Media Guide - Canisius College Griffins Athletics

Nick LoCoco 

MAAC Rookie of the Year 

Chris Courteau 

MAAC Championship MVP 

Adam Jones 

USILA All-American

In t r o d u c t io n 

Table of Contents 

2009 Golden Griffins 

Season Preview...............................................................2-3 

Coaching Staff.................................................................4-5 

Head Coach Randy Mearns.....................................4-5 

Coaching & Support Staff...........................................5 

2009 Roster.........................................................................6 

Player Profiles................................................................7-14 

Quick Facts 

General Information 

Men’s Lacrosse History 

Location...............................................Buffalo, NY 14208 

Founded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1870 

Enrollment ........................................................3,490 

Nickname ................................................Golden Griffins 

School Colors...............................................Blue & Gold 

President ..................................... Rev. Vincent M. Cooke, S.J. 

Athletic Director...............................................Bill Maher 

Faculty Athletic Rep..................................Dr. Shawn O’Rourke 

Athletic Dept. Phone.......................................716-888-2970 

Athletic Dept. Fax..........................................716-888-3174 

Team Information 

Affiliation ..............................................NCAA, Division I 

Conference .......................................Metro Atlantic Athletic 

First varsity season ..................................................1990 

Overall all-time record ............................................96-162 

No. of years in NCAA Tournament/last ...........................1/2008 

Venue ...........................................Demske Sports Complex 

Capacity .........................................................1,000 

Surface ......................................................Field Turf 

Press Box Phone Number. ................................585-615-5316 

2008 Record........................................................10-6 

Conference Record/Finish. .......................................7-1/1st 

Starters Returning/Lost ..............................................6/4 

Letterwinners Returning/Lost ..................................... 21/13 

Newcomers ..........................................................20 

Coaching Staff 

Head Coach ...............................................Randy Mearns 

Alma Mater/Year ..........................................Canisius ‘92 

Record at school (yrs) ...............................58-76 (10 Seasons) 

Career record (yrs) ...............................................Same 

Lacrosse office phone ....................................716-888-2967 

Best time/day to reach coach ...............................Contact SID 

Assistant Coach...........................................Jason Levesque 

Athletic Trainer .......................................... Melissa Donato 

2008 Season Review.......................................................15 

Year-by-Year Results.......................................................16 

Record Book...............................................................16-18 

Series History....................................................................19 

Game-by-Game Results..........................................19-20 

Canisius College 

Media Information 

Athletic Communications 

Canisius College Facts.............................................22-23 

Academic Services...........................................................24 

Life Skills............................................................................. 25 

Buffalo...........................................................................26-27 

Athletic Tradition............................................................ 28 

MAAC ................................................................................ 29 

Facilities.............................................................................. 30 

Administration...........................................................31-32 

Director ...................................................Matt Reitnour 

Assistant Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Matt Lozar 

Assistant Director/Men’s Lacrosse Contact ................Jason Veniskey 

Office Phone.............................................716-888-3767 

Cell Phone ...............................................585-615-5316 

E-Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . veniskej@canisius.edu 

Graduate Assistant................................ Lindsay Beckinghausen 

Office Fax ................................................ 716-888-8444 

Website ..............................................www.GoGriffs.com 

GoGriffs.com 

• Features information on 

all 16 Canisius College 

athletic teams. 

• Student-athlete 

and coaching staff 

biographies, up-tothe 

minute athletic 

news, game notes plus 

schedules and results 

• Live in-game statistics for 

all home games. 

• Live video and audio 

webcasts for select home contests. 

• Directions to all Canisius facilities. 

Media Guide Credits 

The Canisius men’s lacrosse guide was produced on a MacBook Pro with 

Adobe InDesign and Adobe Photoshop CS3. 

Editor: Jason Veniskey 

Contributors: Matt Reitnour, Matt Lozar, Lindsay Beckinghausen 

Photography: Tom Wolf Imaging, Stockton Photos Inc., Colorado 

Mammoth, Minnesota Swarm, New York Titans. 

Printer: Multi-Ad Services, Inc., Peoria, Ill. 

2009 CANISIUS MEN’S LACROSSE GUIDE 1

Se a s o n Pr e v i e w 

Defense 

With four returning starters on its defense, the unit can be viewed as the strength 

of the 2009 team. Seniors Mark Leonard, Matt Friedman and Brandon Martin 

plus junior Matt Barkas return with championship experience and will look to 

lead the Griffs in the coming season. 

Co-captains Leonard and Barkas will anchor the unit in 2009. Leonard led the 

Griffs with 17 caused turnovers in conference play, while Barkas scooped up a 

team-leading 73 ground balls in 2008. The junior placed sixth nationally among 

defenders with 4.56 ground balls per game. 

“Mark and Matt lead by example,” Mearns said. “Mark plays great positional 

defense, can throw a check when the opportunity occurs and can transition the 

ball with confidence. Matt is a vacuum cleaner on ground balls and we expect 

him to be all over the field. He has dedicated himself to build on his sophomore 

performance. I know he has the character and drive to do so.” 

Friedman started five games for the Griffs in 2008 before missing the remainder 

of the season due to an injury. Martin started 10 games on the defensive unit and 

adds a valuable option for Canisius in faceoffs. 

“It was such a tough year for Matt in 2008,“ Mearns said. “He has battled 

back from adversity with determination and his tenacity and heart is certainly 

welcomed back with open arms. Brandon came into his own last year and he will 

be a key component to our defensive success in 2009.” 

Senior Mark Leonard is one of five captains for the Griffs this season. 

A school-record in wins, check. A regular-season MAAC title, the second in three 

years for the Griffs, check. The first MAAC Tournament championship and a berth 

in the program’s first NCAA Tournament, check. All feats accomplished by the 

2008 Canisius men’s lacrosse program. 

What’s next for the Griffs? Repeat the success of the 2008 team and take it a step 

farther. 

“We want to build upon on the culture of last year’s success,” said Canisius head 

coach Randy Mearns. “Our goals are simple in nature. We want to be dedicated 

and committed to the hard work that is necessary for us to compete and win 

every game on our schedule. Win every ground ball, win every shift, and take 

advantage of every opportunity afforded us. Play together and execute. It is pretty 

simple stuff. 

“Those are goals we talk about and we have a clear understanding that no one 

is going to just hand us a win. We have a huge target on our back from every 

conference foe and each game will be a battle. The teams that we are playing in 

our non-conference schedule are extremely skilled and present huge challenges 

for us but we are ready to meet those challenges.” 

Canisius certainly returns the personnel to accomplish its goals for the 2009 

season. The Griffs return the program’s first All-American in Adam Jones plus 

the 2008 MAAC Rookie of the Year in Nick LoCoco. In total, Canisius returns 

six starters and 22 letterwinners with championship experience to mix with a 

talented and deep newcomer class. 

“We are excited about this year’s roster,” Mearns said. “This team has the 

most depth that we have had at Canisius in my tenure. Our returners are more 

experienced and committed. They have worked extremely hard to become better 

athletes and students of the game. Our freshmen are very talented studentathletes 

in their own right and they share the sense of culture that we have at 

Canisius.” 

The Griffs hope that their depth, talent, experience and confidence translate to 

wins on the field in 2009 and adds to the foundation the 2008 squad left. 

Sophomore Sean Murray will add depth to the unit after playing in five games 

during his rookie season. Hobart transfer Garrett O’Neill, junior Brendan Collins 

plus freshmen Nico Capron and Alex Nowak will also contribute to the team’s 

success in 2009. 

Defensive Midfield 

As with the close defense, the defensive midfield unit returns a great deal of 

experience in 2009. Anchoring the unit will be faceoff specialist and junior captain 

Tim Rowley. 

Rowley led the Griffs with 85 faceoff victories in 2008 and ranks third in school 

history with a 55.2 percent winning percentage at the X. Rowley will be joined by 

Dan Coates and Mike Rautenstrauch, who each played significant minutes as 

rookies in 2008 

“Tim is our best athlete and has been a starter since he arrived on campus two 

seasons ago,” Mearns said. “He will be our top face-off man and he is a do-it-all 

midfielder. He will lead the defensive-midfield unit as a junior captain. Dan is 

another terrific athlete. He was second-team All-Canadian in the junior box ranks 

this past summer and learned the field game on the job for us in the spring of 

2008. He now plays the game with confidence and understanding. Mike is another 

athletic player that logged a lot of minutes as a freshmen and we will look for him 

do the same this season.” 

Sophomore Andy Herrmann plus freshmen Justin Maderer and Mike Allaire will 

also add to the unit this season. Maderer is also another option for the Griffs at 

the faceoff X. 

Goaltender 

The challenge of the Griffs’ defensive unit will be playing with a new leader in 

goal. Canisius must fill the void left by Chris Courteau, who was named the MAAC 

Championship Most Outstanding Player and posted the second-best goals against 

average in school history during the 2008 season. The Griffs will turn toward 

senior Bryan Jack to pick up where Courteau left off. 

“It is no easy task to replace a starting goalie,” Mearns said. “Chris was certainly 

a great leader, communicator and stopper. I believe Bryan is a lot like Chris and is 

ready for the challenge. He communicates very well, He can stop the ball and has 

a great presence of mind to run the clear. He has been working diligently for this 

opportunity and I am confident that he will rise to the occasion.” 

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Se a s o n Pr e v i e w 

Nick LoCoco 

Adam Jones 

Bryan Jack 

Freshmen Kyle Bell, Sean Callahan and Kerry Freeburg will all compete for the 

back-up position behind Jack. The trio gives the Griffs a variety of options and are 

capable being quality goalies in the MAAC. 

Offense 

Another strong point for the Griffs in 2009 is the depth and options on the 

offensive end. The group will be led by LoCoco and Jones, both preseason All- 

MAAC honorees. Mearns then has a number of talented options on which to 

surround the skilled sophomores. 

“From an offensive position standpoint, the one player that we are set on is Nick 

LoCoco,” Mearns said. “It’s no secret that Nick is going to run our X. He will lead 

the offense with understanding and confidence. He is an intense competitor that 

can dodge, score and distribute the ball. He can distinguish defensive schemes and 

slide packages quickly and has an uncanny ability to see the open looks and make 

the plays. He knows that he will not be a surprise in 2009 but I am confident that 

he will meet the challenges of the extra attention thrown his way. 

“Adam is playing with so much more confidence this year.” Mearns said. “He 

understands the field game and you can see it in his eyes when he’s on the field. 

His experience in a Griff uniform last spring and his opportunity to compete at the 

world championship during the summer has taken his game to a new level. He is 

such a versatile player. He can play at midfield. He can play attack. He provides a 

lot of different options for us.” 

LoCoco recorded 46 points on 12 goals and 34 assists during his rookie campaign. 

He led the MAAC and ranked third nationally with 2.12 assists per game and 

posted at least one point in all 16 games. 

Jones led the Griffs with 47 points and 39 goals during his rookie season. One of 

three freshmen nationally to earn All-America accolades, Jones led all midfielders 

in the country with his 38 scores. Jones then added to his list of accomplishments 

during the summer, earning MVP and Top Midfielder honors at the U-19 Men’s 

Lacrosse World Championship while leading Canada to the silver medal. 

Senior Justin Rychlicki plus juniors Mike Benzinger, Alex Caldiero and John 

Minieri all bring some significant options for the Griffs in 2009. During their time 

at Canisius, all four have played both the attack and midfield positions and Mearns 

is excited about the possibilities. 

“All four have game experience and like Adam, all are very versatile athletes,” 

Mearns said. “They will definitely be counted on in the 2009 season.” 

Rychlicki played in 13 games as a junior, posting four points and three goals. 

Benzinger finished fifth on the team in 2008 with 17 points and tied for fourth 

with 12 goals. Caldiero also appeared in 13 contests and added 14 points, nine 

goals and five helpers. Minieri played in 10 games during his sophomore season, 

posting 11 points, six goals and five assists. 

Sophomores Greg Michael, Drew Caldiero and Tom Vivian add more depth to 

the offense and are looking to contribute in a significant manner in 2009. Michael 

appeared in all 16 games as a freshman, registering 12 points, nine goals and three 

assists, while Vivian played in eight games during his rookie season. 

Joining the offense in their inaugural season are a number of talented freshmen. 

Jimmy Haney played with LoCoco at Cicero-North Syracuse High School, where 

he recorded 119 goals and 83 assists during his career. Simon Giourmetakis joins 

the Griffs from Edmonton, Alberta, where he was a two-time MVP at St. Francis 

Xavior. 

Other players that can contribute to the team’s success and work their way into 

the rotation include freshmen Travis Gibbons, Chip Chapman, Jon Domres and 

Brendan O’Hagan. O’Hagan will also provide another option for the Griffs at the 

faceoff X. 

Schedule 

The Griffs once again face a difficult schedule in 2009, highlighted by playing three 

ranked teams and hosting the 2009 MAAC Championship. 

Canisius opens the season at No. 16 Colgate on Feb. 13 and will also play No. 4 

Cornell, No. 9 Princeton, Hobart and Robert Morris in non-conference action. 

The defending MAAC Champions open their title defense on March 14 at Marist. 

Canisius will host Saint Joseph’s, Mount St. Mary’s, Wagner and MAAC title game 

runner-up VMI and will travel to face Providence, Siena and Manhattan. 

The top four teams in the MAAC regular season qualify for the MAAC 

Championship, held at the Demske Sports Complex on May 1 and May 3. 


Co a c h in g Sta f f 

Randy Mearns 

Head Coach 

11th Season 

Canisius ‘92, ‘02 

Coming off the most successful season in school history, 

Randy Mearns is in his 11th season guiding the Canisius 

men’s lacrosse program. 

During his 10th year leading his alma mater, Mearns 

guided the Griffs to new heights. Among the many bright 

spots, the 2008 season included: 

• The Griffs earned their first trip to the NCAA Tournament. 

