47 in the 200 IM while 2:04.52 in the 200 Back. McLaughlin led the Golden Griffins as she had the highest placement of anyone on the team with these 2 races and a 15th place finish in the 400 IM with a time of 4:33.85.
Freshman Evie Leighton also had a solid invite as she earned a 32nd place finish in the 100 Free with a time of 52.48. She also placed 27th in the 200 Free with a time of 1:54.99. Overall, the Golden Griffin women struggled to outscore teams like the Niagara Purple Eagles or the host Cleveland State Vikings. The Akron Zips won the invite by a large margin, scoring a total of 1571 points.
The Golden Griffin men finished 5th out of 12 teams which was a great thing for the team. The host Vikings won with a total score of 1663. The Golden Griffins scored 602 points with 1 gold finish, 2 silver, and 1 bronze, totaling 4 medals.
de Villard and Mayfield led the way for the men as they both broke program records. de Villard broke 2 records as he broke the Canisius record in the 100 Back and in the 200 Back. de Villard set the new record in the 100 Back with a time of 49.20 while in the 200 Back with a time of 1:47.41. de Villard placed 3rd and 2nd respectively in these races while Mayfield placed 5th in the 100 IM, breaking the program record with a new record time of 52.40. After the meet, Mayfield commented on breaking the record as well as what the invite means for the team going forward.
“It felt great to break the record personally, but as a team we know that the goal is MAAC’s in February,” said Mayfield on Monday. “The way we are approaching this year is to solely focus on swimming our best at the end of our season, so it was great to see so many good swims and relays this early in the year. Wins and losses really don’t affect us. We see our dual meet season as racing practice where we can try new techniques and strategies out. From our dual meets and our mid season invite last week, it’s really positive to see that we are all improving week on week. Showing that our practice is paying off and we are heading for big things in the new year.”
The Golden Griffins are off for a while in competition as they will return to their home pool to host the St. Bonaventure Bonnies on December 5th at 6 PM.
November 18th, 2023
Ice Hockey Takes Down Black Knights in High Scoring Battle
Written by: Andrew Nowel
On a rainy night in West Point, New York, the Canisius Golden Griffins ice hockey team dropped the puck against the Army Black Knights. Neither team controlled the game as both teams took leads that seemed to give them a significant advantage in the game, but the Golden Griffins worked their way back from a 4-3 deficit to win the game 6-4 to open the 2-game road series against the Black Knights.
Special teams would play a major role in this game as 5 total special team goals were scored throughout the game. It all got started by a shorthanded goal being scored by the Golden Griffins just under 4 minutes into the game. Graduate Student forward Erik Urbank scored his 1st goal of the season to give the Golden Griffins a 1-0 lead with the goal being unassisted. However, the lead wouldn’t last long as the Black Knights responded with a shorthanded goal of their own to tie the game at 1.
On the same power-play that the Black Knights scored their shorthanded goal, the Golden Griffins struck to take back the lead at 2-1. Senior defenseman Jackson Decker scored his 2nd of the season with the assists going to Graduate Student defenseman Brenden Datema and Freshman forward Trey Funk both earning their 2nd assist of the season.
The scoring would calm down until the 4:00 mark of the 1st period where the Golden Griffins took a 3-1 lead behind Sophomore forward Oliver Tarr’s 1st of the season. The lone assist was awarded to Senior forward Kyle Haskins, his 1st of the season. The Golden Griffins took the 3-1 lead into the 1st intermission, but the Black Knights wouldn’t go down easily. They scored 2 unanswered goals in the 2nd period to tie the game at 3 going into the 2nd intermission.
The 3rd period began with the Black Knights taking a 4-3 lead with a power-play goal. The Golden Griffins had been struggling to create the same offense as they did in the 1st period, but Haskins stepped up, tying the game at 4 with 10:14 to play in the game. It was Haskin’s 1st goal of the season with the assist going to Urbank, his 3rd of the season.
With the game tied at 4, the Golden Griffins regained momentum as they put another puck past the Black Knights’ goalie to take a 5-4 lead. Freshman forward Jackson Nieuwendyk scored his 2nd of the season with the assists going to Datema and Funk, both earning their 3rd assist of the season. The final touch was Junior forward Matt Vermaeten’s 1st of the season which finished off the 6-4 victory for the Golden Griffins. The power-play goal was assisted by Funk, earning his 4th assist of the season, and Senior defenseman Cody Schiavon, earning his 3rd assist of the season.
This was a great win for the Golden Griffins as they improved their overall record to 2-6-1 while improving their AHA record to 2-2-1. They will continue the 2-game road series against the Black Knights tonight at 7 PM.
Stats for the game
Golden Griffins- 26 shots, +3 rating, 46% faceoffs, 35 penalty minutes, and 13 blocks.
Freshman goalie Ethan Robertson had 13 saves with 3 goals against, getting pulled after the 3rd Black Knight goal with Senior goalie David Fessenden relieving Robertson and recording 8 saves with 1 goal against in the win.
Black Knights- 25 shots, -5 rating, 54% faceoffs, 37 penalty minutes, and 8 blocks.
The Black Knights Senior goalie had 20 saves with 6 goals against.
November 17th, 2023
Women’s Basketball Fall to Raiders in Overtime on the Road
Written by: Daeshaun Williams
The Canisius Golden Griffins women’s basketball team walked onto Cotterell Court feeling great after they recorded their 1st victory of the season in front of their home crowd. The 1-1 Golden Griffins would not leave Cotterell Court 2-1 though, instead leaving with a 1-2 record as they lost to the Colgate Raiders 61-55 in overtime last night.
The Golden Griffins started the game off strong, executing their gameplan at such a high level. After the 1st quarter the Golden Griffins led 16-9. They were feeling pretty good about this lead heading into the 2nd quarter, especially since the 1st quarter ended with a buzzer beating layup by Junior guard Athina Lexa.
In the 2nd quarter, the Golden Griffins kept their foot on the gas, using big plays from Senior guard Bri Rozzi to increase their lead over the Raiders. At the end of the 1st half, the Golden Griffins led 34 -19, outscoring the Raiders 18-10 in the 2nd quarter.
The Raiders came back aggressively to start the 2nd half, however, as at the end of the 3rd quarter, the Golden Griffins once big lead seemed a little bit smaller. The Golden Griffins lead decreased to 44-33 by the end of the quarter, thanks to a 14-4 run by the Raiders. For the first time in the game the Golden Griffins were outscored in a quarter, 14-10 in favor of the Raiders.
In the 4th quarter, the Raiders would come back to tie the game and force overtime against the Golden Griffins. The Golden Griffins were outscored 18-7 by the Raiders as they held the Golden Griffins to 2 made shots at the end of regulation. The Raiders ended the quarter on a 18-5 run. The Golden Griffins had a chance to hit a game-winning shot, but it was not meant to be. The game was tied 51-51 and there was overtime basketball to be played on Cotterell Court.
The Golden Griffins were outscored in overtime 10-4. They would lose this game 61-55. Sophomore forward Sisi Eleko led the Golden Griffins in scoring with 20 points in the game. After the game, Golden Griffins Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh commented, “I think Colgate, if you wanna be blunt, just out toughed us.”
The Golden Griffins shot 31% from the field, and 12% from 3-point range. They attempted 19 3-pointers, making only 4. It didn’t help that the Golden Griffins had 16 turnovers, and shot 52% from the free throw line (13 for 25). They were also outrebounded 45-39 against the Raiders.
When asked about the loss, Coach Nusseibeh said, “We didn’t finish games, we need to finish games. Didn’t finish possessions, we need to finish possessions. We need to lock into our finish.”
The next game for the (1-2) [0-0] Golden Griffins will be back at the Koessler Athletic Center on Monday against the (1-1)[0-0] D’Youville Saints. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN+ with coverage beginning at 5 PM.
Player Spotlights:
Eleko 20 PTS 11 REB 46% FG
Lexa 13 PTS 6 REB 1 STL
Rozzi 7 PTS 6 REB 3 STL
November 16th, 2023
Men’s Basketball Falls to Vikings 71-61
Written by: Andrew Nowel
The Canisius Golden Griffins men’s basketball team were back on the court on the road against the Cleveland State Vikings last night. Even though the Golden Griffins battled to a 1-point deficit at halftime, the Vikings took advantage of the Golden Griffins’ injuries to tire out the Golden Griffins and win the game 71-61.
The Golden Griffins took a quick 6-0 lead in the first 3 minutes of the game behind 4 points from Junior forward Frank Mitchell. The Vikings worked their way back into the game without a problem, but the Golden Griffins once again extended a lead to 6 with a 19-13 lead halfway through the 1st half.
Leading 21-15 with 9:13 to play in the half, the Golden Griffins lost their momentum as the Vikings went on a 9-0 run to take a 24-21 lead. Golden Griffins Junior guard Tre Dinkins helped the Golden Griffins take back the lead at 29-26 with a 3-pointer, but the Vikings wouldn’t let the Golden Griffins take a halftime lead as they went into the half with a 35-34 lead.
