BUFFALO, N.Y. (December 6, 2024) – The Sacred Heart University men's ice hockey team hit the road for the final weekend of the first half and opened its series at Canisius in style on Friday night. Felix Trudeau (Terrebonne, Quebec) went for three points (1-2-3) and Reid Pabich (Verona, Wis.) had his first career multiple-goal game, as the Pioneers chalked up a 4-2 victory in the Atlantic Hockey weekend opener at Harborcenter in downtown Buffalo.
 
Unlike last weekend, SHU (9-7-2, 8-5-1 AHA) was on it pretty much from the get-go on the road on Friday night. The Pioneers struck twice in the back half of the first period and never really looked back. First, Trudeau and Pabich teamed up to intercept a pass at their own blue line and ultimately sprung Trudeau in on a breakaway the other way from the left wing. Trudeau's attempt was stymied by the left pad of Ben Bonisteel in the Canisius net, but Pabich followed up the play and finished off the rebound for his fifth of the season, at the 11:33 mark.
 
"I liked our game tonight," said Associate Head Coach Steve Bergin after the game. "Over the past two games, we've started to put together 60-minute efforts."
 
Just under four minutes later, some slick puck movement led to a 2-0 lead at 15:17, after Paul Minnehan (Cypress, Calif.) dug out the puck behind the goal line on the right side. He sent it behind the net for Matthew Guerra (Orlando, Fla.), who immediately sent it out front for Max Dorrington (North Reading, Mass.). Dorrington hammered home his sixth of the campaign at the back door to double the lead.
 
Sacred Heart pushed the lead out to 3-0 just 80 seconds into the second frame. After gaining control behind the net, Pabich sent it to Trudeau in the left-wing corner. Trudeau worked it up to the point for Mikey Adamson (Quincy, Mass.), who let fly from there. Again, Bonisteel made the initial save, but again, Pabich was there to clean up the rebound, for his second of the night. It marked Pabich's first career multiple-goal game, in his 70^th career collegiate contest.
 
"Our details have been awesome; something we've really been honing in on is our stick detail and our discipline with that," continued Bergin. "All the guys rallied behind that and made it hard to play against tonight."
 
Canisius (5-9-1, 5-3-1 AHA) cut it back to 3-1 at the 5:27 mark. Stefano Bottini was allowed multiple hacks at the puck out front and eventually put home his own rebound for his second goal of the year.
 
The Golden Griffins had a golden opportunity just minutes later on the power play to cut the deficit to one, but were robbed blind by Ajeet Gundarah (Richmond, British Columbia), who came up with a highlight-reel stop. Kyle Haskins took the initial shot from the left wing on the rush and the first-year netminder stopped that one easily, but the theatrics were yet to come. Alec Cicero crashed the net hard looking for the rebound and got to it, but Gundarah flashed a quick glove hand to save the day. Cicero fell to the ice, wiped out Gundarah and wound up in the net, but the puck stayed out, and the game stayed 3-1.
 
Once again, SHU struck early in the third period, on the power play at the 1:01 mark, to reclaim a three-goal lead. From up top, Adamson moved the puck to the left side for Marcus Joughin (Tecumseh, Ontario), who carried down low. Joughin then found a seam across the slot and to the middle of the left circle for Trudeau, who hammered home a one-timer for his team-leading 10^th goal of the season and third point of the game.
 
Canisius would get one back at 17:22, on a power play of its own, to create the 4-2 final. Jack Budd set up Cicero in the left circle and the latter blasted home a big one-time shot for his second of the campaign.
 
Canisius got Bonisteel to the net in favor of the extra attacker over the final 2:10, must mustered just one more shot as the Pios finished off the victory.
 
Gundarah (7-2-1) finished with 25 saves against 27 shots to pick up the win in the SHU crease. Bonisteel (1-3-0) stopped 28 of 32 in the loss for Canisius.
 
The two teams will wrap up the weekend series on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Harborcenter.