• Canisius won its first MAAC Championship, posting dominating victories over 

Manhattan (11-2) and VMI (14-5) en route to the title. 

• Mearns mentored the Griffs’ first All-American during the 2008 season. Adam Jones 

was honored by USILA and was one of only three freshmen in the country to earn 

All-America accolades. 

• The Griffs won the MAAC regular-season title for the second time in three seasons. 

Canisius also earned a share of the 2006 championship. 

• Nick LoCoco was named the MAAC Rookie of the Year, marking the second-straight 

season a Griff earned the honor. Tim Rowley was named the conference’s Co-Rookie of the Year in 2007. 

Mearns Year-by-Year 

Overall 

MAAC 

Year W L Pct. W L Pct. 

1999 4 8 .333 3 5 .375 

2000 3 10 .231 3 6 .333 

2001 7 6 .538 4 5 .444 

2002 5 8 .385 3 4 .429 

2003 5 9 .357 5 3 .625 

2004 6 7 .462 6 2 .750 

2005 5 7 .417 4 4 .500 

2006 7 8 .467 6 2 .750 

2007 6 8 .429 5 3 .625 

2008 10 6 .625 7 1 .875 

Totals 58 77 .430 46 35 .568 

• Canisius set school records with 10 wins and seven conference victories. The Griffs also set a program record with eight-consecutive wins during 

the season, doubling the previous standard. 

The 2008 season is just one of the many highlights during Mearns’ successful coaching tenure. In his 10 seasons, Canisius has won 58 games and 46 

conference games. Mearns led the Griffs to their first postseason appearance in 2003, earning a trip to the MAAC Tournament. Canisius has since 

participated in five of the last six tournaments, winning its first title in 2008. 

Individual success has also been a common theme under Mearns. A total of 16 Griffs have been earned all-conference accolades, highlighted by 

Jones and LoCoco in 2008, who both earned first-team honors. Along with Rowley and LoCoco, Kevin Ross was another Griff to earn an individual 

accolade, picking up MAAC Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2006. 

Mearns has also helped guide many of his student-athletes to the next level. Four Canisius standouts have been selected in the first round of the 

National Lacrosse League (NLL) Draft in the last six seasons. Mark Miyashita, who graduated from Canisius in 2003, was the first overall selection 

in the 2003 draft. 

Mearns also was an assistant coach on the Canadian national team that won the gold medal at the 2006 World Lacrosse Championship. The team 

was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2007 and Mearns also earned induction into the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2008. 

While coaching the Griffs, playing in the NLL and working as an investment advisor, Mearns conquered another personal goal and again graduated 

from Canisius College with a M.S. in Sport Administration in 2002. 

After helping the Canadian Junior National Team to a silver medal in the 1988 World Championships, Mearns was part of the first Canisius College 

recruiting class in 1989. Under former head coach Ed Van Tine, Mearns thrived offensively during his three-year stay and currently ranks second in 

career scoring with 190 points. He also still holds the single-season records for points (94) and assists (49) and is the Griff’s all-time leader in assists 

(95). 

Upon graduating cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in finance, Mearns was drafted by the Buffalo Bandits in the 1992 entry draft and was a member 

of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League World Champion Bandits team in 1993. 

Mearns joined the Rochester Knighthawks in 1995. As their team captain, he lead the Knighthawks to four championship appearances (’96, ’97, ’99, 

and ’00) during his seven-year tenure and raised the Champions Cup with a 1997 victory over his former team, the Buffalo Bandits. 

In the summer of 2001, the 1999 NLL All-Star Game MVP was picked up by the Calgary Roughnecks in the National Lacrosse League expansion draft 

and was immediately traded back to the Bandits. The 2002 season saw Mearns have his best offensive output in his nine-year career, scoring 14 goals 

and dishing out 24 assists for 38 points. 

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Co a c h in g Sta f f 

Balancing out the winter and spring months while at Canisius and playing professionally, Mearns 

played in the Canadian Junior A and Canadian Senior A Lacrosse Leagues. During a 10-year stint 

beginning in 1990, Mearns appeared in eight National Championships, five of them as team 

captain. Of these eight appearances, Mearns and his teammates were crowned champions six 

times. They include the 1990 Minto Cup Champion St. Catharines Athletics, the Mann Cup 

Champion Brampton Excelsiors (’92, ’93) and the Mann Cup Champion Six Nation Chiefs (’94, 

‘95’ ’96). 

During this same timeframe, Mearns was heavily involved in developing and coaching field 

lacrosse in the traditional box lacrosse hotbed of his hometown of St. Catharines, Ontario. He 

was the co-founder, coach, administrator and fundraiser of St. Catharines minor field lacrosse 

and was a significant participant in the development of the Ontario Minor Field Lacrosse League; 

A league that started with just under 10 teams in the early 90’s and presently flourishes with over 

140 teams. 

In 1994, Mearns relinquished many of his duties with the St. Catharines minor program and 

took over the Junior and Senior Niagara Raiders field lacrosse teams. In 1996, he was named 

as an assistant coach on the Canadian Junior National team that competed in the World 

Championships in Japan and helped guide the Canadians to a bronze medal finish. A year later, 

the assistant coaching job at Canisius was vacated and Mearns returned to Canisius to serve 

under Mike Greco. 

Returning with a silver medal from the 1998 World Championships in Baltimore where Mearns 

served as a tri-captain for the Canadian men’s team, he found himself with a glorious opportunity. 

Greco, after six years at the helm, stepped down as the head men’s lacrosse coach and Mearns 

was offered the job by retired Canisius athletic director Dan Starr. 

A 2005 inductee into the Canisius College Sports Hall of Fame, Mearns and his wife Connie reside in East Amherst with their two sons, Tanner and 

Owen. 

Jason Levesque 

Assistant Coach 

First Season 

Canisius ‘04 

Jason Levesque is in his first season as 

assistant coach for the Golden Griffin men’s 

lacrosse program. Levesque assists with the 

day-to-day operations of the program and 

serves as the team’s defensive and recruiting 

coordinator. 

Levesque returned to his alma mater after spending the last three years 

at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina. The St. Catharines, 

Ontario native led the Bobcats’ defense and recruiting efforts. In 2007, 

the team’s man-down defense ranked fifth in the country. 

A member of the first two teams at Canisius to earn a MAAC 

Championship berth, Levesque played for the Golden Griffins from 

2000 to 2004. A defensive midfielder, Levesque recorded six points, four 

goals, two assists and 101 ground balls during his career. 

Levesque earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Canisius 

in 2004 and in sports management from Lees-McRae in 2008. He is 

currently pursuing his master’s in sport administration at Canisius. 

Melissa Donato is in her fifth year on the 

Canisius College athletic training staff. 

She serves as the athletic trainer for the 

school’s volleyball, swimming and diving 

and men’s lacrosse programs. She joined 

the staff at Canisius after serving one 

year as the head athletic trainer at Akron High School in Akron, N.Y. 

Donato graduated with a bachelor of science degree from Elmira 

College in 2000, and earned her master’s degree from Central 

Connecticut State in New Britain, Conn. There, she worked with the 

school’s women’s soccer team as a graduate assistant. She also served 

as an assistant athletic trainer for the Buffalo Destroyers of the Arena 

Football League in 2002, and held the position of head athletic trainer 

for the United States Soccer League’s Connecticut Wolves. 

Donato is a member of the national and New York State Athletic 

Trainers Association, and has been an examiner for the BOC 

Certification exam. She also acts as an approved clinical instructor in 

the athletic training program at Canisius. 

Donato currently lives in Amherst. 

Melissa Donato 

Athletic Trainer 

Fifth Season 

Elmira ‘00 


2009 Ro s t e r 

Numerical Roster 

No. Name Cl. Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/Previous School 

1 Bryan Jack Sr. GK 6-0 195 Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central 

2 Mike Benzinger Jr. M 6-0 182 Buffalo, N.Y./St. Francis 

3 Nick LoCoco So. A 5-9 165 Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse 

4 Matt Friedman Sr. D 5-9 165 Hamburg, N.Y./St. Francis 

5 Mike Rautenstrauch So. M 6-0 203 Buffalo, N.Y./St. Francis 

6 Alex Nowak Fr. D 6-1 175 Penfield, N.Y./Penfield 

7 Drew Caldiero So. M 6-0 183 Buffalo, N.Y./Bishop Timon-St. Jude 

8 Chip Chapman Fr. M 5-11 160 White Plains, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac 

9 Alex Caldiero Jr. M 6-1 187 Buffalo, N.Y./Canisius 

10 Garrett O’Neill Jr. D 6-4 214 Buffalo, N.Y./Hobart College 

11 Sean Murray So. D 6-2 185 Boston, N.Y./Hamburg 

12 Justin Rychlicki Sr. M 6-0 185 East Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville North 

13 Jimmy Haney Fr. A 6-0 155 Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse 

14 James McCready Jr. A 5-8 160 East Aurora, N.Y./Iroquois 

15 Jon Domres Fr. M 5-10 160 Hamburg, N.Y./Hamburg 

16 Tim Rowley Jr. M 6-0 185 West Seneca, N.Y./West Seneca West 

17 Greg Michael So. A 6-2 195 Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park 

18 Matt Barkas Jr. D 5-11 188 Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair 

19 John Minieri Jr. A 5-7 160 Lafayette, N.Y./Bishop Ludden 

20 Travis Gibbons Fr. A 6-2 220 Owen Sound, Ontario/Owen Sound CVI 

21 Andy Herrmann So. M 5-10 160 Hamburg, N.Y./Hamburg 

22 Mike Allaire Fr. M 5-11 190 Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park 

23 Adam Jones So. M 5-9 182 Owen Sound, Ontario/St. Mary’s 

24 Mark Leonard Sr. D 6-1 190 Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill 

25 Brendan O’Hagan Fr. M 6-1 170 Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side 

26 Brendan Collins Jr. D 6-0 177 Binghamton, N.Y./Binghamton 

27 Simon Giourmetakis Fr. M 5-10 186 Edmonton, Alberta/Center 

28 Brandon Bortignon Fr. A 5-11 183 Coquitlam, British Columbia/Kiski School 

29 Kerry Freeburg Fr. GK 6-1 196 Buffalo, N.Y./Canisius 

30 Justin Maderer Fr. M 5-10 174 Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park/U.S. Academy Military Prep 

31 Eric Rickan Sr. D 6-3 176 Buffalo, N.Y./Williamsville North 

32 Nico Capron Fr. D 6-6 205 Waxhaw, N.C./Weddington 

33 Brandon Martin Sr. D 6-2 210 Red Wood City, Calif./St. Ignatius Prep 

34 Kyle Zitnik Jr. M 5-7 206 Blasdell, N.Y./Frontier 

35 Chris Kist So. M 5-11 165 Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Mendon 

36 Tom Vivian So. M 6-3 205 Buffalo, N.Y./Bishop Timon-St. Jude 

37 Dan Coates Jr. M 6-1 195 St. Catharines, Ontario/West Park SS 

38 Ryan O’Hagan Fr. D 6-2 170 Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side 

39 Mike Albert Fr. A 5-10 175 Orchard Park, N.Y./St. Francis 

40 Sean Callahan Fr. GK 5-11 229 Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park 

41 Kyle Bell Fr. GK 5-6 227 San Francisco, Calif./St. Ignatius Prep 

42 Brendan Murphy Fr. D 5-10 170 Williamsville, N.Y./St. Joseph’s 

43 Joe Greenwald Fr. M 6-0 165 East Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville North 

46 Mike Beyer Sr. M 6-4 240 West Seneca, N.Y./St. Francis 

Roster Breakdown 

Captains 

Matt Barkas 

Mike Benzinger 

Adam Jones 

Mark Leonard 

Tim Rowley 

By Class 

Freshman........................................18 

Sophomore...................................... 9 

Junior..............................................10 

Senior................................................ 7 

By Position 

Attack................................................ 8 

Midfielder......................................20 

Defender........................................12 

Goalkeeper...................................... 4 

By State/Province 

Canada.............................................. 5 

Alberta........................................... 1 

British Columbia......................... 1 

Ontario.......................................... 3 

United States................................39 

California...................................... 2 

New York....................................34 

North Carolina........................... 1 

Ohio................................................ 1 

Pennsylvania................................ 1 

Pronunciation Guide 

Beyer.......................................buy-ER 

Bortignon................boar-TIG-non 

Caldiero.................call-DEE-air-oh 

Capron......................... cah-PRONE 

Domres.............................DOM-rez 

Giourmetakis...... GRR-meh-tack-is 

Maderer.......................MAY-der-er 

Minieri..........................min-AIR-ee 

Rautenstrauch.......rout-IN-strouck 

Rychlicki.....................rich-LICK-ee 

Head Coach: Randy Mearns (Canisius ’92), 11th season 

Assistant Coach: Jason Levesque (Canisius ‘04) 

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Pl a y e r Pr o f il e s 

Mike Albert • #39 

Fr • Attack • 5-10 • 175 • Orchard Park, N.Y./St. Francis 

Before Canisius: Earned four letters at St. Francis High 

School … Named to the All-Catholic League in 2007 and 

2008 … Also a member of the hockey team. 

Personal: Born on July 23, 1990 in Buffalo, N.Y. … Son of 

Frank and Mary Albert … One brother, Jeremy … Majoring 

in marketing. 

Mike Allaire • #22 

Fr • Midfielder • 5-11 • 190 • Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park 

Before Canisius: Team captain for Orchard Park High 

School in 2008 … Named All-Western New York in 2008 

and also earned all-league and team MVP honors … Also 

played football for the Quakers, earning second-team 

all-league honors in 2006 … Member of National Honor 

Society. 

Personal: Born on August 10, 1990 in Binghamton, N.Y. … Son of Andrew and 

Ann Allaire … Two brothers, Jeffrey and Timothy, and one sister, Caitlin … Grandfather 

attended Canisius … Majoring in accounting. 