The 2nd half began with the Golden Griffins playing catchup, and though it seemed like they would take a lead and maintain it, the Vikings worked hard to pull away with a lead. With 9:42 to play in the game, the Vikings led 58-47. Dinkins tried to help keep the Golden Griffins in the game, but the Vikings kept pulling away.
The Vikings’ lead was up to 15 with 3 minutes to go, but the Golden Griffins fought and began to foster a small comeback. The comeback was cut short by the clock hitting 0:00 as the Vikings won 71-61. With Sophomore guard Tahj Staveskie out with an injury, the Golden Griffins were lost on 3-point shooting as they shot 4-23.
Even though Senior guard Siem Uijtendaal scored 16 points with 6 rebounds and Mitchell garnered 11 rebounds, the Golden Griffins couldn’t find the same spark in the 2nd half as they did in the 1st half. After the game, Golden Griffins Head Coach Reggie Witherspoon commented on the performance of the team.
“We had some guys in new spots,” said Coach Witherspoon. “They wore us down, give them credit, and they attacked us where they’re good at, but also where we’re weak at. The guys played hard, just came up short, and it says a lot about our team and how hard they worked.”
The Golden Griffins drop to 1-2 on the season with a 0-0 conference record as they have yet to play a MAAC game this season. They will return home to host the D’Youville Saints on Monday at 7:30 PM.
Stats for the game
Golden Griffins- 61 points, 46 rebounds, 14 turnovers, 3 blocks, 11 steals, 35.8% FG, 17.4% 3PT, and 56.3% FT.
Vikings- 71 points, 39 rebounds, 13 turnovers, 7 blocks, 11 steals, 44.8% FG, 31.6% 3PT, and 56.5% FT.
November 15th, 2023
Ice Hockey Swept by Pioneers, Early Struggles Continue
Written by: Andrew Nowel
The Canisius Golden Griffins ice hockey team returned to the ice last Friday and Saturday back on the road against the Sacred Heart Pioneers, a team that was picked to win the AHA this season. Friday’s game was dominated by the Pioneers as they won 4-1, but the Golden Griffins fought and fell just short in Saturday’s game. The Pioneers won on Saturday 3-2 to sweep the Golden Griffins and drop the Golden Griffins record to 1-6-1 (1-2-1).
The Golden Griffins scored 1st on Friday, having a 1-0 lead at the 1st intermission. The goal was scored by Freshman forward Jackson Nieuwendyk with under a minute left to play in the period. It was Nieuwendyk’s 1st of the season, and it was a shorthanded goal. The goal was assisted by Graduate Student forward Erik Urbank and Senior defenseman Cody Schiavon both earning their 2nd assist of the season.
The Pioneers scored 2 goals in the 2nd period to take a 2-1 lead into the intermission. They added 2 more in the 3rd period to win the game 4-1. Both of the 3rd period goals were on the power-play which is an area where the Golden Griffins have been struggling.
“Very disappointed in the results, but I like seeing a lot of growth and learning being done by the team,” said Golden Griffins Head Coach Trevor Large on Wednesday. “The reality is that it was 2 good hockey games against a quality opponent.”
On Saturday, the Pioneers jumped out to a 3-0 lead during the first 30 minutes of the game. With about 7 minutes left in the 2nd period, the Golden Griffins lit up the scoreboard behind Freshman forward Matteo Giampa’s 5th goal of the season. Graduate Student defenseman Brenden Datema earned his 1st assist of the season on the goal as it shortened the Pioneers’ lead down to 3-1. The goal also came while the Golden Griffins were on the penalty kill, their 2nd shorthanded goal in 2 games.
On Giampa’s next shift, he would find the back of the net again, making it 3-2 Pioneers. It was Giampa’s 6th of the season with Senior forwards Randy Hernandez and Max Kouznetsov both earning their 3rd assist of the season on the goal. It seemed like a comeback was happening for the Golden Griffins, but no one else would score in the game, and the Pioneers walked away with the 3-2 victory.
It was a tough loss for the Golden Griffins on Saturday as they had played well, but came up short and losing 2 conference games now wouldn’t help them later in the season.
“We need to firm up some of the details for this upcoming weekend,” said Coach Large. “I think what the guys are learning is that it’s very hard to play with guys that are out of position. In the D-zone, we need to be more attentive which gives us more chances to be 5-on-5 because the reality of winning any weekend with goals is not the recipe for success.”
The Golden Griffins will travel to West Point, New York to face the Army Black Knights on Friday at 7 PM.
Stats for the Sacred Heart series
Golden Griffins- 48 shots, -7 rating, 45% faceoffs, 26 penalty minutes, and 32 blocks.
Freshman goalie Ethan Robertson had 25 saves with 4 goals against in Friday’s game while Senior goalie David Fessenden had 22 saves with 3 goals against in Saturday’s game.
Pioneers- 54 shots, +5 rating, 55% faceoffs, 16 penalty minutes, and 22 blocks.
The Pioneers Sophomore goalie had 45 saves with 3 goals against in both games.
November 15th, 2023
Women’s Soccer Falls in Opening Round of MAAC Playoffs to Broncs 1-0
Written by: Andrew Nowel
It was a cold and windy day in Buffalo, New York as the Canisius Golden Griffins women’s soccer team took on the Rider Broncs in their 1st ever home MAAC playoff game. The cold and wind would factor in the way the ball was moving as the Broncs won the game 1-0 with stellar defense, ending the Golden Griffins season in heartbreak.
The Golden Griffins dominated the game as they would finish with 22 shot attempts to the Broncs 6. However, the Broncs scored the only goal on 2 shots on goal throughout the entire game. Both of the shots on goal came in the 1st half where the Broncs had 4 total shot attempts, but 1 was saved by Junior goalkeeper Jordan Spencer while the other shot on goal went in, and the other 2 shot attempts went wide of the net. The Broncs scored at the 19 minute mark of the 1st half and held strong as the Golden Griffins put 6 shot attempts on with only 1 of them going on goal which was stopped by their goalkeeper.
With a 1-0 lead, the Broncs played nearly completely defensive in the 2nd half as they only had 2 shot attempts toward Spencer that neither went on goal. The Golden Griffins had 16 shot attempts, but could not find the back of the net which credited the Broncs defense for holding strong with their goalkeeper making 3 saves. The Golden Griffins had 5 corners in the 2nd half, but couldn’t capitalize on any of them. They also totaled 3 fouls over the entire game, showing that they were playing smart.
It was a very tough loss to swallow, and Golden Griffins Head Coach Ryan Louis expressed this after the game as did the Seniors on the team who played in their final game as a Golden Griffin.
Junior midfielder Emma Oliphant totaled 8 shot attempts with 1 going on goal while Sophomore midfielder Lizzy Harkness totaled 3 shot attempts. Freshman midfielder totaled 2 shot attempts with 1 going on goal as a sub who played a total of 43 minutes.
The Golden Griffins had an excellent season, and the playoff loss shouldn’t take away from that. They finished with a record of 9-4-5 (6-2-2) and finished 3rd in the MAAC which constituted their 1st ever home playoff game. Coach Louis and the team are very excited for next season as, though they lose a couple of players, the team is looking forward to continuing the dominance they played in the MAAC this season to return to the playoffs next season.
Stats for the game
The Golden Griffins recorded 22 shots (4 on goal) while the Broncs recorded 6 shots (2 on goal).
Spencer recorded 1 save while the Broncs Senior goalkeeper recorded 4 saves.
The Golden Griffins had 7 corners while the Broncs had 1 corner.
The Golden Griffins got called for 3 fouls while the Broncs got called for 7 fouls.
November 14th, 2023
Men’s Basketball Completes Comeback, Upset Bonnies on Road 70-67
Written by: Andrew Nowel
The Canisius Golden Griffins men’s basketball team returned to the court once again on the road against the St. Bonaventure Bonnies this past Saturday. It seemed like the Bonnies would take the game, but the Golden Griffins used a 25-2 run to create a 2nd half comeback to pull off the upset and win 70-67 for the 1st time at the Reilly Center since 2016.
The Bonnies took a lead early on in the 1st half as they led 14-7 with 13 minutes left in the half. 5 minutes later, the Golden Griffins took a 22-21 lead behind Junior guard Tre Dinkins’ 3-point shot. The Bonnies immediately followed with a 10-0 run, leading to Golden Griffin Head Coach Reggie Witherspoon calling his 1st timeout of the game. The Bonnies led at the half by 7 with a 37-30, and the Golden Griffins knew they could come out in the 2nd half with energy to start a comeback.
“The thing that we talked about the most at halftime was that we hadn’t played very well,” said Coach Witherspoon after the game. “We had 11 turnovers at halftime; we had 11 total rebounds at halftime. When we got in there [the locker room] and when we looked around, we noticed that we were only down by 7, so I think we just felt that we needed to just get back to playing well.”
