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The Canisius Golden Griffins are the 46th team in our 2018 schedule preview series and the third team from the MAAC. The Griffins finished last year 6-9 and second in the MAAC, but lost to Marist in the conference semifinals. They also had a coaching change, with Randy Mearns leaving for St. Bonaventure and Mark Miyashita coming in from Sacred Heart.
Here’s the entire 2018 schedule:
Canisius’ 2018 Schedule
| Date | Road Team | Home Team | Special Notes | Last Year's Meeting(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Road Team | Home Team | Special Notes | Last Year's Meeting(s) |
| 2/17 | Canisius | Dartmouth | 13-8 W | |
| 2/20 | Canisius | Binghamton | 11-7 L | |
| 2/24 | Canisius | Furman | In Radnor, Pennsylvania (Radnor HS); first meeting since 2015 (9-8 L/OT) | |
| 3/3 | Cleveland State | Canisius | 17-7 W | |
| 3/17 | Canisius | Colgate | First meeting since 2009 (15-11 L); 0-13 overall | |
| 3/20 | Canisius | Albany | 20-11 L | |
| 3/24 | Canisius | Siena | MAAC | 11-10 L |
| 3/27 | Hobart | Canisius | 18-11 L | |
| 3/31 | Canisius | Marist | MAAC | 17-6 W, 8-5 L |
| 4/7 | Detroit Mercy | Canisius | MAAC | 11-5 W |
| 4/10 | Robert Morris | Canisius | 12-7 L | |
| 4/14 | Canisius | Quinnipiac | MAAC | 10-6 W |
| 4/20 | Manhattan | Canisius | MAAC | 12-10 W |
| 4/27 | Monmouth | Canisius | MAAC | 11-6 L |
Canisius lets go of Denver and Air Force from the Pioneer Face-Off Classic, and replaces them with Colgate and Furman.
Let’s check out some notable games on this schedule:
Best Nonconference Game: @ Colgate
It’s the first time these teams are meeting this decade, and both are aiming to be teams on the rise in their respective conferences. The Raiders have missed the Patriot League Tournament for two consecutive years after winning the conference tournament in 2015. But they’ve shown small improvements.
Best Conference Game: vs. Monmouth
The Griffins are looking for a chance to take the MAAC conference this year with players such as attackman Connor Kearnan and goalie Liam Ganzhorn leading the way. But they’ll have some work to do to take control, and one of those teams will be Monmouth at home. They played the Hawks to a close 11-6 contest last year, but the Hawks will have some new guys this year.
Under The Radar Game: vs. Furman (in Radnor, PA at Radnor High School)
The Paladins surprised many in the SoCon by winning a share of the regular season conference title. Lou Yovino and Alec Van de Bovenkamp spearheaded Furman’s run last year as freshmen, and they’re another year older. But could the Griffins catch them under a sophomore slump?
Possible Upset: @ Albany
Midweek game, so anything could happen. If Canisius doesn’t allow 15 goals in the first half (nine alone in the second quarter), maybe there’s hope! It’s a very tough task, but it is possible!
For other schedules and team rosters, check out our Men’s Division I matrix.