Storrs, Conn. - Senior Jason Weeks set the program's Division I record for most career goals as the Canisius College hockey team completed a two-game sweep over Connecticut with a 5-2 win on Saturday night. The Griffs are now 13-11-4 on the season and 11-8-3 in Atlantic Hockey, moving just one point behind Mercyhurst for home ice advantage in the Atlantic Hockey Tournament.
"The record means a lot," Weeks said. "A lot of it has to do with staying healthy and being able to play in all situations. My teammates are also a big reason I have this record. Coming away with four points this weekend is just as big. We knew coming in that we needed to sweep to give us a chance at home ice. Now we just need to take it one game at a time and I know we'll come out hard on Friday."
Weeks tallied his 50th-career goal in the first period, surpassing the mark held by David Deeves, who recorded 49 career scores from 1998 to 2002. The senior also added an assist for two points on the night.
Senior Peter MacDougall, juniors Cory Conacher and Vincent Scarsella plus sophomore Scott Moser all added goals for the Griffs.
Senior Andrew Loewen recorded 32 saves on the night to earn his second-consecutive victory.
"It was a hard-fought win tonight," said Canisius head coach Dave Smith. "It wasn't a pretty win but we found a way to get goals and come away with the two points."
Weeks opened the scoring 14:43 into the contest with his record-setting goal on the power play. Moser gained possession of a loose puck on the boards and sent it to junior Chris Forsman on the blue line. Forsman then sent a shot toward goal and after a save, Weeks corralled the rebound and found the back of the net for the 1-0 advantage.
Scarsella added his 10th goal of the season just 1:53 later. Freshman Preston Shupe intercepted a pass and junior Cory Conacher tipped it back to the freshman. Shupe then left the puck for Scarsella, who sent a wrist shot past the Connecticut goalie for the 2-0 lead after one period of play.
Canisius continued its strong performance during the second frame, adding two more goals for the 4-0 advantage. MacDougall netted the team's third goal of the evening, scoring 10:21 into the period. On a rush, senior Ryan Klusendorf sent a pass to junior Derek Danowski, who then found MacDougall in front of the net. The senior knocked the puck in for his third score of the season.
Moser added his third goal with 2:59 left in the stanza. In the Griffs' zone, Weeks chipped the puck ahead to Josh Heidinger. The senior and Moser then skated in on a 2-on-1 rush and Moser took advantage when he knocked in a rebound for the 4-0 lead.
Connecticut finally got on the scoreboard with 11:38 left in the game when Matt Miller scored his first goal of the season in a 4-on-4 situation. Daniel Naurato added a power-play goal with 9:12 left in the game for his third goal of the year.
Conacher sealed the Canisius victory with an empty-net goal, his team-leading 18th score of the season, with 50 seconds remaining in the game. Scarsella registered an assist on the game-clinching score.
The Huskies (4-22-3, 4-16-3 Atlantic Hockey) held a slight advantage in shots, 34-33, including a 17-8 edge in the third period. Both teams went 1-for-2 on the power play. Garrett Bartus started for Connecticut, recording 21 saves, and Brad McInnis stopped seven shots in relief.
Canisius is back in action next weekend, playing Mercyhurst in a home-and-home series. The Griffs host the Lakers on Friday at 7:05 p.m. before meeting in Erie on Saturday.
Game Notes: Canisius completed a season sweep over Connecticut for the second time in school history (2004-05) and won four games against the Huskies for the first time in a single season ... Conacher entered the night leading the country with 1.60 points per game ... Conacher has registered multiple points in 14-of-26 games this season.