The Golden Griffins came out with intensity in the 2nd half as they went on a huge run where the Bonnies only scored 2 points for the first 8 minutes of the half while the Golden Griffins scored 25. The Golden Griffins led 57-45 when the run came to an end at the 12:05 mark of the half.
This lead boosted the Golden Griffins to the 70-67 victory as they held on even though the Bonnies fought all the way until the end. Senior guard Siem Uijtendaal stole the ball and was fouled with 9 seconds left to seal the win for the Golden Griffins. Uijtendaal finished the game with 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals while Dinkins finished with 16 points. Junior forward Frank Mitchell finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Overall, it was a great game for the Golden Griffins after the loss to the Orange last Wednesday. The Golden Griffins will finish their 3-game road trip that began their season against the Cleveland State Vikings tomorrow at 7 PM.
Stats for the game
Golden Griffins- 70 points, 29 rebounds, 19 turnovers, 3 blocks, 5 steals, 50% FG, 50% 3PT, and 57.1% FT.
Bonnies- 67 points, 35 rebounds, 11 turnovers, 5 blocks, 9 steals, 40.4% FG, 20% 3PT, and 65.4% FT.
November 14th, 2023
Volleyball Finishes Season with 1-1 Final Weekend
Written by: Andrew Nowel
The Canisius Golden Griffins volleyball team needed 2 wins and 2 Rider Broncs losses to make the MAAC playoffs. They begin the journey to the playoffs on the road against the Iona Gaels on Saturday, but in a heartbreaking 3-2 loss, the Golden Griffins would be eliminated from the MAAC playoffs. The Golden Griffins would return to the court yesterday and would end their season with a 3-set sweep of the Manhattan Jaspers, finishing their record at 10-16 (8-10).
The Golden Griffins survived the 1st set against the Gaels as they led 24-20 near the end of the set, but the Gaels didn’t go down easily as they scored 3 consecutive points to shorten the Golden Griffins’ lead down to 24-23. Junior outside hitter Kara Zaucha earned her 4th kill of the set to give the Golden Griffins the 25-23 victory and 1-0 lead in the match.
The Golden Griffins came out in the 2nd set with a lot of energy as they would take the set by a final score of 25-15. The score was 14-13 about halfway through the set in favor of the Golden Griffins, and they started to pull away with Zaucha serving and a couple of Golden Griffins earning kills. The Golden Griffins scored 8 of the last 9 points to win the set, but the Gaels weren’t done with the match. They outplayed the Golden Griffins in the 3rd set, winning 25-17. The Gaels had less mistakes in the set which allowed them to play well and not give the Golden Griffins momentum.
The 4th set was a battle that the Gaels would control as the set got later and later. Down 18-14, the Golden Griffins scored 6 consecutive points behind Junior libero Jillian Hanna’s serving and 2 kills from Graduate Student outside hitter Ella Loussia that began the 6-0 run. The Gaels, themselves, went on a run which led to their 25-21 victory of the 4th set. The match was tied at 2, and the 5th set was controlled by the Golden Griffins early on as they took a 10-5 lead. However, the Gaels fought and worked their way to a 14-13 deficit. The Golden Griffins only needed 1 more point to win, but the Gaels broke their hearts by scoring 3 consecutive points to win the set 16-14, winning the match 3-2.
It was a heartbreaking loss for the Golden Griffins as they were eliminated from the playoffs with the loss as well as the Broncs defeating the Quinnipiac Bobcats. The Golden Griffins carried this pain into Sunday’s match against the Jaspers where the Golden Griffins swept them 3-0.
The Jaspers were never in the match as the Golden Griffins won 25-10, 25-11, and 25-16 in each set respectively. It would be Loussia’s final match as a Golden Griffin as she earned 11 kills, 4 digs, and 11.5 points. Freshman outside hitter Lauren Hubert earned 7 kills while Zaucha, Sophomore middle blocker Bella Mosquera, and Freshman middle blocker Kalia Reisma all earned 4 kills. It’s a very upsetting thing for the Golden Griffins to end their season, but Head Coach Tom Hanna knows that there is great potential for next season even though this season had to end the way they didn’t want.
“It’s tough not playing this coming weekend, but I’m extremely confident in our returners for next year that we can contend for a MAAC title,” said Coach Hanna. “We have some of the top point scorers, servers, passers, defenders, and setters in the league coming back next season, so I like our chances of competing based on the talent we have in the gym and the amount of experience that we’ll have as well.”
The Golden Griffins have finished their 2023 season, but look ahead to a bright future in 2024.
Stats for the 2 matches
Golden Griffins- 74 points, 50 kills, 11 aces, 13 blocks, 49 assists, and 97 digs.
Gaels- 76 points, 63 kills, 4 aces, 9 blocks, 60 assists, and 116 digs.
Golden Griffins- 47 points, 33 kills, 9 aces, 5 blocks, 30 assists, and 39 digs.
Jaspers- 28 points, 20 kills, 4 aces, 4 blocks, 20 assists, and 30 digs.
November 13th, 2023
Women’s Basketball Win Home Opener Over Red Flash
Written by: Daeshaun Williams
The Canisius Golden Griffins women’s basketball team took on the St. Francis (PA) Red Flash for their Saturday home opener of the 2023-24 season. The Golden Griffins came into their home opener 0-1 after losing on the road to the Buffalo Bulls 69-60 last Monday. The Golden Griffins didn’t have the best shooting night against the Bulls, shooting 34% from the field, and 29% from 3-point range. They also struggled with ball control, having 18 turnovers to the Bulls 15. The Golden Griffins looked to improve on these things heading into the game against the Red Flash.
The Golden Griffins came out clicking on all cylinders to begin the game. At one point leading 17-5 in the 1st quarter, but the Golden Griffins took their foot of the pedal allowing the Red Flash to cut that 12-point deficit down to 9. After the 1st quarter, the score was 19-12 in favor of the Golden Griffins. Sophomore forward Sisi Eleko led the Golden Griffins in scoring at the end of the quarter with 14 points.
To begin the 2nd quarter the Golden Griffins used a 7-0 run to jump out to a 30-19 lead against the Red Flash. The Golden Griffins would keep up this pace as the 1st half started to wind down, leading 37-28 at the end of the half. Golden Griffins Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh knew that rebounding had to be better if the Golden Griffins wanted to score points in the paint.
“I don’t think it was an x’s and o’s adjustment; I think it was a heart and mind adjustment,” said Coach Nusseibeh after the game. “St. Francis came into the game really wanting those rebounds, and we had to reset at halftime which I think we did. I think that [Senior guard] Grace Heeps is one of the smartest players on our team in terms of basketball IQ and keeping the ball moving as well as running our offensive system, so Grace is invaluable whether she is hitting her shots or not.”
In the 3rd quarter the Red Flash cut the lead the Golden Griffins had established down to 6, but the Golden Griffins bounced back, following the guidance of Coach Nusseibeh. They extended the lead against the Red Flash by 18 points, bringing the score to 62-44 at the end of the quarter.
The Golden Griffins extended the lead even more in the 4th quarter leading by as many as 20 points. They would take this game by a final score of 78-62 in their home opener. The Golden Griffins were led by Eleko, who finished the game with 24 points.
“It felt great,” said Elecko after the game. “I came in with a lot of confidence from my teammates and coaching staff. I think my teammates trusted me with the ball and had confidence in me that I could go get a bucket.”
The Golden Griffins outscored the Red Flash in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd quarters. They greatly improved their shooting as they shot 51% from the field, and 46% from 3-point range. The Golden Griffins also limited their turnovers, recording 14 to the Red Flash 17. The Golden Griffins looked dominant on the boards, out rebounding the Red Flash 33 to 24 while they never trailed in the game.
The (1-1) [0-0] Golden Griffins will travel to Cotterrell Court in Hamilton, New York on Thursday to take on the (2-0) [0-0] Colgate Raiders at 7 PM.
Player stats for the game
Eleko 24 PTS 10 REB 66 FG%
Heeps 14 PTS 2 AST 3 STL
Senior guard Mackenzie Amalia 7 PTS 4 REB 2 AST
November 10th, 2023
Ice Hockey Splits Home Opening Series against Crusaders
Written by: Andrew Nowel
The Canisius Golden Griffins ice hockey team opened their home schedule last Friday against the Holy Cross Crusaders and behind the fans, they won 5-3 in a dominant performance. The Golden Griffins returned the next night to raise their AHA Championship banner with the game following the ceremony. The Crusaders battled with the Golden Griffins on Saturday to a 3-3 tie where the Golden Griffins fell in a shootout 2-0, splitting the opening home series.