Matt Barkas • #18 

Jr • Defender • 5-11 • 188 • Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair 

2008: Played in 16 games with 14 starts … Led the team 

with 73 ground balls … Ranked second in the MAAC and 

22nd nationally with 4.56 ground balls per game … Also 

placed sixth nationally in ground balls per game among long-stick players … Named 

MAAC Defensive Player of the Week following a win over Marist … Picked up five 

ground balls and caused four turnovers against the Red Foxes to earn the honor 

… Recorded a career-best nine ground balls and added three caused turnovers in 

the MAAC Semifinal victory over Manhattan … Added four ground balls and two 

caused turnovers in championship against VMI … Posted four points during the 

season, the most by a Griff defender since the 2001 season … Scored his first collegiate 

goal seven seconds into the game against Hobart, the fourth-quickest tally 

to start a game in NCAA history … Registered assists against Mount St. Mary’s, 

VMI and Manhattan. 

2007: Played in 12 games and had 25 

ground balls, which ranked sixth on the 

team … Had a season-high seven ground 

balls against Hobart April 24 … Had multiple 

ground balls in five games. 

Year GP-GS Goals Assists Points GB 

2007 12- 1 0 0 0 25 

2008 16-14 1 3 4 73 

Totals 28-15 1 3 4 98 

Before Canisius: Earned four letters 

with the Panthers … Played in 2006 National 

High School Senior Showcase … 

Named All-American by US Lacrosse … 

All-League First-Team in 2005 and 2006 

… Team MVP in 2006 … Had 15 goals, 22 

assists and 115 ground balls as a senior 

… Earned two letters as a linebacker for 

the football team … Also ran two years of cross country. 

Personal: Born on June 11, 1988 … Son of Bill and Linda … Has an older sister 

Emily and younger brother Jeff … Dad played basketball at Gonzaga … Majoring 

in accounting. 

Kyle Bell • #41 

Fr • Goalkeeper • 5-6 • 227 • San Francisco, Calif./ 

St. Ignatius College Prep 

Before Canisius: Earned two letters at St. Ignatius, averaging 

12 saves per game … Named to the Best of the West 

All-Tournament Team … Also a member of the football 

team. 

Personal: Born November 21, 1989 in Oakland, Calif. … 

Son of Robert Bell and Caitlin McCarthy … One sister, Victoria, 

and one brother, Russel … Majoring in digital media arts. 

Mike Benzinger • #2 

Jr • Midfielder • 6-0 • 182 • Buffalo, N.Y./St. Francis 


2007 14- 1 4 0 4 4 

2008 16-11 12 5 17 18 

Totals 30-12 16 5 21 22 

2008: Played in 16 games with 11 starting assignments 

… Finished fifth on the team with 17 points and fourth 

with 12 goals … Recorded at least one point in nine of the 

Griffs’ 10 victories … Tallied a career-high three scores against Mount St. Mary’s 

… Notched two goals, including his first career game-winning score, against Manhattan 

… Also tallied the game-winning goal against VMI in the MAAC Championship 

… Registered a career-best two assists against Marist … Added 18 ground balls 

during the season, including a season-best five against Mount St. Mary’s. 

2007: Played in all 14 games 

… Led all Canisius freshmen 

with four goals and tied for 

the most among freshmen 

with four points … Tallied 

two fourth-quarter goals in 

MAAC Semifinals against 

Saint Joseph’s … Had first collegiate 

goal against Navy. 

Before Canisius: Earned four 

letters at St. Francis … Named 

to the All-Catholic First Team 

in 2005 and 2006 … Also 

earned three letters on the 

hockey team as a defenseman 

… Team was Midwest Prep 

Champions in 2006 … Earned 

four letters in golf. 

Personal: Born on March 2, 

1988 … Son of Joe and Kathy 

… Has an older brother Joe … 

Father attended Canisius … 

Majoring in finance. 

Mike Beyer • #46 

Sr • Midfielder • 6-4 • 240 • West Seneca, N.Y./St. Francis 

Before Canisius: Earned two letters at St. Francis as a 

long-stick midfielder … Also a member of the hockey team 

at St. Francis. 

Personal: Born on October 28, 1986 in West Seneca, N.Y. 

… Father, Donald, and uncle both attended Canisius … Majoring 

in management. 



Brandon Bortignon • #28 

Fr • Attack • 5-11 • 183 • Coquitlam, British Columbia/ 

Kiski School 

Before Canisius: Played two seasons of field lacrosse at 

The Kiski School, earning WPSLA All-League honors in 

2008 … Posted 81 points, 53 goals and 28 assists during 

his senior season and amassed 137 points, 99 goals and 

39 assists during his career … Member of the Junior A Port 

Coquitlam Saints box lacrosse team … In his final season 

with the Saints, posted 12 points, six goals and six assists 

in seven matches plus four points in four playoff games … Also a member of the 

hockey team at The Kiski School, posting 41 points, 28 goals and 13 assists during 

his senior season. 

Personal: Born on October 30, 1989 in Coquitlam, British Columbia … Son of 

Ernie and Rossana Bortignon … One sister, Raquel … Majoring in biology. 

Alex Caldiero • #9 

Jr • Midfielder • 6-1 • 187 • Buffalo, N.Y./Canisius 


2007 11-2 1 3 4 2 

2008 13-0 9 5 14 7 

Totals 24-2 10 8 18 9 

2008: Appeared in 13 games, recording 14 points on nine 

goals and five assists … Notched his first career hat trick in 

an overtime victory over Robert Morris … Tallied an unassisted 

goal 2:25 into overtime to lead the Griffs to a victory over MAAC rival Siena 

… Posted a goal and an assist in the MAAC Championship versus VMI. 

2007: Played in 11 games … Tied for most points by a freshman with four and led 

all freshmen with three assists … Recorded first career point against VMI … Scored 

first collegiate goal against Manhattan. 

Before Canisius: Earned three letters for the Crusaders … Selected to the All- 

Monsignor Martin League First Team in 2006 … Recorded 35 goals and 20 assists 

as a senior … Also earned two letters on the basketball team. 

Personal: Born on March 20, 1988 … Son of Jack and Ann Marie … An economics 

major, Alex has four younger siblings – Drew, Nicholas, Dylan and Faith … Drew is 

a sophomore midfielder with the Griffs … Grandfather and uncle attended Canisius. 

… Majoring in finance. 

Drew Caldiero • #7 

So • Midfielder • 6-0 • 183 • Buffalo, N.Y./Bishop Timon-St.Jude 


2008 13-0 2 2 4 6 

2008: Played in 13 games … Recorded four points on 

two goals and two assists … Scored both of his goals in a 

victory over Wagner … Registered assists against Mount 

St. Mary’s and Saint Joseph’s … Won 5-of-6 faceoffs and 

picked up a season-best three ground balls in an overtime victory over Robert 

Morris. 

Before Canisius: Played lacrosse for four seasons at Bishop Timon-St. Jude … 

Earned all-area and all-league accolades … Totaled 57 points during his senior 

season … Also played soccer for two seasons. 

Personal: Born on June 12, 1989 in Buffalo, N.Y. … Son of John and Anne Marie 

Caldiero … Three brothers, Alex, Nicholas and Dylan, and one sister, Faith … Alex 

is a junior midfielder with the Griffs … Grandfather and uncle attended Canisius. 

Sean Callahan • #40 

Fr • Goalkeeper • 5-11 • 229 • Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park 

Before Canisius: Earned one letter as a goalie at Orchard 

Park High School. 

Personal: Born July 10, 1990 in Houston, Texas … Son of 

Pat and Sandy Callahan … Two siblings, Shannon and Kelly 

… Shannon is a senior for the Canisius women’s lacrosse 

team … Majoring in digital media arts. 

Nico Capron • #32 

Fr • Defender • 6-6 • 205 • Waxhaw, N.C./Weddington 

Before Canisius: Earned four letters at Weddington High 

School … Posted 64 ground balls and 15 takeaways during 

his senior year and accumulated 194 ground balls, six 

goals, seven assists and 45 takeaways during his career … 

Earned second-team all-state honors in 2008 and was a 

three-time first-team all-conference selection. 

Personal: Born on May 17, 1990 in Pineville, N.C. … Son of Michael and Michele 

Capron … Two siblings, Levi and Keagen … Majoring in biology. 

Chip Chapman • #8 

Fr • Midfielder • 5-11 • 160 • White Plains, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac 

Before Canisius: Played two seasons at Archbishop Stepinac 

… Served as team captain … Recorded 38 goals, 33 assists 

and 28 ground balls … Named Offensive Player of the 

year … Also played one season at Trinity Pawling. 

Personal: Born on October 12, 1989 in Bronx, N.Y. … Son 

of Henry and Luisa Chapman … One brother, Jalen and 

one sister, Briana … Majoring in physical education. 

Dan Coates • #37 

Jr • Midfielder • 6-1 • 195 • St. Catharines, Ontario/West Park 


2008 14-1 0 2 2 6 

2008: Played in 14 games with one starting assignment 

as a defensive midfielder during his rookie season … Registered 

an assist against Hobart and versus Manhattan in 

the MAAC Semifinals. 

Before Canisius: Played five years of lacrosse at West Park Secondary School … 

Led team to Ontario ‘B’ Championship … Named the 2006 MVP after leading his 

team in goals and assists … Played hockey for the St. Catharines Falcons … Totaled 

86 points on 36 goals and 50 

assists … Earned the 2007 

Molson’s Second Star and the 

sportsmanship and dedications 

award … Team won the 

GHL Championship. 

Personal: Born on April 6, 

1987 in St. Catharines, Ontario 

… Son of Paul and Anmarie 

Coates … One brother 

and one sister … Majoring in 

business management. 

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Brendan Collins • #26 

Jr • Defender • 6-0 • 177 • Binghamton, N.Y./Binghamton 

2008: Did not see any action during his first season with 

the Griffs lacrosse team. 

Before Canisius: Earned three letters as a member of 

the Binghamton High School lacrosse team ... Earned 

first-team All-Division and All-Tournament accolades 

... Named team’s Defensive MVP ... Led team to Section 

IV Championship ... Also a member of the swimming team at Binghamton High 

School ... Earned All-America accolades and won the state championship in the 

200 freestyle relay ... Set school and sectional records in 200 freestyle relay. 

Personal: Born on Nov. 30, 1987 in Binghamton, N.Y. ... Son of Edward and Susan 

Collins ... One sister, Maura ... Majoring in biology. 

at Hamburg. 

Jon Domres • #15 

Fr • Midfielder • 5-10 • 160 • Hamburg, N.Y./Hamburg 

Before Canisius: Team captain in 2007 and 2008 for the 

Hamburg High School lacrosse team … Led team to two 

sectional titles and one state semifinal … Notched 62 

points, 38 goals and 24 assists during his senior season 

and totaled 131 points, 75 goals and 56 assists during his 

career … Earned first-team all-league honors in 2007 and 

2008 … Also a member of the soccer and hockey teams 

Personal: Born on January 18, 1989 in Buffalo, N.Y. … Son of Jim and Peg Domres 

… Two sisters, Sarah and Kaitlyn … Father was a member of the hockey and track 

teams at Canisius … Cousin, Paul, was a member of the cross country team at 

Canisius … Sister, Kaitlyn, played lacrosse at Clarkson … Majoring in international 

business. 

Kerry Freeburg • #29 

Fr • Goalkeeper • 6-1 • 196 • Buffalo, N.Y./Canisius 

Before Canisius: Four-year letterwinner at Canisius High 

School … Posted a save percentage of .760 … Earned allleague 

honors … Also a member of the hockey team at 

Canisius. 

Personal: Born August 30, 1989 in Buffalo, N.Y. … Son 

of Thomas Freeburg and Norma Nowak … One brother, 

Colin … Both parents attended Canisius … Uncle, Hank Nowak played basketball 

at Canisius and is a member of the Canisius Hall of Fame … Majoring in communication 

studies. 

Matt Friedman • #4 

Sr • Defender • 5-9 • 165 • Buffalo, N.Y./St. Francis/Canterbury 

2008: Played in six games with five starting assignments 

before missing the remainder of the season with an injury 

… Picked up a ground ball against No. 5 Princeton and Saint Joseph’s. 

2007: Played in all 14 games … Received 

a number of one-on-one defensive 

assignments … Had 17 ground 

balls, with at least one in 11 games. 

2006: Appeared in 14 games and 

started eight, the most of any freshman 

… Tallied 14 ground balls, including 

a season high of four against Manhattan 

… Tallied a goal against Siena 

and an assist at Mount St. Mary’s. 

Before Canisius: Played one season at 

Canterbury after starting at St. Francis 

… Named first-team All-Western 

New England in 2005 … 2004 Athlete 

of the Year at St. Francis … Named 

All-Western New York as a senior at 

St. Francis and all-league junior and 

senior years … Also played hockey 

and football at St. Francis … Named 

all-league in football and hockey for 

two years. 


2006 14- 8 1 1 2 14 

2007 14-12 0 0 1 17 

2008 6- 5 0 0 0 2 

Totals 34-25 1 1 3 33 

Personal: Born on November 1, 1985 … Son of James and Cheryl … Has an older 

sister Amy … Majoring in marketing. 

Travis Gibbons • #20 

Fr • Attack • 6-2 • 220 • Owen Sound, Ontario/Owen Sound CVI 

Before Canisius: Member of the Owen Sound Jr. B Rams 

for three seasons … Played in 60 games, posting 183 

points, 82 goals and 101 assists … Finished 11th in scoring 

during the 2008 season … Named a Jr. B All-Star in 2007 … 

Also served as an assistant captain for the Rams. 

