BOSTON - Nine Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) men's programs hit the ice for regular season play this week, with four teams having their first test of the season.
Two programs enter the week undefeated, with (RV) Canisius the only 2-0 team in the AHA, having started undefeated for the first time since the 1998-99 season.
Oct. 10-11 (Friday/Saturday)
- (RV) Bowling Green at Niagara
- Union at Mercyhurst
- LIU at (RV) Canisius
- Holy Cross at No. 6/6 Maine
- (RV) Sacred Heart at RIT - AHA
Oct. 10 (Friday)
- Army at (RV) Northeastern
- (RV) Bentley at (RV) Colorado College
- No. 5/5 Denver at Air Force
Oct. 11 (Saturday)
- (RV) Colorado College at Air Force
- Bentley at No. 5/5 Denver
Oct. 12 (Sunday)
- Among active skaters, Air Force senior defenseman Chris Hedden is tied for second in most power play goals (5) during October in nonconference matchups.
- Hedden's 22 goals are tied for the third most by an AHA blueliner in conference history through their first 112 games.
- Niagara senior forward Glebs Prohorenkovs leads active players with 1,204 faceoff wins, 132 more than anyone else.
- Matt DeBoer enters the weekend with 119 career games played, tied for the second-most among current players in Division I.
- In AHA history between Oct. 3-5, only Mercyhurst's 11 goals in 2015-16 were more than Canisius's seven over its two games played.
AHA has its first conference matchup in 2025-26 as (RV) Sacred Heart visits Rochester, N.Y., to take on RIT for two games this weekend. Over the last 15 games in this series, RIT leads 9-5-1.
Last season, the Pioneers led 1-0-1 in two games. Sacred Heart senior forward Marcus Joughin leads active skaters in the series with four points (1G-3A) in six games played.
Canisius earned its first 2-0 start since 1998-99 when it handled Bentley in a weekend series.
The Golden Griffins have the opportunity to keep it rolling as LIU (0-1-0) heads to Buffalo, N.Y., for two games. The pair of New York teams has never met in regular-season action. Senior forward Grant Porter leads Canisius with three points (2G-1A) in two games played.
Only two Golden Griffins since 2015-16 have netted more goals in Canisius's first two games of the season than Porter.
Forward: Grant Porter, SR, Canisius (Weston, Mass.) - 2 PTS (2G-1A), 2 GP vs. (RV)/No. 20 Clarkson/St. Lawrence
Defenseman: Lukas McCloskey, FR, Army West Point (Newport Beach, Calif.) - 1 PT (1G), 1 GP at (RV) Union
Goaltender: Chase Clark, SR, Canisius (Williamsville, N.Y.) - 2 GP (2-0-0), 1.50 GAA, .956 SV% vs. (RV)/No. 20 Clarkson/St. Lawrence
Rookie: Marshall Finnie, FR, Niagara (Lethbridge, Alberta) - 2 PTS (2G), 1 GP vs. St. Lawrence
1.90 - Sacred Heart sophomore netminder
Ajeet Gundarah's 1.90 goals-against average is tied for the third lowest in the nation (min. 25 GP).
3 - Since 2020-21, only three players have scored two power play goals in their first Division I game, including freshman forward Marshall Finnie and junior forward Declan McDonnell.
5 - Army West Point freshman Lukas McCloskey is one of five active defensemen in the nation to score in their first collegiate game, and the only one to do so on the man advantage.
74 - Holy Cross head coach Bill Riga enters the weekend with 74 wins at the Division I level. Riga needs one win to reach the 75-win milestone, and 26 to reach triple digits.
Goals
- Grant Porter (Canisius) - 2
- Marshall Finnie (Niagara) - 2
- Declan McDonnell (Niagara) - 2
Assists
- Nicholas Niemo (Niagara) - 2
- Noah Eyre (Holy Cross) - 2
- Grant Porter (Canisius) - 1
- 23 others tied - 1
Points
- Grant Porter (Canisius) - 3
- Nicholas Niemo (Niagara) - 2
- Hunter Andrew (Canisius) - 2
- 3 others tied - 2
ABOUT ATLANTIC HOCKEY AMERICA
Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) is in its second season following the merger between the Atlantic Hockey Association and College Hockey America. The conference fields 10 Division I men's teams and seven women's teams. For more information, visit atlantichockeyamerica.com.
Connect with AHA on X (@Atlantic_Hockey), Instagram (@atlantichockeyamerica) and Facebook (Atlantic Hockey America).
Watch AHA home games on FloHockey this season.