The 1st game of the series was all Golden Griffins as they dominated in nearly every category. Senior defenseman Jackson Decker got the scoring started with under 5 minutes to play in the 1st period. It was Decker’s 1st goal of the season, assisted by Freshman forward Jackson Nieuwendyk and Graduate Student forward Erik Urbank both their 1st assists of the season.
Even though the Crusaders tied it early into the 2nd period, the Golden Griffins would score 3 unanswered to set the tone for the rest of the game. Senior forward Griffin Loughran continued his successful Senior year with 2 of those 3 goals, giving him a total of 3 goals on the season.
Before Loughran could score, Sophomore forward Killian Kiecker-Olson scored to give the Golden Griffins a 2-1 lead, his 1st of the season. Sophomore forward Oliver Tarr was awarded his 3rd assist of the season on the goal while Freshman forward Trey Funk was awarded his 1st assist of the season. Freshman forward Matteo Giampa assisted both of Loughran’s goals, giving him a total of 3 assists on the season while Senior defenseman Cody Schiavon was awarded his 1st assist of the season on Loughran’s 1st goal of the game. Graduate Student David Melaragni was awarded his 2nd assist of the season on Loughran’s 2nd goal of the game.
The Crusaders brought the Golden Griffins’ lead down to 4-3, but Giampa finished the game off for the Golden Griffins with an empty-net goal, his 4th of the season to give the Golden Griffins 5-3 victory over the Crusaders. Loughran logged his 2nd assist of the season on the goal while Senior forward Max Kouznetsov logged his 2nd assist of the season as well. Kouznetsov and the entire team were very happy with the win in their home opener and were appreciative of the atmosphere that the fans brought to the game.
“The atmosphere was special,” said Kouznetsov on Thursday. “It’s crazy to think that less than a year ago we won an Atlantic hockey tournament championship at the Harborcenter. I got goosebumps watching the video from that game. Me and the guys can’t wait to be back playing at the Harborcenter.”
The following day, the Golden Griffins returned to host the Crusaders in the 2nd game of the 2-game series as they raised their championship banner prior to puck drop. The game would be a battle as both teams didn’t give in easily, but the Golden Griffins scored 1st behind Kouznetsov’s 3rd goal of the season, giving them a 1-0 lead. The assists were awarded to Giampa and Loughran with Giampa earning his 4th and Loughran earning his 3rd.
The Crusaders would take a 2-1 lead, but the Golden Griffins weren’t going to let them run away with it as Kouznetsov scored again, his 4th of the season to tie the game at 2. Once again Giampa and Loughran logged the assists, Giampa’s 5th and Loughran’s 4th of the season. Right away, the Crusaders took a 3-2 lead, and it wouldn’t be until late in the 3rd period when the Golden Griffins would tie the game.
Graduate Student defenseman Hudson Lambert tied the game at 3 with his 1st of the season, and the assists were logged again by Giampa and Loughran; Giampa’s 6th and Loughran’s 5th of the season. This goal was also a power-play goal which was an area that the Golden Griffins had been struggling with.
Overtime was controlled by the Crusaders, but Senior goalie David Fessenden held strong in goal, sending the game into shootout. Shootout was also dominated by the Crusaders as they defeated the Golden Griffins 2-0 in the shootout, so the Crusaders would get the win. Kouznetsov commented on both games as he and the team were happy with the way they began conference play.
“We are learning, and we’re learning at a fast pace,” said Kouznetsov. “Guys are finding their stride, and I think it’s obvious we have a good team. Special teams are trending upwards and individually guys are stepping up. For example, Matteo is one of the leaders in points in the conference. If we can stay out of the box and continue to perform like we did this past weekend, we are going to reach our goals.”
The Golden Griffins will travel to Fairfield, Connecticut tonight to face the Sacred Heart Pioneers at 7 PM to continue conference play.
Stats for the Holy Cross series
Golden Griffins- 63 shots, +7 rating, 52% faceoffs, 25 penalty minutes, and 36 blocks.
Freshman goalie Ethan Robertson had 29 saves with 3 goals against in Friday’s win while Fessenden had 32 saves with 3 goals against in Saturday’s game.
Crusaders- 67 shots, -6 rating, 48% faceoffs, 16 penalty minutes, and 17 blocks.
The Crusaders Senior goalie had 28 saves with 4 goals against in Friday’s game while their Junior goalie had 27 saves with 3 goals against in Saturday’s game.
November 10th, 2023
Former Canisius Captain Earns 3rd Trip to NHL Training Camp
Written by: Andrew Nowel
Ryan Schmelzer graduated from Canisius College in 2018 after growing up in Buffalo his entire life. 5 years later, Schmelzer is the captain of the Utica Devils and is preparing for the start of his NHL career as he is only months away from beginning the dream that so many young hockey players have when they are growing up.
Schmelzer began his professional career with the Adirondack Thunder after playing 4 years for the Canisius Golden Griffins ice hockey program. This is the ECHL team for the New Jersey Devils. He was there for 25 games, going to the ECHL playoffs with the Thunder before losing in the conference finals.
The next season, Schmelzer signed with the Devils’ AHL team which was based in Binghamton at the time of Schmelzer’s signing. The team moved to Utica in the 2021-2022 AHL season and continues to play games in Utica. From the beginning of being in Utica, Schmelzer has worn the captain patch on his jersey as he is a big role model for many players that he is playing with. Schmelzer learned his value when he was the captain of the Golden Griffins in 2018.
“Growing into a leader and becoming a captain there prepped me for where I am now,” said Schmelzer last week. “I owe Canisius a lot. It’s a place that’s special to me, and it’s a place that’s in my backyard, a place where I grew up in.”
Schmelzer is a native of Buffalo, so being able to attend Canisius was very special for him since he grew up watching the Canisius ice hockey team, and it was a school that he always wanted to attend. He also loves to be able to be close to home as playing for Utica allows Schmelzer to be only about 2 and half hours away from home.
“My wife, kids, and I have a home in Buffalo, so we still come back, and we spend the summer in Buffalo,” said Schmelzer. “It’s also really nice to have my parents come to a lot of my games since we play a lot of games in Rochester and Syracuse. I like the snow, so being in this environment it feels like hockey weather, and of course being able to catch the occasional Bills game.”
After finishing up his 3rd NHL training camp, Schmelzer prepares for the AHL season where he once again proudly wears his captain’s patch, leading the Utica Devils to what will be another successful season. As he nears closer to being called up to the big leagues, Schmelzer continues to be a leader that graduated from a university where leaders are truly made.
November 9th, 2023
Men’s Basketball Falls to Orange in Opening Game of Season
Written by: Andrew Nowel
The Canisius Golden Griffins men’s basketball team traveled to Syracuse, New York to face the Syracuse Orange last night to open their 2023-2024 season. The result wasn’t the one that the Golden Griffins wanted as the Orange wouldn’t let the Golden Griffins lead the game at all and won 89-77 to hand the Golden Griffins their 1st loss of the season.
The Golden Griffins entered the game already down a player as Junior forward Xzavier Long was out with an injury, but that didn’t deter them to not play with heart. The Orange took the lead early on, but the Golden Griffins never got down by more than 10 until just before the half. Sophomore guard Tahj Staveskie led the Golden Griffins down the court multiple times, helping to set up the offense for a couple of really good chances that the team capitalized on. Staveskie finished the game with 12 points, a career-high 8 rebounds, and 3 assists.
With 5:14 left to play in the 1st half, the Orange took a 32-22 lead as they seemed to be pulling away. Junior forward Frank Mitchell got a rebound after Junior guard Tre Dinkins missed a jump shot and scored. These 2 points sparked a small Golden Griffin comeback where the Orange turned over the ball and Senior guard Siem Uijtendaal made a layup to cut the Orange lead down to 32-26. The Orange cut off the comeback with a 3-pointer which helped them build momentum to take a 41-32 lead into the half.
Mitchell struggled at the free throw line as did the team overall. The Golden Griffins would finish the game shooting 5-17 at the line which hurt them scoring chances that the Orange gave them.
“I just have to make those,” said Mitchell after the game. “There’s nothing else to it; I just got to make free throws.”
The Golden Griffins began the 2nd half, looking to go on a run to bring the game closer than the 9-point lead that the Orange headed into the half with. Fouls got the Golden Griffins into trouble early as they took 5 fouls before the 16-minute mark of the half hit. This made the Golden Griffins play less aggressively on both sides of the ball, creating a lot of high scoring chances for the Orange. The Orange worked their way to a 68-48 lead with this in mind with 9:06 left in the game.
Even though the Golden Griffins never truly gave up, the Orange would win 89-77 with Mitchell scoring the final 2 points on a dunk with 8 seconds to play in the game. Mitchell finished the game with 12 points and 9 rebounds while also shooting 6-9 from the field, but 0-6 from the free throw line. Golden Griffins Head Coach Reggie Witherspoon commented his overall thoughts about the loss after the game.