Personal: Born on April 14, 1989 in Owen Sound, Ontario 

… Son of Richard and Brenda Gibbons … One brother, Curtis … Related to Tyler 

Gibbons, who was the 15th overall selection by Toronto in the 2005 NLL Draft 

and is now a member of the Edmonton Rush … Majoring in physical education/ 

health. 

Simon Giourmetakis • #27 

Fr • Midfielder • 5-10 • 186 • Edmonton, Alberta/Center 

Before Canisius: Played two years of lacrosse at St. Francis 

Xavior … Earned MVP honors during the 2005-06 and 

2006-07 seasons … Also played one season of basketball 

at W.P. Wagner High School. 

Personal: Born on June 29, 1989 in Edmonton, Alberta 

… Son of Mark and Brenda Giourmetakis … Four siblings, 

Jordan, Nathan, Ben and Jon … Majoring in management. 



Joe Greenwald • #43 

Fr • Midfielder • 6-0 • 165 • East Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville North 

Before Canisius: Two-year letterwinner at Williamsville 

North … Named to the All-ECIC First Team in 2008 and 

was named the team MVP … Selected to the Western 

New York Senior All-Star Game … Also played basketball 

and volleyball at Williamsville North. 

Personal: Born on May 5, 1990 in East Amherst, N.Y. … 

Son of Tom and Mary Greenwald … Grandfather, parents and three uncles all attended 

Canisius … Majoring in accounting and finance. 

Jimmy Haney • #13 

Fr • Attack • 6-0 • 155 • Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse 

Before Canisius: Played three years of lacrosse at Cicero- 

North Syracuse High School … Recorded 48 goals and 56 

assists during his senior season and totaled 119 goals and 

83 assists during his career … Earned second-team All- 

Central New York honors and first-team all-league honors 

… Also a member of the wrestling and golf teams. 

Personal: Born on December 31, 1989 in Syracuse, N.Y. … Son of Jim and Tina 

Haney … One sister, Brianna … Father wrestled at Morrisville College … Majoring 

in business. 

Andy Herrmann • #21 

So • Midfielder • 5-10 • 160 • Hamburg, N.Y./Hamburg 


2008 9-0 0 0 0 1 

2008: Appeared in nine games during his rookie season … 

Recorded one ground ball against Wagner. 

Before Canisius: Played four years of lacrosse at Hamburg 

High School … Earned second-team all-league honors on two occasions … Also 

earned two letters in soccer. 

Personal: Born on January 1, 1989 in Hamburg, N.Y. … Son of Joseph and Sheila 

Herrmann … Two sisters, Tracy and Elizabeth … Majoring in management. 

Bryan Jack • #1 

Sr • Goalkeeper • 6-0 • 195 • Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington 

Year GP-GS Min. GA GAA Saves Pct. Rec. 

2008 4-1 102:38 29 16.95 21 .420 1-0 

2008: Played in four games with one starting assignment 

… Posted a goals against average of 16.95 and a save percentage 

of .420 … Earned a victory in his first collegiate 

start at Robert Morris, recording 15 saves … Became the 

first Griff to win his first career start since the 2002 season … Recorded three saves 

in the NCAA Tournament versus No. 3 Syracuse. 

Before Canisius: Played two years at Wheeling Jesuit University … Played in 18 

games during his career with 12 starts … Recorded a save percentage of 63 percent 

during his freshman year and 53 percent during his sophomore season … 

Earned two letters at Pickerington Central High School … Earned All-State First 

Team and Goalie of the Year accolades on two occasions … Recorded 550 saves 

and posted a save percentage of 65.9. 

Personal: Born on December 18, 1986 in Pickerington, Ohio … Son of Terry and 

Karen Jack … One brother, Colin … Majoring in international relations and prelaw. 

Adam Jones • #23 

So • Midfielder • 5-9 • 182 • Owen Sound, Ontario/St. Mary’s 


2008 16-0 38 9 47 21 

2008: Earned USILA All-America honors … Became the 

first Griff to be named an All-American and was one of 

just three freshmen in the country to earn the accolades 

in 2008 … Named to the All-MAAC First Team … Earned 

MAAC All-Tournament Team honors after leading the Griffs to their first conference 

championship … Recorded a team-best 47 points and 38 goals … Ranked 

third on the team with nine assists … Led all midfielders nationally with 38 goals … 

Led the MAAC with 2.38 goals per game and finished second with 2.94 points per 

game … Placed 14th in the country and third among freshmen in goals per game 

… Also ranked 34th nationally and fourth among rookies in points per game … 

Scored at least one goal in 15-of-16 games and posted a hat trick on 10 occasions 

… Set season highs with seven points, four goals and three assists in an overtime 

victory against Robert Morris … Followed with a four-point and three-goal performance 

against Wagner to earn MAAC Offensive Player of the Week honors … 

Named MAAC Rookie of the Week after a three-goal game against Saint Joseph’s 

… Matched a season-high with four goals and added an assist for five points in 

MAAC Championship versus VMI … Tallied 

a hat trick in his first collegiate game against 

No. 5 Princeton and added a season-high five 

ground balls … Posted five points on three 

goals and two assists in an overtime victory 

against Siena … Scored the team’s first-ever 

NCAA Tournament goal against No. 3 Syracuse. 

Summer 2008: Earned Most Valuable 

Player and Top Midfielder honors at the 

U-19 Men’s Lacrosse World Championship 

… Led all scorers in the championship game, 

scoring five goals against the United States 

… Totaled 16 goals in seven games during 

the tournament … Also led the Orangeville 

Northmen to the 2008 Minto Cup Championship, 

awarded to the top junior team in 

Canada … Averaged 4.25 points during the 

tournament, tied for the most by any player. 

Before Canisius: Played two seasons for the Owen Sound Rams … Led the league 

in scoring during the 2006 season, totaling 94 points in 20 games … Earned MVP 

and Rookie of the Year honors … Also played one season of hockey at Owen 

Sound. 

Personal: Born on July 31, 1989 in Owen Sound, Ontario … Son of Brian and 

Maria Jones … Father was a defenseman for the 1978 Canadian field team that 

won the championship … One sister, Amanda … Majoring in physical education/ 

health. 

Chris Kist • #35 

So • Midfielder • 5-11 • 165 • Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Mendon 

2008: Did not see any action during his first season with 

the Griffs lacrosse team. 

Before Canisius: Earned three letters at Pittsford Mendon 

High School ... Named team captain during his senior 

season ... As a senior, totaled 28 points on 18 goals and 

10 assists ... During his junior year, recorded 30 goals and 

seven assists ... Earned all-county and team MVP honors during both his junior 

and senior seasons ... Also played three season of hockey at Pittsford Mendon. 

Personal: Born on October 28, 1988 in Louisville, Ky. ... Son of Chris and Lisa Kist 

... Two siblings, Meggie and Michael ... Grandfather, father, two uncles and two 

aunts all attended Canisius ... Majoring in business. 

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Mark Leonard • #24 

Sr • Defender • 6-1 • 190 • Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill 


2006 12- 3 0 0 0 9 

2007 14- 7 0 0 0 13 

2008 16-15 0 1 1 39 

Totals 42-25 0 1 1 61 

2008: Played in all 16 games with 15 starting assignments 

… Finished second on the team among Canisius defenders 

with 39 ground balls … Led the Griffs with 17 caused turnovers in conference play 

… Caused seven turnovers and added four ground balls in the Griffs’ overtime victory 

over MAAC rival Siena … Picked up a career-best six ground balls and added 

three caused turnovers against Saint Joseph’s … Posted one caused turnover and 

four ground balls in both of the MAAC Tournament games against Manhattan 

and VMI … Added his first collegiate point with an assist against VMI in the championship. 

2007: Played in 13 games, making seven starts … Picked up 13 ground balls, including 

a season-high three against Wagner. 

2006: Appeared in 12 games and started three contests … Scooped up nine 

ground balls, recording two in four separate games. 

Before Canisius: Earned four letters at Westhill in lacrosse … Second-team All- 

Central New York during his senior year … First-team all-league in 2004 and 2003 

plus honorable mention all-league as a freshman in 2002 … Scored four goals, 

tallied 12 assists in his career and had 74 ground balls during his junior year … Also 

earned three letters in cross country, earning second-team all-league honors in 

2003 and 2004 … Earned two letters in indoor track. 

Personal: Born on March 19, 1987 … Son of Steve and Wendy … Has two brothers, 

Steve and Brett … Steve recently graduated from Canisius and played lacrosse … 

Majoring in marketing. 

Nick LoCoco • #3 

So • Attack • 5-9 • 165 • Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse 


2008 16-15 12 34 46 13 

2008: Named the MAAC Rookie of the Year … Earned 

first-team All-MAAC honors … Recorded 46 points on 12 

goals and 34 assists … Led the MAAC and ranked third 

nationally with 2.12 assists per game … Finished third in 

the conference with 2.88 points per game … Also ranked 38th in the country and 

fifth among freshmen in points per game … Recorded at least one point in all 16 

games … Matched the school record with seven assists in just his second collegiate 

game against Colgate … Also added a goal for eight points, the most by a Griff 

since the 2001 season … Earned MAAC Rookie of the Week honors for the first 

time following the game against Colgate … Also earned the weekly accolade after 

posting six points on a season-best three goals and three assists against Marist … 

Registered four points in wins against Mount St. Mary’s, Manhattan and Robert 

Morris … Posted multiple assists in 11 games and at least three helpers on four occasions 

… Totaled two goals against Manhattan in the MAAC Semifinals and two 

assists versus VMI in the MAAC Championship. 

Before Canisius: Played three seasons at Cicero-North Syracuse High School … 

Totaled 283 career points on 131 goals and 152 assists … Posted 90 points as a senior 

(40 goals and 50 assists), 106 points as a junior (50 goals and 56 assists) and 

87 points during his sophomore season (41 goals and 46 assists) … Three-time allleague 

honoree … Earned all-county accolades on three occasions … Named the 

top recruit in the MAAC by Inside Lacrosse and the 93rd overall recruit. 

Personal: Born on September 5, 1989 in Syracuse, N.Y. … Son of Vincent and 

Gerylann LoCoco … Brother, Matthew, also attended Canisius College … Majoring 

in marketing. 

Justin Maderer • #30 

Fr • Midfielder • 5-10 • 174 • Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park/ 

U.S. Military Academy Prep 

Before Canisius: Earned three letters at Orchard Park 

High School … Helped lead the team to three Section VI 

titles … Named the Western New York Faceoff Specialist 

of the Year and earned all-league honors … Won 72 percent 

of faceoffs and recorded 22 goals, 27 assists and 140 

ground balls … Also a member of the football and basketball 

teams at Orchard Park. 

Personal: Born on March 12, 1989 in Buffalo, N.Y. … Son of Keith and Lori Maderer 

… Four siblings, Stephanie, Jonathan, Allysa and Chelsea … Both parents 

attended Canisius … Cousin, Greg Michael, is a sophomore with the Canisius lacrosse 

team … Majoring in finance. 

Brandon Martin • #33 

Sr • Defender • 6-2 • 210 • Red Wood City, Calif./ 

St. Ignatius College Prep 


2006 13- 1 0 0 0 9 

2007 11- 0 0 0 0 1 

2008 12-10 1 0 1 5 

Totals 36-11 1 0 1 15 

2008: Appeared in 12 games with 10 starting assignments on defense … Effective 

at the X, winning 23-of-45 faceoffs … Won 8-of-11 faceoffs in an overtime victory 

against Robert Morris, including the lone battle during the extra session … Also 

recorded eight faceoff wins against No. 3 Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament … 

Recorded his first collegiate goal versus Manhattan in the MAAC Semifinals. 

2007: Played in 11 games and had a ground ball … Went 10-for-26 on faceoffs, 

including a 5-for-9 effort against Wagner. 

2006: Played in 13 games and stared once … Picked up nine ground balls, including 

two on three separate occasions. 

Before Canisius: Earned three letters at St. Ignatius … Second-team all-conference 

and also all-league … Tallied 12 assists senior year … Earned two letters at 

linebacker on football and played one year on hockey team. 

Personal: Born on February 27, 1987 … Son of Brad and Anita Martin … Has a 

younger brother Jon … Father played football at Orange Coast College … Enjoys 

paintball, mountain biking and jet skiing … Majoring in criminal justice. 

James McCready • #14 

Jr • Attack • 5-8 • 160 • East Aurora N.Y./Iroquois 


2008 7-0 1 0 1 0 

2008: Appeared in seven games during his first season at 

Canisius … Scored his first collegiate goal against Wagner. 

Before Canisius: Played in eight games for Ohio Wesleyan 

during the 2007 season … Totaled nine points on eight goals and one assist in 

addition to picking up five ground balls … Earned four varsity letters with Iroquois 

High School … Recorded 61 goals during his senior season … Named the Iroquois’ 

Most Valuable Offensive Player in 2005 and 2006 and earned second-team All- 

Western New York accolades … Also a member of the soccer team, earning firstteam 

All-ECIC honors. 

Personal: Born on September 25, 1988 in Okinowa, Japan … Son of Mac and 

Heidi McCready … Two siblings … Majoring in history and education. 



Greg Michael • #17 

So • Attack • 6-2 • 195 • Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park 


2008 16-4 9 3 12 1 

2008: Played in all 16 games with four starting assignments 

during his rookie season … Recorded 12 points on 

nine goals and three assists … Named the MAAC Rookie 

of the Week following his role in victories over Robert 

Morris and Wagner … Scored two goals against Robert Morris, including the 

game-winning score in overtime … Followed it up with a career-best four points 

and three goals in win over Wagner … Tallied two goals against VMI … Added 

scores versus Manhattan and Siena. 

Before Canisius: Earned three letters 

for Orchard Park High School 

… Amassed 281 points on 204 goals 

and 76 assists during his career … 

Posted 96 points on 72 goals and 

24 assists during his senior season 

… Named to the All-Western New 

York First Team following his junior 

season and picked up second-team 

accolades his senior year … Also 

a member of the basketball and 

football teams at Orchard Park … 

Earned third-team all-state honors 

in football and was also named to 

the All-Western New York Team his 

junior and senior seasons. 

