By: Peter Neville, Assistant Sports Editor
After starting the season 1–4, Canisius Hockey is looking to build momentum as they head into their toughest match of the season against the fourth-ranked team in the nation, Michigan State.
The Griffs notched their first win of the season earlier this week, taking down Mercyhurst 6–3 in their first Atlantic Hockey game of the year.
“I think, as a team, we accomplished our goal,” said senior captain Matt Vermaeten. “I don't think that we played the best game that we’ll play all year, but I think it was a step in the right direction and a really good confidence boost for the rest of the season.”
Vermaeten scored his second goal of the season in Tuesday night's win, but he gave all the credit to his teammates who set him up for a wide-open shot at the net. “I was jumping onto the ice for a change; the puck was in behind the net with Giampa, and he had a couple guys swarming him, so he gave it over to Kash Rasmussen, who had a bunch of guys funneling over to him, which left me wide open,” said Vermaeten.
This weekend, Canisius will play their most anticipated regular season series since 2019 – when they faced North Dakota – as national powerhouse Michigan State comes to town after playing the Griffs at the Munn Ice Arena last season.
Michigan State currently sits as the #4 team in the nation in the AP poll, after winning the Big Ten championship last season and splitting a series with No. 2 Boston College earlier this month. Their roster also boasts plenty of NHL talent, including two players who were selected by the Sabres: Patrick Geary and Maxim Štrbák. In his postgame interview with Maggie Tifft, Canisius coach Trevor Large believes that despite the hype around the game, if his team plays like they did against Mercyhurst, they will have a chance at beating such a talented opponent.
“It was really the first time all year that I thought we played well most of the game,” said Coach Large. “They were committed to what we were trying to do; we weren't trying to play someone else's game, we were playing ours. That's going to be required against a very good Michigan State team.”
The puck drops in this highly anticipated matchup between Canisius and Michigan State this Friday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m. at the LECOM Harborcenter.
Photo Courtesy of Chloe Breen
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