“Give Syracuse credit, this was a hard-fought game and they certainly used their size and speed to their advantage” said Coach Witherspoon. “I thought we did some good things and there are certainly some things we need to work on. Obviously, we were not very good at the free-throw line, particularly in the first half. We did a good job of getting to the line, but when you miss that many free-throws, it just leads to empty possessions, and [Syracuse] took advantage of that. I give our guys credit, they kept battling and we played hard, but there were a few times where we let our guard down and the intensity level was not where it needs to be, especially when you’re playing a team like Syracuse.”
The Golden Griffins will travel to St. Bonaventure University to face the Bonnies on Saturday at 4 PM.
Stats for the game
Golden Griffins- 77 points, 37 rebounds, 12 turnovers, 1 block, 5 steals, 48.4% FG, 45.5% 3PT, and 29.4% FT.
Orange- 89 points, 37 rebounds, 10 turnovers, 7 blocks, 7 steals, 53.8% FG, 36.8% 3PT, and 63.2% FT.
November 8th, 2023
Swim and Dive Begin Roadtrip with Loss to Bearcats
Written by: Andrew Nowel
The Canisius Golden Griffins swim and dive team returned to the pools this past Saturday to begin their short 2-meet road trip against the Binghamton Bearcats. The Golden Griffins struggled, falling to the Bearcats 207-87 for the men and 225-58 for the women.
The Golden Griffin men had a couple of bright spots during the meet as Freshman Marin de Villard once again shined. de Villard earned a 1st place finish with a time of 51.34 in the 100 Back and another 1st place finish with a time of 1:53.67 in the 200 Back. This performance helped de Villard earn him a MAAC swimmer of the week award.
de Villard wasn’t the only successful swimmer of the meet for the men. Sophomore Toby Mayfield placed 1st in the 100 IM with a time of 54.49. He also earned a 3rd place finish with a time of 5:02.38 in the 500 Free. Overall, the men would race well, but fell to the Bearcats 207-87.
The Golden Griffin women struggled to score any points as they totaled 58 by the end of the meet. There were no 1st place finishes, but multiple swimmers had 2nd place finishes. Senior captain Jordan O’Connor earned a 2nd place finish with a time of 1:00.28 in the 100 Back.
Junior Brenna McLaughlin earned two 2nd place finishes, one in the 200 IM with a time of 2:12.74 and the other in the 200 Back with a time of 2:10.49. The women would fall to the Bearcats 225-58, and though they struggled to score points, many individuals had strong races throughout the meet.
The Golden Griffin men are still winless while the women have 1 win. They will travel to Cleveland State University to race in the Magnus Invite, beginning on November 16th and concluding on November 18th.
November 7th, 2023
Rowing Finishes Fall Season with Strong Regatta at Head of the Schuylkill
Written by: Andrew Nowel
The Canisius Golden Griffins rowing team came back to the water for 1 final time this fall on October 28th in Philadelphia to race at the Head of the Schuylkill. It was a good day for the Golden Griffins as they had a lot of strong finishes to end their fall season on a high note.
The Golden Griffins got their day started just before 10 AM with the Novice 4 shell earning a 8th place finish with a time of 16:56.09. Leading the Golden Griffins was Freshman coxswain Grace Metnick who helped the crew of Junior Ava Morgan, Sophomore Mackenzie Harmon, and Freshman Shayna Klose and Briana Wasil to earn the successful time and finish.
An hour later, the Golden Griffins were back in the water with 3 shells racing in the Women’s Championship Fours. The Championship 4 A shell for the Golden Griffins finished 11th with a time of 15:20.35 led by Junior coxswain Macey Schneider. The Championship 4 B shell finished 26th with a time of 15:59.66 led by Junior coxswain Morgan Marsallo. The final shell for the Golden Griffins in the regatta was the Championship 4 C shell led by Sophomore coxswain Gianna Perugini which finished at 47th with a time of 17:37.85.
2 more regattas would be raced in by the Golden Griffins. At 12:30 PM, the Women’s College Frosh/Novice Eights began with the Golden Griffins Novice 8 shell coming in with a stellar 4th place finish and a time of 14:41.12. Led by Metnick and the crew of Sophomores Katie Bapst, Francesca DiCamillo, and Sophie Hartzell and Freshman Kaitlyn Boxley, Alaini Levy, Gwen Orluk, Peyton Switek, and Gianna Weaver, the Golden Griffins continued the day with an amazing regatta. The Championship 8 would finish the day for the Golden Griffins with a 13th place finish and a time of 14:05.37. This shell was led by Schneider, and it finished off the fall season for the Golden Griffins.
After the regatta, Golden Griffins Head Coach Kerri Brace commented on the Head of the Schuylkill and the fall season overall.
“Overall, I'm happy with how we performed today,” said Coach Brace. “Very excited to see both the Varsity 4 A and the Freshman Novice 8 finish in the top quarter of their respective packs. We raised the bar this year by racing our Varsity 8 in the champ fours and then again in the champ 8, and I was proud of the way they handled it. It's certainly exciting to have our largest roster in recent years and get 28 athletes out on the racecourse today. We look forward to building off this momentum as we shift our focus into indoor training."
The Golden Griffins will return competitively in the spring, but will continue to workout in preparation for the spring season. Overall, the Golden Griffins had 3 first place finishes, 5 second place finishes, 3 third place finishes, 2 fourth place finishes, and a seventh, 2 eighths, 11th, 13th, 26th, and 47th place finishes. It was a great fall season which they hope to continue in the spring.
November 6th, 2023
Women’s Basketball Opens Season with 69-60 Loss against Bulls
Written by: Andrew Nowel
The Canisius Golden Griffins women’s basketball team opened their 2023-2024 season on the road against the Buffalo Bulls tonight. The Golden Griffins fought well, but fell to the Bulls 69-60 behind a 4th quarter offensive surge from the Bulls.
Neither team could make shots during the 1st quarter, but fouls contributed to the scoring. Both teams successfully made free throws to capitalize on the mistakes made by each other. The Bulls ended the quarter with a 16-14 lead, but Senior guard Mackenzie Amalia stood out during the 1st quarter and the entire game. Amalia was hitting her shots which helped the Golden Griffins to come out in the 2nd quarter with a lot of energy.
The Golden Griffins had a much better 2nd quarter as they would win the quarter 18-10, taking a 32-26 lead into halftime. With sparks from Amalia and Sophomore forward Sisi Eleko, the Golden Griffins worked their way to playing great defense and scoring during the 2nd quarter to take the 6-point lead into the half. Eleko would finish the game with 19 rebounds which was a huge help for the Golden Griffins throughout the game.
“I played with confidence,” said Eleko after the game. “My teammates and I worked together to fight inside the paint which helped us throughout the game.”
Early in the game, the Golden Griffins got into foul trouble which made them bench a couple of their starters to make sure they wouldn’t foul out. This didn’t help the Golden Griffins take a bigger lead into halftime which they would need in the 2nd half.
“I think we competed hard; I think we were ready to go from the tip,” said Golden Griffins Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh after the game. “Love the 1st half energy, on the court and on the bench. Early foul trouble got us in trouble overall, and the 2 sitting next to me [Amalia and Eleko] got into foul trouble early on which affected our ability to play with the intensity that we want to defensively.”
The Bulls worked their way back in the 3rd quarter, shortening the Golden Griffins lead down to 48-46 by the end of the quarter. Amalia’s 5 turnovers throughout the game was hurtful to the Golden Griffin as it did help toward the Bulls’ total of 12 fastbreak points, but it didn’t take away from her 16-point night where she was 4-9 from 3 and 6-16 from the field.
Another Golden Griffin that stood out was Graduate Student guard Grace Heeps who was a silent strong performer in tonight’s game. Heeps scored only 5 points, but contributed 4 steals to solidify the Golden Griffins’ defense throughout the game.
The 4th quarter was all Bulls as they dominated the quarter, outscoring the Golden Griffins 23-12 in the final quarter. The Golden Griffins ran out of time as the Bulls won the opener 69-60. Bulls Head Coach Becky Burke was very pleased with the amount of maturity that was shown in the victory for a very young team with many new players trying to find their way.
“I am very thankful and grateful for an opening win this year and to be 1-0,” said Coach Burke after the game. “I thought we showed a lot of maturity, a lot of poise to be down double figures in the 2nd half and just chip away. I saw a together team and a mature team for as young as we are.”
Amalia and her fellow Seniors as well as the entire team is ready to move on from the loss with the confidence and fight that they have to be successful.
“Like Coach said, we are all very competitive people, so this is definitely going to be a game that we learn from,” said Amalia after the game. “We’re going to take this and remember the feeling that we had after this game and keep moving forward with that, so we don’t have the same feeling again.”
The Golden Griffins will come home to host the Saint Francis (PA) Red Flash on Saturday at 1 PM to open their 2023-2024 home schedule.
Stats for the game
Golden Griffins- 60 points, 43 rebounds, 18 turnovers, 6 blocks, 11 steals, 34.4% FG, 29.6% 3PT, and 55.6% FT.