Personal: Born on September 

3, 1988 in Buffalo, N.Y. … Son of 

Norman and Gail Michael … One 

brother, David, and one sister, Jill 

… Mother, three aunts and two 

uncles all attended Canisius College 

… Aunt, Karen Michael, was a member of the Canisius basketball team from 1986 

until 1988 … Majoring in education. 

John Minieri • #19 

Jr • Attack • 5-7 • 160 • Lafayette, N.Y./Bishop Ludden 


2007 7-0 1 0 1 2 

2008 10-0 6 5 11 7 

Totals 17-0 7 5 12 9 

2008: Appeared in 10 games, recording 11 points on six 

goals and five assists … Tallied a career-best four points 

and three goals in the MAAC Championship versus VMI 

… Also posted a hat trick during the regular-season meeting against the Keydets 

… Posted an assist in three-consecutive games against Marist, Robert Morris and 

Wagner … Also added an assist in MAAC Semifinals versus Manhattan. 

2007: Played in seven games … Tallied first collegiate goal against Manhattan … 

Also had two ground balls. 

Before Canisius: Earned four letters for the Gaelic Knights … Holds school record 

for goals and points … Tallied 235 points and 153 goals during his career … Had 

39 goals and 26 assists as a senior … Earned first-team All-CNY honros as a senior 

… First-team all-league and team MVP as a senior … Second-team all-league as 

a sophomore and junior … Honorable mention all-league as a freshman … Also 

earned a letter in cross country. 

Brendan Murphy • #42 

Fr • Defender • 5-10 • 170 • Williamsville, N.Y./St. Joseph’s 

Before Canisius: Earned two letters at St. Joseph’s … 

Named to the second-team All-Catholic League as a junior 

and senior … Collected four goals, 16 assists and 162 

ground balls as a senior … Also a member of the hockey 

team. 

Personal: Born on June 13, 1990 in Williamsville, N.Y. 

Sean Murray • #11 

So • Defender • 6-2 • 185 • Boston, N.Y./Hamburg 


2008 5-1 0 0 0 1 

2008: Played in five games … Started in his first collegiate 

game against No. 9 Cornell … Recorded two caused turnovers 

and a ground ball versus Wagner. 

Before Canisius: Played lacrosse at Hamburg High School … Earned second-team 

All-Western New York honors following his senior season … Named to the ECIC 

First Team as a junior and senior. 

Personal: Born on December 15, 1988 in Gainesville, Fla. … Son of Bruce and Pam 

Murray … Mom played field hockey at Clemson University … One brother, Ryan 

… Undeclared major. 

Alex Nowak • #6 

Fr • Defender • 6-1 • 175 • Penfield, N.Y./Penfield 

Before Canisius: Earned three letters at Penfield High 

School … Led team to Section V championship in 2006 

and was named to the all-tournament team … Earned 

first-team all-county honors … Played in the Empire State 

Games in 2006 and 2007, leading the Western team to a 

silver and bronze medal … Also a member of the basketball 

and volleyball teams at Penfield. 

Personal: Born on November 18, 1989 in Rochester, N.Y. … Son of Todd and Debbie 

Nowak … Two siblings, Kerry and Lauren … Majoring in marketing. 

Brendan O’Hagan • #25 

Fr • Midfielder • 6-1 • 170 • Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side 

Before Canisius: Earned two letters at South Side High 

School … Team captain in 2008 … Registered 10 goals and 

11 assists during his senior season and posted 23 goals 

and 21 assists during his career … Also a member of the 

football team at South Side. 

Personal: Born on December 1, 1989 in Rockville Centre, 

N.Y. … Son of John and Patricia O’Hagan … Five siblings, Ryan, Eileen, Mairead, 

Kieran and Tara … Twin brother Ryan is also a member of the Canisius lacrosse 

team … Majoring in marketing. 

Personal: Born on March 5, 1988 … Son of Anthony and Joan … Has an older 

brother Nicholas … Majoring in digital media arts. 

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Ryan O’Hagan • #38 

Fr • Defender • 6-2 • 170 • Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side 

Before Canisius: Played four seasons of lacrosse at South 

Side High School … Also a member of the basketball 

team. 

Personal: Born on December 1, 1989 in Rockville Centre, 

N.Y. … Son of John and Patricia O’Hagan … Five siblings, 

Brendan, Eileen, Mairead, Kieran and Tara … Twin brother 

Brendan is also a member of the Canisius lacrosse team. 

Timon-St. Jude. 

Garrett O’Neill • #10 

Jr • Defender • 6-4 • 214 • Buffalo, N.Y./Hobart/ 

Bishop Timon-St. Jude 

Before Canisius: Played two seasons at Hobart College 

… Appeared in 22 games, collecting six ground balls … 

Earned three letters at Bishop Timon-St. Jude before attending 

Hobart … Led the Tigers to the league championship 

in 2006 … Named an All-American in 2006 and also 

earned All-Western New York and All-Catholic League 

honors … Also a member of the hockey team at Bishop 

Personal: Born on December 30, 1987 in Buffalo, N.Y. … Son of Gary and Audrey 

O’Neill … One sister, Jena … Majoring in psychology. 

Mike Rautenstrauch • #5 

So • Midfielder • 6-0 • 203 • Buffalo, N.Y./St. Francis 

2008: Played in all 16 games as a defensive midfielder 

during his rookie campaign … Registered an assist in wins 

over Wagner and against VMI in the MAAC Championship 

… Picked up 10 ground balls, including a season-best 

two against No. 9 Cornell and Manhattan. 

Before Canisius: Earned 

three letters at St. Francis 

High School … Recorded 

48 points on 24 goals 

and 24 assists during his 

senior season … Named 

to the All-Western New 

York Second Team … 

Earned all-league and 

team MVP honors … Also 

played for the basketball 

team. 

Personal: Born on December 

8, 1988 … Son 

of Jim and Georgette 

Rautenstrauch … Two 

brothers, Kevin and Joe … 

Majoring in communications. 


2008 16-0 0 2 2 10 

Eric Rickan • #31 

Sr • Defender • 6-3 • 176 • Buffalo, N.Y./Williamsville North 


2006 5-1 0 0 0 1 

2007 9-0 0 0 0 3 

2008 4-0 0 0 0 0 

Totals 18-1 0 0 0 4 

2008: Appeared in four games during his junior season. 

2007: Played in nine games and had three ground balls. 

2006: Played in five games and started once … Recorded one ground ball against 

Siena. 

Before Canisius: Played four years of lacrosse at Williamsville North … Named to 

All-ECIC and All-WNY … Also played football (wide receiver) and ran indoor track 

(middle distance). 

Personal: Born on January 28, 1987 … Majoring in biology. 

Tim Rowley • #16 

Jr • Midfielder • 6-0 • 185 • West Seneca, N.Y./West Seneca West 


2007 14-12 0 0 0 82 

2008 16-15 1 4 5 70 

Totals 30-27 1 4 5 152 

2008: Played in 16 games with 15 starting assignments 

during his sophomore season … Led the team with 85 faceoff 

victories and finished second on the team with 70 

ground balls … Ranked fourth in the MAAC and 29th nationally with 4.38 ground 

balls per game … Earned a season-best 12 faceoff victories (of 17 attempts) and 

added seven ground balls in a win against Wagner … Won 10-of-13 faceoffs 

against Hobart … Also a key member of the Griffs defensive unit … Recorded five 

points on a goal and four assists … Scored his first collegiate goal against Manhattan 

… Added assists against Mount St. Mary’s, Wagner, Hobart and versus No. 3 

Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament. 

2007: Named MAAC Co-Rookie 

of the Year … Played in all 14 

games … Was the main Canisius 

weapon in the faceoff circle and 

won 138-of-229 for a percentage 

of .603 … Percentage ranks 

second in program history behind 

Mark Miyashita’s .641 from 

2003 … Led Canisius with 82 

ground balls … Had nine ground 

balls on three separate occasions 

… Had at least two ground balls 

in all 14 games and at least six in 

nine games … Ranked 10th in Canisius history for ground balls in a season … Was 

seventh in the country in ground balls per game and 14th in faceoff percentage … 

Led the MAAC in ground balls per game and was second in faceoff percentage. 

Before Canisius: Played four years at West Seneca West … School record holder 

in career points, career goals, career ground balls and ground balls in a season … 

Two-time team MVP … Had 37 goals, 18 assists and 180 ground balls during his 

senior year … Earned three letters in football for the Indians and earned secondteam 

All-WNY honors … Qualified for state meet in 800-meter relay and was a 

sectional qualifier in 300-meter dash, 800 relay and 1,600 relay … Rookie of the 

Year in one season of indoor track. 

Personal: Born on August 13, 1987 … Son of David and Lisa … Has four older 

siblings – Beth, Anna, Mary and Jeff … Brother Jeff plays baseball at Marshall … 

Majoring in physical education/health. 



Justin Rychlicki • #12 

Sr • Midfielder • 6-0 • 185 • East Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville North 

2008: Appeared in 13 games … Recorded four points on 

three goals and an assist … Scored against Colgate, Providence 

and versus VMI in the MAAC Championship … Added an assist in the season 

opener against No. 5 Princeton. 

2007: Played in 10 games … Recorded four points, two goals and two assists … 

Tallied goals against Wagner and VMI … Recorded career-best two assists against 

Saint Joseph’s … Also picked up four ground balls. 

2006: Appeared in six 

games … Recorded first 

collegiate goal in victory 

over Siena … Had one 

ground ball at Robert 

Morris. 


2006 6-0 1 0 1 1 

2007 10-0 2 2 4 4 

2008 13-0 3 1 4 3 

Totals 29-0 6 3 9 8 

Before Canisius: Played 

six years at Williamsville 

North, earning two letters 

… Named MVP after 

senior season … Also 

first-team all-ECIC and 

second-team all-Western 

New York … Named 

second-team all-ECIC in 

2004 … Scored 45 goals 

and tallied 23 assists at 

Williamsville North … 

Also earned two letters 

in football as defensive 

back and wide receiver … 

Made four interceptions 

and 11 tackles and scored two touchdowns … Second-team All-WNY in 2005. 

2007: Played in six games … Had 

four ground balls, including two 

against Wagner, and went 4-for- 

12 on faceoffs. 

Before Canisius: Earned three 

letters at Frontier … Two-time 

first-team All-WNY … Threetime 

first-team All-ECIC … Holds 

school record in faceoffs and 

ground balls … Two-time captain 

… Earned sportsmanship award 

… Tallied 23 goals, 44 assists and 

206 ground balls as a senior and 

won 81 percent of faceoffs … Also 

earned four letters in hockey … 

Assistant captain … Started every 

game last two seasons … Earned 

three letters as a defenseman for 

soccer team … Team captain and 

third-team ECIC 

Kyle Zitnik • #34 

Jr • Midfielder • 5-7 • 206 • Blasdell, N.Y./Frontier 


2007 6-0 0 0 0 4 

2008 7-0 0 0 0 0 

Totals 13-0 0 0 0 4 

2008: Appeared in seven games … Won 3-of-8 faceoffs 

during the season, including a season-best two against 

Manhattan. 

Personal: Born on May 17, 1988 

… Son of Donna and Tony … Has 

four siblings – Tony, Greg, Mike and Maggie … Brother Tony attended Canisius … 

Related to Alexei Zhitnik who formerly played in the NHL, including a stint with 

the Buffalo Sabres … Majoring in physical education/health. 

Personal: Born on January 13, 1987 … Son of Lisa and Rich … Has two younger 

siblings, Danny and Katie … Majoring in physical education. 

Tom Vivian • #36 

So • Midfielder • 6-3 • 205 • Buffalo, N.Y./Bishop Timon-St. Jude 


2008 8-0 0 0 0 3 

2008: Appeared in eight games during his rookie season … 

Recorded three grounds balls during the season … Posted 

a caused turnover and picked up one ground ball in the 

MAAC Championship versus VMI. 

Before Canisius: Earned three letters at Bishop Timon-St. Jude … Recorded 90 

career points on 52 goals and 38 assists in addition to picking up 79 ground balls 

… Posted 47 points on 33 goals and 14 assists during his senior season … Named 

to the first-team All-Catholic League … Earned team MVP honors … Also played 

hockey at Bishop Timon-St. Jude. 

Personal: Born on February 27, 1989 in Buffalo, N.Y. … Son of Thomas and Joanne 

Vivian … Three sisters, Bethany, Allison and Meredith … Sister, Bethany, and 

grandfather both attended Canisius College … Majoring in finance. 

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2008 In Re v i e w 

Nick LoCoco, the 2008 MAAC Rookie of the Year, posted 34 assists 

during his freshman season, the second-most in school history. 

2008 Results 

Feb. 23 at No. 5 Princeton L, 6-13 

March 2 COLGATE L, 11-12 

March 12 at No. 9 Cornell L, 3-14 

March 15 at Mount St. Mary’s * W, 11-7 

March 22 MANHATTAN * W, 10-5 

March 29 at Saint Joseph’s * W, 7-6 

April 5 MARIST * W, 12-5 

April 12 at Wagner * W, 16-8 

April 16 SIENA * W, 10-9 

April 19 at VMI * W, 12-8 

April 22 HOBART L, 3-10 

April 26 PROVIDENCE * L, 5-11 

May 2 vs. Manhattan ! W, 11-2 

May 4 vs. VMI ! W, 14-5 

May 11 at No. 3 Syracuse ~ L, 3-20 

* MAAC Game 

! MAAC Tournament 

~ NCAA Tournament 

Individual Statistics 

No. Player GP-GS G A Pts Shots Sh% GW Up GB Faceoff Pct. Pen-Min. 

