BOSTON – Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) announced its first men’s players of the week of the 2026-27 season, featuring student-athletes from Canisius (two), Holy Cross and Niagara.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Forward of the Week: Matt Kursonis, Jr., Holy Cross (West Boylston, Mass.)
Defenseman of the Week: Jimmy Goffredo, Sr., Canisius (Mount Laurel, N.J.)
Goaltender of the Week: Jack Lisson, Fr., Canisius (Oakville, Ont.)
Rookie of the Week: Alix Durocher, Fr., F, Niagara (Drummondville, Que.)

FORWARD OF THE WEEK
Matt Kursonis had a goal in each game as Holy Cross opened its season with a split against Maine. 

Friday, he picked up a blocked shot in the defensive zone and raced the length of the ice for a shorthanded goal, Holy Cross’s only tally of the night. Saturday night, playing downtown at the DCU Center, he opened the scoring with an even strength wrist shot. He had four shots on the weekend and led all skaters with 22 faceoff wins (53.7%).

Kursonis, the Crusaders’ leading active career scorer, has 18 goals and 30 assists (48 points) in 60 career games played.

This marks the second time in his career that Kursonis has been named AHA’s Forward of the Week. He was also a three-time Rookie of the Week in 2024-25.

DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Jimmy Goffredo made a big impact in his first weekend with Canisius, posting a goal and an assist in each game as the Golden Griffins shut out Ferris State on Friday night, 4-0, and tied on Saturday, 5-5 (winning the shootout).

The RPI transfer scored the first goal on Friday on the power play, which would go down as the game-winner. He shared the team lead with five blocked shots on the weekend and had a +1 rating. 

Goffredo’s four points led all AHA skaters on the weekend and his six shots on goal led conference defensemen. 

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Jack Lisson posted a 23-save shutout in his collegiate debut Friday night for Canisius, then came on in relief Saturday night and stopped all eight shots he faced in the third period and overtime. Lisson’s Saturday night efforts allowed Canisius to come back from a 5-3 deficit to earn a tie, and he won the ensuing shootout, 2-1.

Lisson is the only goaltender in the nation to make multiple appearances last weekend and not allow a goal.

He became the first freshman goaltender to start a season opener for Canisius since 2005-06 (Dan Giffin vs. Robert Morris) and the first Golden Griffin goaltender to post a shutout in his debut for the program in its Division I era (since 1998-99).

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Alix Durocher assisted on three of Niagara’s four goals in its season-opening victory against RIT Friday night, as the Purple Eagles won, 4-1. He sits atop the team scoring list with three points through two games.

Durocher’s three points on the weekend lead all AHA freshmen and rank tied for second among freshmen nationally. 

ABOUT ATLANTIC HOCKEY AMERICA
Atlantic Hockey America is in its third season in 2026-27 following the merger of the Atlantic Hockey Association and College Hockey America. The conference fields nine Division I men’s teams and seven women’s teams representing 14 institutions. For more information, visit atlantichockeyamerica.com or follow the conference on X (@Atlantic_Hockey), Instagram (@atlantichockeyamerica) and Facebook (Atlantic Hockey America). Watch Atlantic Hockey America home games on FloHockey.