Bulls- 69 points, 35 rebounds, 15 turnovers, 6 blocks, 6 steals, 43.6% FG, 37.5% 3PT, and 68.2% FT.
November 5th, 2023
Volleyball Cruises to 3-0 Sweep of Peacocks on Senior Day
Written by: Andrew Nowel
After a heartbreaking loss the previous day, the Canisius Golden Griffins volleyball team returned to the court today for their final home match of the season. It was also Senior Day as 2 players would be recognized for their contributions to the team. Graduate Student outside hitter Ella Loussia and Redshirt Sophomore Taylor Baldwin were honored, and the Golden Griffins won 3-0 in a sweep of the Saint Peter’s Peacocks on the special day.
The Golden Griffins had complete dominance in the match, starting with a 9-3 lead early in the 1st set. However, the Peacocks did have a big run in the 1st set that gave them a 14-12 lead, but it would quickly come right back to Golden Griffin control as after the set was tied at 16, the Golden Griffins scored 9 consecutive points to win the 1st set 25-16. Loussia was a big part of that final 9-0 run as she earned the kill to start it and served for all 8 points, and the Golden Griffins took a 1-0 lead in the match.
The Peacocks began the 2nd set with a 6-4 lead, but the Golden Griffins took back the lead without a 2nd thought with a 15-11 lead. Freshman outside hitter Lauren Hubert continued her impressive rookie season as she earned 10 total kills during the match. Hubert and Loussia helped the Golden Griffins to win the 2nd set 25-17, taking a 2-0 lead in the match.
Service aces helped the Golden Griffins once again as they took a 10-8 lead early in the 3rd set. Sophomore setter Ella Bourque scored 3 aces during a 5-0 run that gave the Golden Griffins the lead which was never lost the rest of the set. The Golden Griffins won the 3rd set 25-14, winning the match 3-0 on Loussia and Baldwin’s special night. Both were really happy with the victory even though it is bittersweet since it was their final home match.
“I think we were all really upset about yesterday’s loss and wanted to make up for it today,” said Loussia after the match. “This is my last time playing at the KAC, and I was gonna leave it all here; was gonna go out swinging.”
The Golden Griffins will travel to New Rochelle, New York at 12 PM next Saturday to face the Iona Gaels in a must-win match. The Rider Broncs defeated the Niagara Purple Eagles 3-0 today, meaning the Broncs also must lose the final 2 matches with the Golden Griffins winning their final 2 matches for the Golden Griffins to make the MAAC playoffs.
Stats for the match
Golden Griffins- 61 points, 47 kills, 12 aces, 2 blocks, 42 assists, and 54 digs.
Peacocks- 29 points, 20 kills, 4 aces, 5 blocks, 19 assists, and 41 digs.
November 5th, 2023
Volleyball Falls in Heartbreaking 3-2 Fashion to Broncs
Written by: Andrew Nowel
The Canisius Golden Griffins volleyball team had to win the match against the Rider Broncs yesterday afternoon if they wanted to continue to be in competition for a playoff spot in the MAAC tournament. However, the Broncs had other ideas as they never gave up and won 3-2 in a match that wouldn’t officially eliminate the Golden Griffins from the playoffs, but made it even harder to get in.
The 1st set was a great start to the match by the Golden Griffins as they came out early with energy. It started with a service ace by Sophomore libero Alyssa Rich who would finish the day with a school record 7 aces. The team in general would set a new program record of aces with 21, 7 coming in the 1st set. The Golden Griffins won the set by a score of 25-19, taking a 1-0 lead in the match.
The Broncs came out with energy in the 2nd set, helping to create high scoring chances for them. Service aces still helped the Golden Griffins to take an early 8-4 lead, but the Broncs quickly shut them down by returning the favor of 16-10 lead. The Golden Griffins wouldn’t just simply back down as they brought the score to a 17-16 Broncs lead, but the Broncs began to pull away and won the 2nd set 25-19, tying the match at 1.
The Broncs began the 3rd set with an early 3-1 lead, but the Golden Griffins immediately began to take control of the set. Behind 2 kills and 2 aces from Junior outside hitter Kara Zaucha, the Golden Griffins took a 8-4 lead in the set. A couple of minutes later, Rich scored 3 consecutive aces to give the Golden Griffins a 15-9 lead. They would win the 3rd set 25-17, taking a 2-1 lead in the match and setting them up for a huge 4th set.
The Broncs weren’t going to go down easily as they dominated the early part of the set, taking a 14-8 lead. The Golden Griffins worked their way back to a 15-13 deficit, but the Broncs fought to maintain their lead and won the 4th set 25-20.
The match was now tied at 2, and it was time for both teams to step up their games. The Broncs came out fast with a 7-1 lead early on, but the Golden Griffins never gave up, bringing it to 8-6. Every single point until the Broncs won the 5th set 15-12 went back-and-forth with neither team going on even a 2-0 run.
With the Broncs winning the 5th set, they won the match 3-2, giving them a 2-game advantage on the Golden Griffins in the MAAC standings. It isn’t over until it’s over is a famous saying that is said in sports as the Golden Griffins still could make the MAAC playoffs. With 3 wins and the Broncs losing 2 of their final 3 matches, the Golden Griffins would clinch the playoffs as they have the tiebreaker over the Broncs.
The Golden Griffins will host their final home match of the season against the Saint Peter’s Peacocks today at 12 PM, and it will be Senior Day.
Stats for the match
Golden Griffins- 80 points, 51 kills, 21 aces, 8 blocks, 45 assists, and 63 digs.
Broncs- 71 points, 57 kills, 5 aces, 9 blocks, 53 assists, and 83 digs.
November 3rd, 2023
Swim and Dive Fall Short in 1st Home Meet of Season
Written by: Andrew Nowel
The Canisius Golden Griffins were back in the pool on Saturday as they hosted the SUNY Geneseo Knights for their 1st home meet of the season. Both the men and women raced well, but the Knights came out of the pools with the victory on both sides with a 152-145 win against the Golden Griffin men and a 165.5-128.5 against the women.
The Golden Griffin men had an excellent race. Freshman Marin de Villard once again shined in only his 4th collegiate meet. de Villard placed 1st in all 3 of his individual races with personal bests in the 500 Free and in his leg of the 200 Medley Relay. Sophomore Sam Vidal also stood out as he placed 1st in the 100 Breast and 200 Breast, both having positive impacts on the meet as a whole. Vidal felt great after his races and was very pleased with how the team raced against the Knights.
“I think we’re all very happy with where we’re at at the moment,” said Vidal. “I’m very happy with my races, won both events, and felt overall better than the weeks before. Even if we didn’t go home with the victory, I think we can be proud of the meet as a team.”
Both the Golden Griffin men and women struggled due to starting around 32 points behind because of not having any divers. For the Golden Griffins to lose 152-145 to the Knights on the men’s side of the meet was impressive as they nearly completed the comeback.
The women fell 165.5-128.5 to the Knights, but 2 swimmers stood out. Junior Brenna McLaughlin placed 1st in the 200 IM with a time of 2:13.52 and placed 2nd in the 200 Back with a time of 2:11.01 just behind her teammate Freshman SaraJo Gardner who swam a season best time of 2:10.90. Gardner had an excellent meet and was very pleased with her performance as well as the entire team’s performance.
“I was really excited after last week's meet because I was able to get my 1st collegiate wins; that was really special for me,” said Gardner on Friday. “As a team, I think we have a really supportive group right now, cheering on the sidelines and rooting for everyone to do well. We have to keep focusing on the little things going forward; the details. Even if we have a really hard practice, we have to commit to learning at practice and getting the muscle memory down for the meets.”
The Golden Griffins will travel to Vestal, New York to face the Binghamton Bearcats tomorrow at 1 PM.
November 3rd, 2023
Men Place 4th, Women Place 5th at 2023 MAAC Cross Country Championships
Written by: Andrew Nowel
On a warm October morning, the Canisius Golden Griffins cross country team began its race at the 2023 MAAC Cross Country Championships. After a long and tiring race, the men would finish 4th in the 8k while the women finished 5th in the 6k. It was a meet that the Golden Griffins were disappointed in, but they knew that it was just the beginning as the 2023 NCAA Northeast Regionals are just around the corner.
The men finished 4th with a score of 102, but had a couple of strong performances by the older members of the team. Graduate Student Tom Appenheimer finished 10th with a time of 25:09.6 which earned him a spot as All-MAAC. Sophomore Kyle Urban wasn’t far behind Appenheimer as Urban finished 18th with a time of 25:44.2, just missing All-MAAC by a couple of spots. Seniors Max Chew and Ronan McDonald finished 27th and 28th respectively with times of 26:17.9 and 26:21.7. Sophomore Brody Jones also had an excellent race as he rounded out the Golden Griffins with a place of 31st and a time of 26:28.0.
