Junior forward Michael Cohen’s goal with 2:52 remaining and a career-high 50 saves by freshman goaltender Dan Giffin led Canisius to a 5-2 win at Connecticut Saturday night. The Griffs (8-17-1, 6-17-1 AHA) have won three straight for the first time this season and jump into sixth place in Atlantic Hockey while the Huskies lost their 10th straight and fall to 7-17-1 overall and 6-14-0 in the league.
Giffin allowed a goal exactly five minutes into the game when Chris Myhro notched his ninth goal of the season. The goal was the first allowed by Giffin in 147:34 and was the longest shutout streak by a Griffin goaltender since Canisius went to Division I for the 1998-99 season.
The Griffs responded with two goals in the first period. Senior captain Fred Coccimiglio scored a power-play goal at 10:21 to tie the game at 1-1. Senior Andrew Dawe scored his first of two goals on the night at 15:17 of the first period to give the Griffs a 2-1 lead.
After a scoreless second period, Connecticut tied the game when Sean Burns beat Giffin at the 5:26 mark of the third period. The Blue and Gold responded with three goals in the last three minutes of the game, started by Cohen’s power-play goal off an assist from senior defenseman Brandon Irish-Baker. Canisius added two empty-net goals from senior defenseman Tim Songin and Dawe for the final margin.
The 50 saves by Giffin were a career high, the third most by a Canisius goalie since the 1999-2000 season and the most since Sean Weaver stopped 58 against Niagara Feb. 22, 2000. On the weekend, Giffin stopped 76 of the 78 shots faced and, overall, he’s turned back 141 of the last 143. In his last 10 appearances, Giffin (3-7-0) has a 1.76 goals-against average and .950 save percentage.