22 Adam Jones 16- 0 38 9 47 90 .422 2 5 21 0-0 .000 8- 6.5 

13 Nick LoCoco 16-15 12 34 46 40 .300 0 1 13 0-0 .000 2- 1.5 

32 Tom Hensel 16- 0 16 19 35 67 .239 0 2 13 0-0 .000 1- 0.5 

2 Michael Blocho 16-15 27 4 31 73 .370 1 4 16 0-0 .000 6- 4.0 

3 Mike Benzinger 16-11 12 5 17 50 .240 2 0 18 0-0 .000 1- 0.5 

9 Alex Caldiero 13- 0 9 5 14 38 .237 1 0 7 0-0 .000 1- 1.0 

36 Greg Michael 16- 4 9 3 12 27 .333 1 0 1 0-0 .000 0- 0.0 

6 John Minieri 10- 0 6 5 11 14 .429 1 0 7 0-0 .000 0- 0.0 

21 Dave Schaefer 14- 1 8 1 9 29 .276 2 0 6 0-0 .000 0- 0.0 

16 Tim Rowley 16-15 1 4 5 12 .083 0 0 70 85-175 .486 4- 2.5 

12 Justin Rychlicki 13- 0 3 1 4 16 .188 0 0 3 0-0 .000 0- 0.0 

28 Drew Caldiero 13- 0 2 2 4 12 .167 0 0 6 5-12 .417 0- 0.0 

18 Matt Barkas 16-14 1 3 4 7 .143 0 0 73 0-1 .000 4- 3.5 

19 Dan McAuliffe 11- 2 3 0 3 8 .375 0 0 1 1-1 1.000 0- 0.0 

7 Matt Hajek 15-15 0 3 3 4 .000 0 0 53 56-106 .528 12-10.0 

15 Dan Coates 14- 1 0 2 2 2 .000 0 0 6 0-0 .000 2- 1.5 

5 Mike Rautenstrauch 16- 0 0 2 2 2 .000 0 0 10 0-2 .000 2- 1.5 

8 Chad Buck 10- 1 1 0 1 4 .250 0 0 0 0-0 .000 1- 0.5 

30 James McCready 7- 0 1 0 1 3 .333 0 0 0 0-0 .000 0- 0.0 

33 Brandon Martin 12-10 1 0 1 2 .500 0 0 5 23-45 .511 1- 1.0 

24 Mark Leonard 16-15 0 1 1 1 .000 0 0 39 0-0 .000 7- 6.5 

14 Travis Blum 8- 0 0 0 0 2 .000 0 0 2 0-0 .000 1- 0.5 

17 Tom Vivian 8- 0 0 0 0 1 .000 0 0 3 0-0 .000 0- 0.0 

39 Patrick Kaczmarczyk 1- 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0-0 .000 0- 0.0 

34 Kyle Zitnik 7- 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 3-8 .375 0- 0.0 

31 Eric Rickan 4- 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0-0 .000 0- 0.0 

29 Cale Nicosia 6- 1 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0-0 .000 0- 0.0 

27 Andy Herrmann 9- 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 1 0-0 .000 1- 0.5 

25 Eric Palmer 14- 1 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 6 0-0 .000 5- 5.0 

23 Eric Lamothe 10- 1 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 5 0-0 .000 2- 2.0 

20 Chris Courteau 15-15 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 31 0-0 .000 0- 0.0 

11 Sean Murray 5- 1 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 1 0-0 .000 0- 0.0 

10 Michael Ferranti 16-16 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 17 0-0 .000 4- 4.0 

4 Matt Friedman 6- 5 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 2 0-0 .000 3- 2.5 

1 Bryan Jack 4- 1 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 5 0-0 .000 0- 0.0 

Total 16 150 103 253 504 .298 10 12 441 173-350 .494 71-58.0 

Opponents 16 150 90 240 523 .287 6 21 447 177-350 .506 67-62.0 

No. Player GP-GS Min. GA GAA Saves Sv% W-L Shots Faced 

20 Chris Courteau 15-15 846:44 118 8.36 130 .524 9-6 433 

39 Patrick Kaczmarczyk 1- 0 15:00 3 12.00 3 .500 0-0 10 

1 Bryan Jack 4- 1 102:38 29 16.95 21 .420 1-0 80 

Totals 16 964:22 150 9.33 154 .507 10-6 523 

Opponents 18 1086:00 206 11.38 199 .491 9-9 539 


Re c o r d Bo o k 

The 2008 Griffs won a school-record 10 games and earned the team’s first MAAC Tournament Championship and invitation to the NCAA Tournament. 

Year-by-Year Results 

W - L Pct. MAAC Head Coach Points Leader Goals Leader Assists Leader 

1990 5-11 .313 -- Ed Van Tine Randy Mearns (94) Pat Lynch (53) Randy Mearns (49) 

1991 2-11 .154 -- Ed Van Tine Randy Mearns (48) Randy Mearns (30) Randy Mearns (18) 

1992 5- 5 .500 -- Ed Van Tine Randy Mearns (48) Randy Mearns (20) Randy Mearns (28) 

1993 4- 9 .307 -- Mike Greco Ned Franz (52) Ned Franz, Jason Cummings (29) Ned Franz (23) 

1994 5- 9 .357 -- Mike Greco Ned Franz (66) Cort Knodel (44) Jason Cummings (30) 

1995 6- 8 .429 -- Mike Greco Jason Cummings (62) Cort Knodel (41) Jason Cummings (28) 

1996 5-11 .313 4-3 Mike Greco Cort Knodel (69) Cort Knodel (44) Cort Knodel, Scott Ronson (25) 

1997 4-10 .286 4-4 Mike Greco Cort Knodel (64) Cort Knodel (43) Cort Knodel (21) 

1998 2-11 .154 2-5 Mike Greco Sean Semler (40) David Sturiano (28) Sean Semler (15) 

1999 4- 8 .333 3-5 Randy Mearns Sean Semler (37) David Sturiano (19) Sean Semler (20) 

2000 3-10 .231 3-6 Randy Mearns Mark Miyashita (47) Tim Spaulding (27) Sean Semler (26) 

2001 7- 6 .538 4-5 Randy Mearns Tim Spaulding (49) Tim Spaulding (36) Mark Miyashita (19) 

2002 5- 8 .385 3-4 Randy Mearns Greg Campbell (28) Greg Campbell (17) Greg Campbell (11) 

2003 5- 9 .357 5-3 Randy Mearns Mark Miyashita (49) Steve Muskopf (25) Mark Miyashita (26) 

2004 6- 7 .462 6-2 Randy Mearns Kevin Ross (42) Kevin Ross (32) Kevin Ross (10) 

2005 5- 7 .417 4-4 Randy Mearns Kevin Ross (38) Dan Carey (30) Kevin Ross (16) 



2008 10- 6 .625 7-1 Randy Mearns Adam Jones (47) Adam Jones (38) Nick LoCoco (34) 

Total 96-162 .372 56-47 

Career Points 

Player Years G A P 

1. Cort Knodel 1994-97 172 78 250 

2. Randy Mearns 1990-92 95 95 190 

3. Jason Cummings 1992-95 105 81 186 

4. Kevin Ross 2004-07 126 59 185 

5. Ned Franz 1993-95 101 76 177 

6. Sean Semler 1998-01 89 75 164 

7. Mark Miyashita 2000-03 71 74 145 

8. Kevin Fildes 1996-99 101 41 142 

9. Scott Ronson 1994-97 82 55 137 

10. Tim Spaulding 1998-01 84 44 128 

11. Michael Blocho 2005-08 90 27 117 

12. Ryan Ferraro 1996-99 96 17 113 

13. David Sturiano 1996-99 82 24 106 

14. John Webster 1991-94 56 45 101 

15. Greg Campbell 2001-04 62 37 99 

Season Points 

Player Year G A P 

1. Randy Mearns 1990 45 49 94 

2. Pat Lynch 1990 53 28 81 

3. Cort Knodel 1996 44 25 69 

4. Ned Franz 1994 40 26 66 

5. Cort Knodel 1997 43 21 64 

6. Cort Knodel 1994 44 19 63 

7. Jason Cummings 1995 34 28 62 

8. Ned Franz 1995 32 27 59 

9. Jason Cummings 1994 24 30 54 

Cort Knodel 1995 41 13 54 

Kevin Ross 2007 36 18 54 

12. Ned Franz 1993 29 23 52 

13. Jeff McComb 1990 30 21 51 

Kevin Ross 2006 36 15 51 

15. Tim Spaulding 2001 36 13 49 

Mark Miyashita 2003 23 26 49 

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Career Goals 

Player Years Goals 

1. Cort Knodel 1994-97 172 

2. Kevin Ross 2004-07 126 

3. Jason Cummings 1992-95 105 

4. Ned Franz 1993-95 101 

Kevin Fildes 1996-99 101 

6. Ryan Ferraro 1996-99 96 

7. Randy Mearns 1990-92 95 

8. Michael Blocho 2005-08 90 

9. Sean Semler 1998-01 89 

10. Tim Spaulding 1998-01 84 

11. Scott Ronson 1994-97 82 

David Sturiano 1996-99 82 

13. Mark Miyashita 2000-03 71 

14. Greg Campbell 2001-04 62 

15. Chris Tocin 2001-04 60 

Season Goals 

Player Year Goals 

1. Pat Lynch 1990 53 

2. Randy Mearns 1990 45 

3. Cort Knodel 1994 44 

Cort Knodel 1996 44 



7. Ned Franz 1994 40 

8. Adam Jones 2008 38 

9. Tim Spaulding 2001 36 

Kevin Ross 2006 36 

Kevin Ross 2007 36 

Career Assists 

Player Years Assists 

1. Randy Mearns 1990-92 95 

2. Jason Cummings 1992-95 81 

3. Cort Knodel 1994-97 78 

4. Ned Franz 1993-95 76 

5. Sean Semler 1998-01 75 


7. Kevin Ross 2004-07 59 

8. Scott Ronson 1994-97 55 

9. John Webster 1991-94 45 

10. Tim Spaulding 1998-01 44 

11. Kevin Fildes 1996-99 41 

12. Greg Campbell 2001-04 37 

13. Nick LoCoco 2008- 34 

14. Tom Hensel 2005-08 33 

15. Peter Cadaret 1995-96 31 

Season Assists 

Player Year Assists 

1. Randy Mearns 1990 49 

2. Nick LoCoco 2008 34 

3. Jason Cummings 1994 30 

4. Pat Lynch 1990 28 

Randy Mearns 1992 28 

Jason Cummings 1995 28 

7. Ned Franz 1995 27 

8. Ned Franz 1994 26 

Sean Semler 2000 26 

Mark Miyashita 2003 26 

Mark Miyashita holds the school records with a .593 faceoff winning percentage 

and 329 ground balls. He also posted 145 points during his career (71g, 74a). 

Career Faceoff Pct. 

(minimum 200 attempts) 

Player Years Win - Att Pct. 

1. Mark Miyashita 2000-03 315-531 .593 

2. Joe Maier 1996 187-321 .583 

3. Tim Rowley 2006- 223-404 .552 

4. Bill Reighter 1991-95 410-771 .532 

5. Peter Dolan 1995-97 151-297 .508 

Season Faceoff Pct. 

(minimum 100 attempts) 

Player Year Win - Att Pct. 

1. Mark Miyashita 2003 152-237 .641 

2. Tim Rowley 2007 138-229 .603 

3. Joe Maier 1996 187-321 .583 

4. Mark Miyashita 2000 141-249 .566 

5. Justin Masley 2002 63-116 .543 

Career Ground Balls 

Player Years GB 


2. Bill Reighter 1991-95 318 

3. Scott Ronson 1994-97 284 

4. David Sturiano 1996-99 259 

5. Matt Vinc 2002-05 258 

Season Ground Balls 

Player Years GB 

1. Mark Miyashita 2000 139 

2. Bill Reighter 1994 136 

3. Joe Maier 1996 117 

4. Mark Miyashita 2003 102 

5. Bill Reighter 1995 95 



Single-Game Records 

Individual 

Most Points: 11, Ned Franz, vs. Elmira, 3/26/94 (7g, 4a) 

11, Jason Cummings, vs. Le Moyne, 3/30/94 (4g, 7a) 

Most Goals: 7, Ned Franz, vs. Elmira, 3/26/94 

7, Cort Knodel, vs. Vermont, 4/21/94 

Most Assists: 7, Jason Cummings, vs. Le Moyne, 3/30/94 

7, Mark Miyashita, vs. Wagner, 4/8/00 

7, Nick LoCoco, vs. Colgate, 3/2/08 

Most Ground Balls: 21, Dave Wert, vs. Boston College, 3/5/00 

Faceoffs Won: 18, Bill Reighter, vs. Siena, 4/20/93 

18, Mark Miyashita, vs. Quinnipiac, 3/26/00 

18, Mark Miyashita, vs. Providence, 3/12/00 

18, Mark Miyashita, vs. Siena, 4/16/00 

18, Tim Rowley, vs. Saint Joseph’s, 4/14/07 

Most Saves: 33, Kevin Rozo, vs. Michigan State, 3/22/95 

Team 

Most goals: 31, vs. Marietta, 4/1/90 

Most goals against: 31, vs. Georgetown, 4/5/92 

Faceoff Wins: 21, vs. Niagara, 4/10/97 

21, vs. Siena, 4/17/03 

Faceoff Losses: 27, vs. Georgetown, 4/12/92 

Team Records 

Most Wins: 10, 2008 

Winning Percentage: .625. 2008 (10-6) 

Chris Courteau posted a goals against average of 8.36 in 2008, the second-best 

total in school history. Courteau earned MAAC Tournament MVP honors 

after leading the Griffs to their first conference championship. 

