YourHub's College Hockey Weekly

A look at your college hockey programs in Western New York: Canisius, Niagara and BuffaloState College.

Division I

USCHO.com men's poll: 1.) Miami; 2.) Michigan; 3.) Michigan State; 4.) Denver; 5.) North Dakota; 20.) Niagara

USCHO.com women's poll: 1.) Wisconsin; 2.) Mercyhurst; 3.) New Hampshire; 4.) Minnesota-Duluth; 5.) St. Lawrence

Canisius men's ice hockey
( 2-5-2, 2-3-1 Atlantic Hockey)

GoGriffs.com reports: "The Canisius College hockey team defeated the Holy Cross Crusaders, 4-2, in a Saturday matinee game. The Griffs improved to 2-5-2 and 2-3-1 in Atlantic Hockey play, while the Crusaders fell to 4-3-1 and 3-2-1 in league play.

"'We played very, very well,' said Canisius College head coach Dave Smith. 'It wasn't a perfect game but I think we learned we can win when we are not perfect. I am happy for our guys. We stuck to the game plan and the little victories made the difference.'

"Senior Kyle Bushee (pictured) led the Griffs with three points on one goal and two assists. Sophomore Jason Weeks recorded a goal and an assist, while sophomore Alec Wright and sophomore Josh Heidinger both added a goal.

"Sophomore Andrew Loewen posted 28 saves in between the pipes to earn his first victory of the season.

"Holy Cross got on the scoreboard first when J.P. Martignetti tallied his first goal of the season 9:23 into the game. The Griffs quickly answered back when Weeks notched his first goal of the season at the 13:25 mark. Senior David Kasch sent a crossing pass toward the goal and Weeks knocked it in for his first score of the season. Bushee also recorded an assist on the score.

"Wright helped the Griffs claim the lead 5:03 into the second period. Freshman Scott Jenks fired a shot from the blue line but the Holy Cross goalie made the save. Wright collected the rebound and knocked it in for his first goal of the season. Sophomore Peter MacDougall added an assist on the score.

"Bushee gave the Griffs at 3-1 advantage just shortly later. The senior made a nice move in front of the goal to fake out a Holy Cross defender and then found the back of the net for his first goal of the season. Weeks and Kasch posted the assists on the goal.

"Loewen and the Canisius continued their strong play in the second and third period. Holy Cross, which entered the game ranked second in the country converting on 32.6 percent of its power play, could not score on four opportunities in the second and third stanza. The Crusaders even had 1:08 of five-on-three but still couldn't break through.

"The Crusaders finally did pull within one with an even-strength goal. Martignetti scored his second goal of the day with 6:01 remaining in the game but could not score the equalizer. Heidinger scored an empty-net goal with 10.3 seconds remaining to seal the victory. Bushee and junior Specner Churchill posted an assist on the score.

"The Griffs continue Atlantic Hockey play next weekend at American International. The two schools begin the series on Friday at 7:05 p.m. and wrap up play on Saturday at 4:05 p.m. in Springfield, Mass."

Niagara men's ice hockey
( 6-3-0, 2-2-0 CHA)

From PurpleEagles.com: "The No. 19 Niagara men's hockey team (6-3-0, 2-2-0) ended its two week road trip on Saturday with a 4-2 loss at RMU Island Sports Center. This game, paired with Niagara's Friday night shut-out ends the two game series for the Purple Eagles.

"While being tied at the close of the first period, Niagara found themselves down by two goals less than halfway through the second period. The rhythm changed for the Purple Eagles when RMU's Denny Urban received a checking from behind penalty, putting Niagara on the power-play for five minutes. Junior Ted Cook(Hogansburg, N.Y.) put Niagara on the board with less than five minutes remaining in the period from a pass across the crease from Egor Mironov sneaking the puck past Christian Boucher, advancing the Purple Eagles to only one goal behind the Colonials.

"Robert Morris answered back midway through the third period on a power play goal by David Boguslawski. Les Reaney(Ceylon, Sask.) responded with a wrister from the slot off a pass from the point by Bryan Haczyk (Nutley, N.J.), knocking the score up to 3-2.

"Calling a time-out with about a minute to go in the game, and putting an extra skater on the ice, head coach Dave Burkholder hoped to spark the Purple Eagles into one scoring one more goal. unfortunately, Colonial Ryan Cruthers had an open break to the offensive zone, scoring an empty net goal.

