By Peter Neville, Assistant Sports Editor
Two seasons after Canisius emerged victorious in the 2023 AHA Championship game, Canisius Hockey has bowed out of the AHA postseason in the quarterfinals for two consecutive years, having been swept by Bentley in two games last week.
It was a season of highs and lows for Trevor Large's team in his eighth season at the helm of Canisius hockey. The team started the season 1–6 after being swept by the No. 4 in the NCAA, Michigan State. However, they rebounded in their next seven games, winning against Army, Mercyhurst and RIT, moving to 5–2–1 in conference play through eight games.
The good times would not continue, however, as the team finished out their conference schedule with a 6–13–1 record in their final 20 games of the season. They ended in sixth place in the AHA, missing out on the first-round bye awarded to the top five teams in the conference.
Against Bentley, missing both their starting and backup goaltenders, Canisius lost Game 1, 4–0, and Game 2, 2–0, failing to score a goal in back-to-back games for the first time since Jan. 13, 2023, against Army.
With 11 graduate students and seniors on the roster, the Griffs are poised for a vastly different roster heading into next season. Kyle Haskings and Cole Kodsi have already signed deals with the Orlando Solar Bears, while Alec Cicero has agreed to terms with the Worcester Railers of the ECHL.
Freshman defenseman Dominic Payne was named to the AHA All-Rookie Team, while sophomore forward Matteo Giampa was named to the AHA All-Second Team. The potential individual awards don’t stop there for Giampa, though, as he was also named a finalist for the Individual Sportsmanship Award.
Despite the ups and downs, Canisius hockey surpassed preseason expectations. In the preseason coaches’ poll, Canisius was picked to finish in eighth place, but the team ended up finishing two spots above its projection and just one spot outside of earning a first-round bye, despite significant roster turnover last offseason. The Griffs will undergo even more roster changes next season, presenting another challenge for the Canisius coaching staff as they head into recruiting season.
Photo courtesy of Lucas Dembski