Career Saves 

Player Years GP Saves 

1. Kevin Rozo 1995-98 55 1,029 

2. Tom Kucharczak 2003-06 49 470 

3. Seth Vath 2000-02 36 357 

4. Mike Carberry 1992-94 23 319 

5. Angus Dineley 2004-07 42 306 

Career Save Percentage 

(minimum 800 minutes) 

Player Years GA Saves Pct. 

1. Kevin Rozo 1995-98 763 1,029 .574 

2. Tom Kucharczak 2003-06 357 470 .568 

3. Mike Carberry 1992-94 257 319 .554 

4. Angus Dineley 2004-07 274 306 .528 

5. Chris Courteau 2008 118 130 .524 

Career Goals Against Average 


Player Years Minutes GA GAA 

1. Chris Courteau 2008 847 118 8.36 

2. Tom Kucharczak 2003-06 2233 357 9.59 

3. Angus Dineley 2004-07 1708 274 9.63 

4. Seth Vath 2000-02 1808 346 11.49 

5. Mike Carberry 1992-94 1139 257 13.53 

Most Losses: 11, 1990, 1991, 1996, 1998 

Fewest Losses: 5, 1992 

Winning Streak: 8, 2008 

Losing Streak: 10, 1990-91 

Season Saves 

Player Year GP Saves 

1. Kevin Rozo 1995 14 278 

2. Kevin Rozo 1997 14 265 

3. Kevin Rozo 1998 13 253 

4. Kevin Rozo 1996 14 233 

5. Mike Carberry 1994 14 201 

Season Save Percentage 


Player Year GA Saves Pct. 

1. Tom Kucharczak 2004 90 144 .615 

2. Kevin Rozo 1995 187 278 .598 

3. Angus Dineley 2005 66 97 .595 

4. Kevin Rozo 1997 192 265 .580 

5. Kevin Rozo 1996 171 233 .577 

Season Goals Against Average 


Player Year Minutes GA GAA 

1. Tom Kucharczak 2004 651 90 8.30 

2. Chris Courteau 2008 847 118 8.36 

3. Angus Dineley 2005 466 66 8.50 

4. Tom Kucharczak 2006 488 79 9.71 

5. Seth Vath 2002 600 99 9.91 

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Ga m e -By-Ga m e Re s u lt s 

1990 (5-11) 

Head Coach: Ed Van Tine 

3-3 at Notre Dame L, 7-19 

3-11 ELMIRA W, 18-10 

3-13 MARIST W, 13-4 

3-17 ALFRED L, 4-20 

3-31 MICHIGAN STATE L, 9-17 

4-1 MARIETTA W, 31-4 

4-7 OBERLIN (ot) W, 19-18 

4-9 at Providence L, 12-17 

4-10 at Hartford L, 15-22 

4-12 at Siena W, 18-13 

4-14 at Ohio State (ot) L, 17-18 

4-18 at St. Bonaventure L, 5-18 

4-26 KEUKA L, 12-14 

4-28 VMI L, 10-12 

5-1 at Nazareth L, 9-30 

5-5 at Georgetown L, 25-26 

1991 (2-11) 



3-14 RIT L, 4-16 

3-16 at Alfred L, 5-16 

3-19 NAZARETH L, 5-29 

3-23 at Elmira W, 14-10 

3-28 STONY BROOK L, 10-17 

4-13 SIENA W, 14-11 

4-16 ST. BONAVENTURE L, 5-7 

4-19 OHIO STATE L, 11-13 


4-24 COLGATE L, 16-18 

4-27 VMI L, 8-20 

4-28 MOUNT ST. MARY’S L, 7-13 

1992 (5-5) 


3-21 ELMIRA (ot) W, 14-13 

3-28 at Michigan State L, 12-18 

4-2 at Marist W, 19-9 

4-3 at Stony Brook L, 5-17 


4-8 at St. Bonaventure (ot) W, 18-17 


4-18 at Siena W, 10-9 

4-22 at Colgate L, 6-17 

4-28 GENESEO W, 12-11 

1993 (4-9) 

Head Coach: Mike Greco 


2-28 vs. Butler ^ L, 8-14 

3-23 RIT L, 8-22 

4-4 NORTHWOOD W, 18-10 

4-7 at Le Moyne L, 13-16 

4-15 ST. BONAVENTURE W, 13-7 

4-20 SIENA W, 9-8 

4-21 COLGATE L, 10-15 

4/23 at Nazareth L, 3-17 



4-29 at Geneseo L, 7-21 

5-2 ELMIRA (ot) W, 13-12 

^ - Game Played at Notre Dame 

1994 (5-9) 



3-20 at Northwood W, 19-7 

3-23 RIT L, 11-17 

3-26 ELMIRA W, 24-2 

3-30 LE MOYNE W, 16-10 

4-4 NOTRE DAME L, 7-14 

4-6 NAZARETH L, 10-19 

4-9 at Bucknell L, 8-14 

4-10 at Mount St. Mary’s L, 14-15 

4-17 BUTLER L, 10-12 

4-20 at Keuka W, 10-9 

4-23 at Siena W, 8-7 

4-27 at Alfred L, 9-17 

4-30 at Ohio State L, 13-15 

1995 (6-8) 


3-11 KEUKA W, 27-8 

3-15 RIT L, 5-19 

3-18 at Mount St. Mary’s W, 11-9 


3-25 NORTHWOOD W, 18-5 

3-29 at Bucknell L, 10-13 

4-1 at Hobart L, 4-22 

4-9 at Butler L, 12-16 

4-12 GENESEO W, 26-17 

4-19 at Nazareth L, 10-18 

4-22 SIENA W, 24-8 

4-28 at Duke L, 6-18 

4-20 OHIO STATE W, 15-11 

5-13 BOSTON COLLEGE ^ L, 13-14 

^ - ECAC Championship at Colgate 

1996 (5-11, 4-3 MAAC) 


3-2 at Penn L, 6-20 

3-12 at Duke L, 9-24 


3-20 RIT L, 10-14 

3-23 PROVIDENCE * W, 15-8 

3-24 FAIRFIELD * L, 6-16 

3-30 at Siena * W, 16-8 

3-31 at Marist * L, 10-11 


4-6 BUTLER L, 6-17 

4-10 HOBART L, 4-25 

4-13 NIAGARA * W, 23-8 

4-20 MANHATTAN * W, 27-6 

4-21 VERMONT L, 14-18 

4-27 MOUNT ST. MARY’S * L, 7-8 

5-1 NIAGARA W, 24-10 

* - MAAC Game 

1997 (4-10, 4-4 MAAC) 



3-23 SAINT JOSEPH’S * L, 9-10 

3-26 COLGATE L, 11-18 


4-5 at Fairfield * L, 7-10 

4-6 at Providence * L, 8-9 

4-9 at Hobart L, 9-16 

4-12 MARIST * W, 26-15 

4-13 SIENA * W, 21-8 

4-16 at Mercyhurst L, 10-18 

Series History 

Team W - L Pct. Streak 

Air Force 0- 1 .000 L1 

Alfred 0- 3 .000 L3 

Boston College 1- 2 .333 W1 

Bucknell 0- 2 .000 L2 

Butler 0- 7 .000 L7 

Colgate 0-12 .000 L12 

Cornell 0- 5 .000 L5 

Duke 0- 4 .000 L4 

Elmira 5- 0 .000 W5 

Fairfield 0- 4 .000 L4 

Gannon 0- 1 .000 L1 

Geneseo 2- 1 .667 W1 

Georgetown 0- 4 .000 L4 

Hartford 0- 2 .000 L2 

Hobart 0- 9 .000 L9 

Johns Hopkins 0- 1 .000 L1 

Keuka 2- 1 .667 W2 

Le Moyne 1- 1 .500 W1 

Manhattan 10- 4 .714 W2 

Marietta 1- 0 1.000 W1 

Marist 7- 8 .467 W1 

Mercyhurst 2- 4 .333 W1 

Michigan State 0- 7 .000 L7 

Mount St. Mary’s 4-14 .222 W2 

Navy 0- 1 .000 L1 

Nazareth 0- 5 .000 L5 

Niagara 3- 0 1.000 W3 

Northwood 3- 0 1.000 W3 

Notre Dame 0- 4 .000 L4 

Oberlin 1- 0 1.000 W1 

Ohio State 1- 6 .167 L 

Ohio Wesleyan 0- 1 .000 L1 

Penn 0- 1 .000 L1 

Princeton 0- 3 .000 L3 

Providence 7- 8 .467 L1 

Quinnipiac 1- 4 .200 L3 

Radford 1- 0 1.000 W1 

RIT 0- 5 .000 L5 

Robert Morris 4- 0 1.000 W4 

Sacred Heart 0- 2 .000 L2 

Saint Joseph’s 4- 9 .308 W1 

Siena 17- 2 .895 W1 

St. Andrews 0- 1 .000 L1 

St. Bonaventure 2- 2 .500 W2 

Stony Brook 0- 2 .000 L2 

Syracuse 0- 1 .000 L1 

UMBC 0- 1 .000 L1 

Vermont 0- 4 .000 L4 

VMI 8- 3 .727 W6 

Wagner 9- 0 1.000 W9 

2009 Opponents in bold 


Ga m e -By-Ga m e Re s u lt s 

4-19 at Air Force L, 11-14 

4-10 at Niagara * W, 17-10 

4-27 at Manhattan * W, 27-5 

5-2 at Cornell L, 14-24 

* - MAAC Game 

1998 (2-11, 2-5 MAAC) 


3-15 at St. Andrews L, 11-15 

3-18 at Duke L, 2-22 

3-28 at Mount St. Mary’s * L, 9-17 

3-29 at St. Joseph’s * L, 12-16 

4-4 FAIRFIELD * L, 9-15 

4-5 PROVIDENCE * L, 8-13 

4-8 HOBART L, 8-28 


4-15 MERCYHURST L, 12-15 

4-18 at Siena * W, 18-17 

4-19 at Marist * L, 12-19 



* - MAAC Game 

1999 (4-8, 3-5 MAAC) 

Head Coach: Randy Mearns 

3-20 at Manhattan * (ot) W, 7-6 

3-21 at Quinnipiac * L, 9-10 

3-28 SIENA * W, 16-8 

3-31 at Gannon L, 6-20 

4-3 at Ohio State L, 5-7 

4-9 MARIST * L, 12-13 

4-14 at Hobart L, 3-24 

4-17 at Fairfield * L, 4-20 

4-18 at Providence * W, 11-10 

4-21 at Mercyhurst W, 10-8 



* - MAAC Game 

Kevin Ross was named the 2006 MAAC Offensive Player of the Year 

after posting 51 points, 36 goals and 15 assists. 

2000 (3-10, 3-6 MAAC) 


3-4 at Hartford L, 9-13 

3-5 at Boston College L, 9-17 

3-14 at Saint Joseph’s * L, 6-19 


3-25 SACRED HEART * L, 8-14 

3-26 QUINNIPIAC * W, 12-11 

4-1 at Manhattan * L, 6-11 

4-2 at Marist * L, 6-13 

4-8 WAGNER * W, 20-0 

4-9 OHIO WESLEYAN L, 13-17 


4-16 at Siena * L, 13-15 

4-26 MERCYHURST L, 12-14 

* - MAAC Game 

2001 (7-6, 4-5 MAAC) 


3-4 at VMI W, 8-7 

3-5 at Radford W, 18-12 

3-24 MARIST * W, 17-12 

3-31 at Wagner * W, 16-9 


4-7 at Sacred Heart * L, 11-19 

4-8 at Quinnipiac * L, 11-20 

4-11 at Mercyhurst L, 11-18 

4-14 BOSTON COLLEGE W, 13-7 




4-29 SIENA * W, 21-4 

* - MAAC Game 

2002 (5-8, 3-4 MAAC) 


2-24 at VMI W, 13-7 


3-16 at Marist * L, 6-11 

3-22 at Quinnipiac L, 0-15 


3-30 BUTLER L, 6-10 

4-6 PROVIDENCE * (ot) W, 9-8 

4-7 WAGNER * W, 10-6 

4-17 MERCYHURST W, 9-8 




4-28 at Siena * W, 14-8 

* - MAAC Game 

2003 (5-9, 5-3 MAAC) 


3-1 at Butler L, 14-19 

3-4 vs. Vermont ^ L, 7-12 



3-15 at VMI * L, 9-13 

3-22 MARIST * W, 11-4 

3-29 MOUNT ST. MARY’S * W, 12-7 

3-31 at Providence * (ot) L, 4-5 

4-13 at Manhattan * W, 7-5 

4-14 at Johns Hopkins L, 5-21 

4-17 at Siena * W, 17-7 

4-22 COLGATE L, 8-12 

4-26 WAGNER * W, 10-4 

5-2 vs. Mount St. Mary’s ! L, 8-11 

* - MAAC Game 

^ - Game Played in Syracuse, N.Y. 

! - MAAC Tournament (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) 

2004 (6-7, 6-2 MAAC) 


3-24 at Colgate (ot) L, 5-6 

3-3 vs. Butler ^ L, 4-5 

3-9 vs. Vermont ~ L, 5-13 

3-13 VMI * W, 16-10 

3-16 at No. 5 Duke L, 1-15 



4-3 at Saint Joseph’s * W, 13-12 

4-8 at Marist * L, 8-10 

4-10 at Wagner * W, 8-4 

4-17 SIENA * W, 15-9 


5-7 vs. Providence ! L, 8-10 

* - MAAC Game 

^ - Game Played in Columbus, Ohio 

~ - Game Played in Liverpool, N.Y. 

! - MAAC Tournament (Buffalo, N.Y.) 