"With twenty penalties between the two teams during the game, this match was controlled mostly by special teams. Niagara went 1 for 11 on the power play while Robert Morris scored three during it's eight power plays.

"Boucher recorded 21 saves on the game for the Colonials, While Juliano Pagliero( Dalroy, Alb.) stopped 37 shots, making a remarkable 82 saves throughout the weekend.

"Overall, Niagara has had a tough road schedule throughout this first part of the season traveling to six of it's nine games. Niagara begins a six game home stand on Nov. 16 when it hosts Sacred Heart and puts it's 20 game home unbeaten streak on the line at Dwyer Arena."

Niagara women's ice hockey
( 5-2-2)

PurpleEagles.com notes: "The women's hockey team built a 2-0 lead and held on for the 2-1 victory over Bemidji State on Saturday, during Skate For The Cure Weekend at Dwyer Arena. Sophomore Jill Zelonis (Ashland, Va.) was solid in net for the Purple Eagles, making 20 saves.

"Niagara University raised $2,810 during the second annual Skate For The Cure, a College Hockey America initiative. Those proceeds, and all others gathered by CHA members throughout the season, will be presented in March to The Hope Chest and the Luminina Fund, two local organizations that raise awareness for breast cancer, during the CHA Tournament, which will be hosted by Niagara.

"Freshman Venla Heikkila (Tampere, Finland) gave Niagara an early 1-0 lead on one of the prettiest goals you will ever see. The forward was waiting in the wings and reading a pass by the Beavers defense. She sprung toward center ice, stole the pass and turned on the jets, skating alone toward the net. A few jukes later, Heikkila flipped the puck past Emily Brookshaw, beating the netminder on her glove side.

"Late in the second period, the Purple Eagles were beneficiaries of a double deflection, as Heikkila and sophomore Mary McKinnon (Summerside, P.E.I.) got a stick on Christina Jablonski's (Troy, Mich.) shot from the point. McKinnon's deflection skimmed the pipe and rattled home for the eventual game winner.

"BSU's Erin Cody added a rebound tally early in the third period to inch closer, but Zelonis was strong between the pipes, turning away every other Beaver scoring chance.

"'We are very happy to take three out of four points on the weekend,' head coach Margot Page said.

"The Purple Eagles return to action when they travel to North Dakota for a two-game series, Nov. 16-17."

Division III
USCHO.com men's poll: 1.) Middlebury; 2.) Manhattanville; 3.) Wisconsin-RiverFalls; 4.) Plattsburgh; 5.) Wisconsin-Stout

USCHO.com women's poll: 1.) Plattsburgh; 2.) Middlebury; 3.) Wisconsin-Stevens Point; 4.) Amherst; 5.) Elmira

BuffaloState men's ice hockey
( 2-4-2, 1-1-2 SUNYAC)

Buffalostate.edureports: "Men's hockey player Jason Hill (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) was named the Buffalo State Athlete of the week after registering three points on the SUNYAC weekend.

"The junior business major scored the only goal in a loss to No. 5-ranked Plattsburgh on Friday, and then had a goal and an assist in Saturday's 2-2 tie against Potsdam. Hill leads the Bengals with 11 points this season and is seventh in school history with 74 in his career."

Buffalo State will host Elmira on Tuesday at 7 p.m., and will travel to Fredonia on Friday and defending NCAA Division III champion Oswego on Saturday.

BuffaloState women's ice hockey
( 1-2-0, 0-2-0 ECAC West)

Buffalostate.edunotes: "No. 6-ranked RIT (4-0/4-0) completed the weekend sweep of Buffalo State (1-2/0-2), defeating the Bengals, 3-1, in an ECAC West game today at the Ice Arena.

"RIT opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal three minutes into the second period. Buffalo State evened things with a power-play goal at the 14:43 mark, as Mariah Fairgrieve (Ft. Erie, ON/Lakeshore Catholic) scored her first of the season with an assist from Melissa Jeckovich (Niagara Falls/Niagara Falls). The Tigers regained the lead less than two minutes later with another shorthanded tally. RIT added another goal in the third frame to seal the victory.

"Shannon Anesetti (Canonsburg, PA/Canon-McMillan) made 39 saves for Buffalo State. RIT was 1 of 8 with the skater advantage, while the Bengals finished 1 of 13.

"Buffalo State will return to action next Saturday and Sunday when the Bengals travel to Neumann for a pair of ECAC West games."