Overall, the race for the men was good. Even though they had wanted more going into the race, the team was pleased with how the performance had improved from last season.
“Overall, our performance was a step up from last year, despite not everything going perfectly,” said Appenheimer on Thursday. “We put together a solid performance, and I’m happy about that. The course was tough, and the heat didn’t help, but we understood that everyone had the same conditions that we did, so we didn’t make too big of a deal.”
The women also had a great race. Leading the way, as usual, was Graduate Student Olivia Moran who nearly won the 6k. Moran finished 2nd with a time of 20:56.8, and though she was disappointed to not win the race, it was a great feeling to show all the hard work that she has put in during this season and throughout the last 4 years.
“I was very happy with my performance, but it still stings a little to get 2nd by such a small margin,” said Moran on Wednesday. “Either way, I made a lot of improvement from last year, so I can’t complain.”
Junior Kayla Schmidt was the next Golden Griffin to finish at 17th with a time of 22:06.9. The final 3 came in with each other. 5th Year Marissa Silba came in 33rd with a time of 23:10.8 while Senior Jules Jones placed 38th with a time of 23:20.7 and Sophomore Jacqueline Appenheimer placed 40th with a time of 23:32.0. Overall, it was a good race for the Golden Griffins. Though, like the men’s team, the women had higher expectations for the race, everyone was pleased to have done well in conditions that weren’t favorable to running a good race.
“We had big goals going in and came up short,” said Moran. “It wasn’t our best performance, but luckily we still have 1 more race to prove ourselves and compete against a lot of the same teams that we did at MAACs. I think we were really well prepared for the meet in terms of training and mentality, but just came up a little short that day.”
The Golden Griffins will travel to the NCAA Northeast Regionals next weekend, beginning on November 10th. The women are ranked 14th which will be the 1st time that either team is ranked. Though the men are unranked, they are excited to finish off the 2023 cross country season with a strong performance at regionals.
November 1st, 2023
Seniors Lead Charge as Men’s Soccer Defeats Peacocks 3-0
Written by: Andrew Nowel
On the final day of the regular season for the Canisius Golden Griffins men’s soccer team, they would have an excellent finish to a season filled with struggles. It was Senior Day at Demske Field for the Golden Griffins and all 4 Seniors would help the Golden Griffins in big ways in a 3-0 victory over the Saint Peter’s Peacocks. Graduate Student goalkeeper Spencer Catalano and Graduate Student defender Inder Thind as well as Senior defender Riley Wagner and Senior forward Luke Szablewski all had a great day on the field and great celebration off the field.
The Golden Griffins had so much energy in the first 5 minutes of the 1st half that they scored the 1st goal which they had been struggling to do. Szablewski found the back of the net for his 1st of the season. Freshman midfielder Edson Flores and Freshman forward Matthew Fischer both were awarded assists on the goal, and this was a big goal for the Golden Griffins as it created momentum for the rest of the game.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better Senior Day,” said Szablewski on Sunday. “Going into the game, after not playing much throughout the season due to injury, I was still confident in myself and knew I could go out there and give 100 percent. I managed to put one in the back of the net after an amazing setup by Matthew and Eddie early in the game. That gave me the confidence I needed to carry me through the rest of the game.”
It wouldn’t be a 1-0 lead going into the half as Freshman forward Mason Petrucci found the back of the net for his 2nd goal of the season. Junior forward Ely Sidibe was awarded the assist, and the 2-0 lead was big going into the half. It was a great day for the Seniors, and the halftime lead was a great motivator for the team to keep playing well to earn a win in the final game.
“The win will definitely help the boys in the future with mentality and approaching a game with the mindset that we know we can win,” said Catalano on Sunday. “Maybe it had a little something extra because of the Seniors, and everyone truly was leaving everything they had out on the field. Everyone kept saying after the game, ‘Spencer, what a way to go out’ and I think that sums up that win for me. I’ve put 5 years of my life into this program, and a win like that really made that final whistle a lot more special. The shutout and win is something that I’ll never forget, and the ending couldn’t have been more bitter sweet.”
They came out with the same energy in the 2nd half, and it led to a 3rd goal being scored by the Golden Griffins. Sophomore midfielder Daniel Longo kicked the ball off of a corner kick toward the goal and before Szablewski could get his feet on it to attempt a shot, it bounced off a Peacock defender and into the net. This was a great goal for the Golden Griffins as it put the Peacocks away for good. The 3-0 victory was sweet for all 4 Seniors.
“It was a huge win, the last game of the season; it really reflects what we have been doing all season,” said Thind on Monday. “It felt bitter sweet because I know what our team is capable of. We just didn’t get the results we were hoping for. Personally, the ankle injury affected the start of my season, but I’m really happy getting all these minutes under my belt and helping the team on and off the field.”
“We won't hold any more importance of that game over any other game,” said Wagner on Wednesday. “It certainly has a different meaning versus winning a game earlier into the conference play. That being said, the result gives us something to build off of now going into the offseason. For the seniors, it's a good feeling, no doubt. For Luke to score after dealing with so many injuries and Spencer, Inder, and I to keep a clean sheet was incredible. Personally, I wouldn't trade my 4 years here for anything. Soccer has taught me so much in terms of life and leadership skills. The friends I've made along the way are ones that will stay with me forever, too."
The Golden Griffins finished 2-11-5 (1-6-3) on the season, and even though it wasn’t a pretty record, they had a lot of close and hard fought games. Next season, the Golden Griffins look to build on what they have learned in the last couple of seasons with Head Coach Michael Tanke leading the boys to the promised land of victory.
Stats for the game
The Golden Griffins recorded 21 shots (11 on goal) while the Peacocks recorded 13 shots (4 on goal).
Catalano recorded 4 saves while the Peacocks Senior goalkeeper recorded 9 saves.
The Golden Griffins had 9 corners while the Peacocks had 5 corners.
The Golden Griffins got called for 15 fouls while the Peacocks got called for 13 fouls.
Catalano, Thind, and Wagner all played 90 minutes with Catalano earning a shutout and Thind had 3 shot attempts with 1 on goal.
Szablewski played 47 minutes with a goal, an unofficial goal, and 3 more shot attempts with 2 of them going on goal.
October 31st, 2023
Golf Concludes Fall Season with Strong Performance at Sacred Heart Fall Classic
Written by: Andrew Nowel
It was a cool day in Milford, Connecticut as the Canisius Golden Griffins golf team headed out on October 15th to the course to begin the Sacred Heart Fall Classic. The 3-day invitational would show that the team played very well over the course of the fall, and the Golden Griffins would finish tied-7th to conclude their fall season.
The Golden Griffins had an excellent Day 1 as they shot a 310 as a team led by Freshman Alex Schickling who shot a 73 on the day which was tied-3rd best. Junior Ryan Edholm was not far behind Schickling with a 76 on Day 1. Both Schickling and Edholm were very happy with how their performances went on Day 1. The Golden Griffins finished 4th as a team after Day 1.
Day 2 was a rough day on the course for the Golden Griffins as they dropped to a team score of 315 and 5th place. The Hofstra Pride went from a score of 320 on Day 1 to a score of 309 on Day 2 to jump from last into 4 strokes behind the Golden Griffins. Schickling shot a 78 on Day 2 while Edholm shot an 84. Freshman Jake Dantonio improved from Day 1 to Day 2 as he had shot an 81 on Day 1, but shot a 79 on Day 2.
The Golden Griffins didn’t let Day 2 cause Day 3 to be a bad day of golf. The Golden Griffins shot a 311 and played really well. Nearly everyone improved from Day 2 and some even shot better than Day 1. The Pride shot a 307, tying the Golden Griffins for 7th place. The host Sacred Heart Pioneers B team made a huge jump as they had shot a 319 on Day 1 and 314 on Day 2, but a 297 on Day 3. This knocked both the Golden Griffins and the Pride down to 7th.
Overall, the invitational went well for the Golden Griffins as they finished with a total score of 936, or +72. Schickling finished tied-17th with a final score of 229, or +13 while Edholm finished tied-28th with a final score of 234, or +18. Even though Junior Ben Ramold didn’t compete at this invitational, he had a very good fall season and was very excited to see what the spring would bring as the team competed well this fall.
“I think we can take a lot of positives away from this season,” said Ramold on October 22nd. “We consistently had better tournament finishes than we had in my previous 2 years. We all had career lows, and we have a lot of young blood in the lineup, so to play this well in the fall, I think heading into the spring, we have a lot of momentum for MAACs. We’re a team of 9 guys, so we’re pretty tight, and we’re always there to help pick each other up and help instill confidence. Golf is pretty mental, but I think we did a good job of bouncing back after bad rounds or tournaments.”
The Golden Griffins finished 3rd out of 3 at the Little Three Championship, 10th out of 15 at the Red Bandanna Invitational, 9th out of 11 at the Cornell Fall Invitational, tied-7th out of 14 at the Matthews Auto Collegiate, 15th out of 19 at the Bucknell Invitational, and tied-7th out of 10 at the Sacred Heart Fall Classic.
