Mike Depitrillo scored the game-winner at with 4:46 left in the third period Saturday as Guelph defeated Canisius 5-4 in a see-saw exhibition game at the Buffalo State Sports Arena.
Guelph jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first 10 minutes of the first period on goals by Chad Schwartzentrubber and Jon Abbott. The Ice Griffs were able to pull even by the end of the second period as Canisius scored three goals to tie the game at 3-3. Canisius received two goals from senior forward Todd Bisson and another by junior forward Jarrett Zielinski.
“We played hard and were able to get a good amount of ice time for some of our players who will see significant action throughout the season,” Canisius coach Brian Cavanaugh said. “These exhibition contests give us an opportunity to learn from our mistakes and try to stay healthy for the regular season. I was impressed with the ability of our players to bounce back after the first 10 minutes of the game.”
Canisius took the 4-3 lead on a power-play goal by junior forward Jeff Street that slipped past Guelph goalie Frank Doyle to give Canisius its first lead of the game at the 11:44 mark of the third period. The Gryphons bounced right back as Geoff Faulkner scored from the left slot two minutes later to tie the score at 4-4.
“Guelph was a solid opponent for us to open against,” Cavanaugh said. “They are comparable to a Quinnipiac and Mercyhurst type of opponent from the MAAC. It gives us a good visual of the upcoming season.”
Sophomore forwards Marc Bouffard and Paul DiPasquale and freshman defenseman Daryl Pierce each tallied two assists for the Ice Griffs.
Canisius heads on the road to Waterloo, Ontario, to compete in the 2000 Oktoberfest Invitational this weekend. The Ice Griffs face off against Western Ontario on Friday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. at the Columbia Icefield on the campus of the University of Waterloo.