October 31st, 2023
Volleyball Takes Down Red Foxes 3-1, Push for Playoffs Continues
Written by: Andrew Nowel
Coming off a huge conference win the previous day, the Canisius Golden Griffins volleyball team was excited to take the court on the road against the Marist Red Foxes. This excitement would lead to another successful day for the Golden Griffins as they defeated the Red Foxes 3-1 in an intense 4-set match.
The Golden Griffins started off strong in the 1st set, taking a 6-3 lead behind kills from 4 different players. The Red Foxes regained their composure and took control of the set as they took a 11-7 lead, and it seemed like the Golden Griffins were going toward a downward spiral. However, the Golden Griffins worked their way back to a 15-15 tie as Junior libero Jillian Hanna scored 3 consecutive aces to bring the momentum back to the Golden Griffins. It went back-and-forth with each team taking the upper hand multiple times. With the Golden Griffins down 24-21, Freshman outside hitter Lauren Hubert and Junior outside hitter Kara Zaucha helped to lead the Golden Griffins to the 26-24 set win, giving the Golden Griffins a 1-0 lead in the match.
The Red Foxes ran away with the 2nd set as they took a 12-2 lead early on. Zaucha’s 2 kills were the only bright spot in the first 14 points of the set, but the Golden Griffins subbed in Freshman outside hitter Cameron Grange which helped to fuel a small comeback through Zaucha earning a kill and then earning points while she was serving. The problem was that the original 10-point deficit was too big to overcome, and the Red Foxes would win the set 25-16.
Aces had been a huge part of the Golden Griffins’ offense during the first 2 sets, and that would continue as both Zaucha and Hanna would earn an ace that would help the team score crucial points. The Red Foxes came out strong again in the 3rd set, but this time the offense led by Hubert was the reason the Golden Griffins didn’t fall too far behind. Even though they were down 14-10, the Golden Griffins fought and went on a 5-point run with Hubert earning 3 kills. With the set tied at 21, the Golden Griffins worked to put away the Red Foxes, taking a 24-21 lead, but the Red Foxes scored the next 2 points. Hubert’s 15th kill of the match would be the winning kill of the set, taking a 2-1 lead in the match for the Golden Griffins.
Neither team could take control of the 4th set, but the Golden Griffins would prevail. Down nearly the entire set, the Golden Griffins fought until they won the set 25-23. Hubert would finish the match with 17 kills while Zaucha finished with 19 kills. Graduate Student outside hitter Ella Loussia earned 10 kills, and the entire Golden Griffins offense had a great day. Both wins of the weekend were huge as the Golden Griffins continued their push for the playoffs.
“Our 2 wins this weekend will definitely give us some leverage for the last 2 weeks of the regular season,” said Sophomore middle blocker Bella Mosquera after the match. “We’re going to be more confident in ourselves and our abilities to get the job done and finish in the top 6.”
The Golden Griffins return home for their final 2 home matches of the season, starting on Saturday against the Rider Broncs at 12 PM. Currently, the Golden Griffins are 1 game back from the Broncs in the MAAC while also having the tiebreaker against the Broncs. The Golden Griffins are tied with the Manhattan Jaspers for 7th place, and they also have the tiebreaker against the Jaspers as well.
Stats for the match
Golden Griffins- 75 points, 57 kills, 15 aces, 3 blocks, 55 assists, and 57 digs.
Red Foxes- 70 points, 54 kills, 9 aces, 7 blocks, 50 assists, and 71 digs.
October 30th, 2023
Ice Hockey Falls Short of Upsetting Spartans in 4-3 Loss
Written by: Andrew Nowel
The Canisius Golden Griffins ice hockey team was coming off their 1st ever matchup against the Michigan State Spartans back on October 20th when they took the ice for the 2nd ever matchup against the Spartans. The day before, the Spartans defeated the Golden Griffins without much trouble, but the Golden Griffins led by Freshman forward Matteo Giampa would not quit and forced the Spartans to nearly blow a 4-1 lead in the 3rd period. However, the Spartans held on for the 4-3 victory.
The 1st period was uneventful for the first 13 minutes of it. The Spartans were able to kill off multiple Golden Griffin power plays which gave them momentum to score the 1st goal of the game. With a 1-0 lead, the Spartans continued to play relaxed while the Golden Griffins once again tried to play catchup. In the final seconds of the 1st period, the Spartans were given a 5-minute major penalty and their player was given a game misconduct for an illegal hit, causing a couple roughing penalties to be added to the scoresheet as well.
From that point on, the game was chippy and both teams were playing with frustration. This helped get the Golden Griffins motivated as they would score on the power play nearly 12 minutes into the 2nd period, tying the game at 1. The Spartans didn’t like that as they scored short-handed just over a minute later to take a 2-1 lead. The power play, defensively, would cause another goal to be scored later in the game, but the Spartans also scored again early in the 3rd period to take a 3-1 lead. The next 10 minutes would be without a goal, and the Spartans scored again shorthanded to take a 4-1 lead. It seemed like, with 5 minutes remaining, the Golden Griffins were down and out.
However, Giampa took charge of the team by scoring with 3:14 to play in the game. This gave the Golden Griffins hope, now only down 4-2. The Golden Griffins would score again with Giampa, his 3rd of the season, to shorten the Spartans’ lead down to 4-3. Sadly, this goal came with 2 seconds remaining in the game, so the Golden Griffins ran out of time to complete the comeback. Giampa had an excellent game as he had 2 goals and an assist as he continued his strong start of his college career.
Senior forward Griffin Loughran scored his 1st goal of the season as the Golden Griffins’ 1st goal of that game with assists being awarded to Giampa and Graduate Student defenseman David Melaragni. It was both Giampa and Melaragni’s 1st assist of the season. On Giampa’s 1st goal, the assists were awarded to Loughran and Senior forward and captain Max Kouznetsov both their 1st assists of the season. Sophomore forward Oliver Tarr and Senior defenseman Luke Farthing both were awarded assists on Giampa’s 2nd goal of the game, and it was Tarr’s 2nd assist of the season while Farthing’s 1st.
The Golden Griffins return home this Friday to host the Holy Cross Crusaders at 6 PM at the Harborcenter in downtown Buffalo.
Stats for the game
Golden Griffins- 33 shots, -7 rating, 55% faceoffs, 16 penalty minutes, and 14 blocks.
Freshman goalie Ethan Robertson had 43 saves with 4 goals against.
Spartans- 47 shots, +9 rating, 45% faceoffs, 42 penalty minutes, and 7 blocks.
The Spartans Freshman goalie had 30 saves with 3 goals against.
October 28th, 2023
Volleyball Sweeps Saints in Huge Conference Match
Written by: Andrew Nowel
The Canisius Golden Griffins volleyball team took the court this afternoon on the road against the Siena Saints, hoping to come away with a critical victory that would help them on their journey to the MAAC playoffs. It wouldn’t take long for the Golden Griffins to wear down the Saints as they dominated the Saints throughout the match. The Golden Griffins won the match 3-0 as the push for the playoffs continues.
The Golden Griffins started off slowly in the 1st set with the Saints keeping pace with them until the Golden Griffins jumped to a 8-5 lead. The Saints worked their way to a 16-15 before the Golden Griffins took control of the set. Though the Saints tied the set at 22 before the Golden Griffins would finish with a 25-22 victory of the set, the Golden Griffins had the upper hand during the final moments of the 1st set. Junior outside hitter Kara Zaucha led the way with 5 kills while Sophomore middle blocker Isabella Mosquera also gave the Golden Griffins a lot of offensive attack with 4 kills in the set.
The 2nd and 3rd sets of the match were all Golden Griffins. From the moment each set started, the Golden Griffins had control which is what Head Coach Tom Hanna wanted to see from his team. Jumping out to a 10-5 lead in the 2nd set and winning that set 25-12 with a 7-point run in the middle of the set was a great way to show how good the Golden Griffins can be when they communicate and work together.
The Golden Griffins won the 3rd set 25-14 without much of a problem like the 2nd set. In the end, the Golden Griffins won the match 3-0 with Zaucha and Mosquera both earning 9 kills. Graduate Student outside hitter Ella Loussia earned 12 kills and Freshman middle blocker Kalia Reisma earned 2 blocks as well as 4 kills. It was a great match for the Golden Griffins as they had many players impact the match while working well together in a big conference match.
The Golden Griffins return to the court tomorrow at 1 PM in Poughkeepsie, New York against the Marist Red Foxes in another big conference match.
Stats for the match
Golden Griffins- 54 points, 46 kills, 4 aces, 4 blocks, 40 assists, and 53 digs.
Saints- 39 points, 29 kills, 2 aces, 8 blocks, 26 assists, and 39 digs.