2005 (5-7, 4-4 MAAC) 


3-12 at UMBC L, 6-13 

3-19 WAGNER * W, 12-4 

4-2 SAINT JOSEPH’S W, 7-4 

4-5 ROBERT MORRIS W, 12-7 

4-7 at Marist * L, 6-10 


4-12 COLGATE L, 6-14 


4-20 at Siena * W, 7-5 

4-23 VMI * W, 12-6 

4-26 at Hobart L, 6-12 


* - MAAC Game 

2006 (7-8, 6-2 MAAC) 


2-25 at No. 8 Princeton L, 6-16 

3-1 at Robert Morris W, 12-7 


3-12 at Quinnipiac L, 4-9 

3-14 vs. Vermont ^ L, 9-11 

3-18 at VMI * W, 11-9 



4-8 at Wagner * W, 9-4 


4-18 HOBART L, 5-22 


4-26 SIENA * W, 15-8 

4-29 MARIST * W, 8-3 

5-5 vs. Mount St. Mary’s ! L, 9-13 

* - MAAC Game 

^ - Game Played in Liverpool, N.Y. 

! - MAAC Tournament (Buffalo, N.Y.) 

2007 (6-8, 5-3 MAAC) 




3-13 at No. 5 Navy L, 5-13 

3-17 at Providence * W, 5-4 

3-24 WAGNER * W, 18-6 

3-31 VMI * W, 12-4 

4-7 at Marist * L, 11-14 

4-10 ROBERT MORRIS (ot) W, 8-7 

4-14 SAINT JOSEPH’S * W, 15-7 

4-18 at Siena * L, 7-13 

4-21 MOUNT ST. MARY’S * W, 15-9 

4-24 at Hobart L, 10-11 


5-4 vs. Saint Joseph’s ! L, 9-10 

* - MAAC Game 

! - MAAC Tournament (Emmitsburg, Md.) 

2008 (10-6, 7-1 MAAC) 



3-2 COLGATE (ot) L, 11-12 

3-12 at No. 9 Cornell L, 3-14 

3-15 at Mount St. Mary’s * W, 11-7 


3-29 at Saint Joseph’s * W, 7-6 

4-5 MARIST * W, 12-5 

4-8 at Robert Morris (ot) W, 16-15 

4-12 at Wagner * W, 16-8 

4-16 SIENA * (ot) W, 10-9 

4-19 at VMI * W, 12-8 

4-22 HOBART L, 3-10 

4-26 PROVIDENCE * L, 5-11 

5-2 vs. Manhattan ! W, 11-2 

5-4 vs. VMI ! W, 14-5 

5-11 at No. 3 Syracuse $ L, 3-20 

* - MAAC Game 

! - MAAC Tournament (Loudonville, N.Y.) 

$ - NCAA Tournament 

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Ca n i s iu s Co l l eg e 



Canisius College Facts 

Founded: 

Location: 

Campus: 

By German members of 

the Society of Jesus in 

1870. 

The historic Hamlin Park 

neighborhood in the city 

of Buffalo, N.Y. 

62 acres, with most 

buildings connected 

by tunnels or overhead 

walkways 

Academics: More than 1,000 courses 

in 70 majors, minors and 

special programs offered 

through three academic 

divisions. 

Enrollment: 3,490 undergraduate 

1,494 graduate 

Degrees: 

BA, BS, MBA, MBAPA, MS, 

MSEd 

Average Class Size: 17 

Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 12:1 

Activities: 25 academic clubs, 20 

service and social clubs, 

16 honor societies, 16 

recreational clubs, 11 

performing arts organizations, 

11 cultural clubs, 

nine publications and 

broadcasting media, three 

Greek life organizations. 

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• Consistently ranked among the top regional colleges in the Northeast, Canisius 

College is one of 28 Jesuit colleges in the nation. 

• Canisius is proud to share in the Jesuit heritage, which offers students a unique 

blend of academic, social and spiritual growth opportunities to prepare them 

to be leaders in their professions, communities and service to humanity. It was 

founded in 1870 by German members of the Society of Jesus. 

• The Canisius campus is located in a residential neighborhood in North-Central 

Buffalo only minutes from downtown Buffalo. The Metro Rail rapid transit 

system connects the college directly to the city’s waterfront, downtown theatre 

district and some of Buffalo’s most exciting sports arenas. 

• There are more than 1,000 courses in over 70 distinct majors, minors and 

special programs offered at Canisius. 

• More than 92 percent of recent Canisius graduates are employed in their fields 

or attending graduate or professional schools. 

• With a student/faculty ratio of 12:1, students have the opportunity to work 

closely with their instructors, often publishing or presenting scholarly articles 

based on joint research. 

• Ninety-five of the 217 full-time faculty at Canisius hold a PhD or other terminal 

degree. 

• Over 100 college-sponsored organizations offer Canisius students experiences 

related to service, the media, student government, academics and religious and 

social interests. 

• Students serve others through opportunities that are offered and encouraged 

through Campus Ministry, including volunteering at area hospitals, tutoring, 

visiting the elderly and staffing local soup kitchens for the poor. 

• President of Canisius College since 1993, Rev. Vincent M. Cooke, S.J., has 

demonstrated his leadership and commitment to the college and the Western 

New York community by overseeing the investment of nearly $120 million in 

the Canisius campus over the last 15 years. 

• More than 85 percent of the school’s housing have been built or renovated 

within the last nine years. The College’s newest residence, Dugan Residence 

Hall, opened in the fall 2005 and is now home to 270 freshmen and 

sophomores. 

• All resident accommodations at the College are fully wired to include individual 

Internet service, cable television and local telephone service with voicemail. 

• Apartment-style living is available for students in their sophomore, junior 

or senior years in one of the College’s townhouse complexes or apartment 

buildings. 

• Canisius has nearly 38,000 living alumni, representing every state and numerous 

foreign countries. 

Undergraduate Majors & Programs 

College of Arts and Sciences 

Anthropology 

Art History 

Biochemistry 

Bioinformatics 

Biology 

Chemistry 

Clinical Laboratory Science 

Communication Studies 

Computer Science (BA and BS) 

Criminal Justice 

Digital Media Arts 

Economics (BA) 

English 

Environmental Science 

European Studies 

History 

International Relations 

Mathematics and Statistics 

Modern Languages: French, German, Spanish 

Music 

Philosophy 

Physics 

Political Science 

Psychology 

Religious Studies 

Sociology 

Urban Studies 

Pre-Professional Programs 

Dental Early Assurance of Admission 

Joint Degree Programs: 

Dental Medicine, Optometric Medicine, Osteopathic 

Medicine and Podiatric Medicine 

Medical Early Assurance of Admission 

Pre-Dental 

Pre-Engineering 

Pre-Law 

Pre-Medical 

Pre-Pharmacy 

Pre-Veterinary 

Richard J. Wehle School of Business 

Accounting 

Accounting Information Systems 

Economics (BS) 

Entrepreneurship 

Finance 

Information Systems 

International Business 

Management 

Marketing 

School of Education and Human Services 

Athletic Training/Sports Medicine 

Physical Education/Health Education 

Special Education 

Teacher Education: 

Early Childhood Education (Birth to Grade 2) 

Childhood Education (Grades 1 - 6) 

Adolescence Education (Grades 7 - 12) 


Ac a d e m ic Se r v i c e s 

Canisius College Academic Services provides academic, personal and career 

support programs that foster the total development for the student-athletes. A 

comprehensive program on life skills provides student-athletes with educational 

experiences. Service programs preparing students for the demands of a wellbalanced 

lifestyle are also provided. Academic Services for Student-Athletes 

offers the guidance and direction needed to prepare student-athletes for 

success beyond graduation. 

Academic Advisor for Athletics Services 

The Academic Advisor for Athletics provides the following support services 

to best serve the student-athletes at Canisius: 

• Provide effective academic advising; conduct individual advising 

appointments with student-athletes who have concerns abut their 

major choice, progress toward graduation, grades, or any other 

aspects that may impede their success toward graduation and 

NCAA eligibility. 

• Pay particular attention to the “at-risk” student-athletes and 

students who have not yet chosen a major course of study. 

• Schedule meetings with designated student-athletes to assist in 

the monitoring of academic progress. 

• Assist student-athletes with the development of academic recovery 

plans. 

• Develop travel contracts for student-athletes to share with their 

course instructors. 

• Provide assistant with scholarship and award applications. 

Study Hall/ Tutorial Program 

In order to assist student-athletes in achieving optimal academic 

performance, the Athletic Department provides a Study Hall 

Program. Study hall is open to all student-athletes and is an 

opportunity to do academic work at consistent time in a quiet place 

where tutors are available to answer questions and concerns. 

Study hall is to be used for course work only. A total of six hours each 

week are required for all first semester freshmen and first semester 

transfers. 

Tutoring Services 

The college offers free tutoring to all Canisius College students. If you 

have any questions regarding a tutor, or need assistance setting up a time to 

meet with someone from the College’s Tutorial Program, contact Danielle 

LaMarre, Academic Advisor for Athletics. 

Matt Hajek 

2008 MAAC 

All-Academic Team 

2008 MAAC All-Academic Team 

Matt Barkas 

Accounting 

Brendan Collins 

Biology 

Chris Courteau 

Adolescent Ed. 

Matt Hajek 

Accounting 

Eric Lamothe 

Management 

John Minieri 

Digital Media Arts 

Dave Schaefer 

Marketing 

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Li fe Sk i l l s 

Canisius College has been a participating institution in the 

NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills Program since 2000-01. 

The CHAMPS/Life Skills Program is designed to: 

• Support efforts of every student-athlete toward intellectual development 

and graduation 

• Use athletics as preparation for success in life 

• Meet the changing needs of student-athletes 

• Enhance interpersonal relationships in the lives of student-athletes 

• Assist student-athletes in building positive self-esteem 

• Enable student-athletes to make meaningful contributions to their 

communities 

• Promote ownership by the student-athletes of their academic, 

athletic, personal and social responsibilities 

• Enhance partnerships between the NCAA, member institutions 

and their communities for the purpose of education 

• Encourage the development of leadership skills 

Student-Athlete of the Year 

Year Female Athlete Male Athlete 

2001 Heather Forester (Synchro) Stephen Fabiili (Hockey) 

2002 Shauna Geronzin (Basketball) Tom Zabawa (Football) 

2003 Jénel Stevens (Basketball) Mark Miyashita (Lacrosse) 

2004 Jénel Stevens (Basketball) Rob Martin (Hockey) 

2005 Andrea Bunten (Softball) Matt Vinc (Lacrosse) 

2006 Whitney Card (Lacrosse) Matt Mazurek (Baseball) 

2007 Jess Stackhouse (Volleyball) Kevin Ross (Lacrosse) 

2008 Katie Miranto (Softball) Alan McGreal (Soccer) 

The CHAMPS/Life Skills Program focuses on five 

commitment areas: 

• Academic Excellence 

• Athletic Excellence 

• Personal Development 

• Career Development 

• Service 

• The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) serves as the 

student-athletes’ line of communication to the athletics administration. 

Two student-athletes from each team serve on the SAAC and 

meet with department of athletics administrators once a month. 

Katie Miranto 

Alan McGreal 

• Once each semester, Canisius recognizes its student-athletes who 

have achieved a 3.2 cumulative grade point average or higher at an academic awards banquet. 

• At the end of the academic year, the athletic department hosts the All-Sports Banquet and announces the Male and Female Athletes of the 

Year. The banquet also includes a video, featuring all athletic teams, along with other award presentations. 

• Canisius initiated a program in 2002, called Athletes For Athletes, to increase fellowship among the student-athletes and student attendance 

at home games. SAAC representatives from each team pick one home game on their schedule they would like all other student-athletes 

to attend. 

These Men and Women Wore the Blue & Gold 

Alum Sport Job 

Ed Book (‘92) Men’s Basketball Member, 2004 New Zealand Olympic Team 

Mike Buczkowski (‘86) Ice Hockey Vice President, Buffalo Bisons (IL) 

Anthony Cassiol (‘88) Ice Hockey Vice President, Citizens Bank 

Gina Castelli (‘86) Women’s Basketball Head Coach, Siena College 

Dr. Mike Christel (‘83) Men’s Cross Country Scientist, Carnegie Mellon University 

Darren Fenn (‘01) Men’s Basketball Pro basketball, Germany 

Karen Freeman (‘83) Women’s Basketball Executive Vice President for Biologics - Former Wake Forest Head Coach 

Greg Gabriel (‘74) Football Director of College Scouting, Chicago Bears (NFL) 

Pat Gallivan (‘82) Men’s Soccer Former Sheriff, Erie County 

Gene Jankowski (‘55) Baseball Former President and Chairman of CBS Broadcasting Company 

Tony Masiello (‘69) Men’s Basketball Mayor, City of Buffalo, 1994-2005 

Micheal Meeks (‘96) Men’s Basketball Member, 2000 Canadian Olympic Team 

Jeff Nix (‘80) Men’s Basketball Director of Scouting Services, New York Knicks (NBA), 1992-2007 

Henry Nowak (‘57) Men’s Basketball US House of Representatives (Retired) 

Ron Raccuia (‘93) Baseball President, Integrity Distribution; Founder, Ad Pro Team Sports 

Mary Beth Riley (‘91) Women’s Cross Country 1991 NCAA Woman of the Year 

Mike Smrek (‘85) Men’s Basketball Member, World Champion Los Angeles Lakers (twice) 

Ryan Stewart (‘97) Ice Hockey Video Coach, Chicago Blackhawks (NHL), Amateur Scout 

Ann Woloszynski (‘90) Softball Vice President, M&T Bank 

Josh Zavitz (‘05) Ice Hockey ECHL Man of the Year (2006) 


Bu f f a l o 

CHRONOLOGY 

Buffalo was settled in 1800 and incorporated as a city in 

1832. 

NICKNAMES 

“City of Good Neighbors” 

“Queen City of the Lakes” 

“City of No Illusions” 

“City of Lights” 

POPULATION 

Buffalo has a population of 292,648. The Buffalo-Niagara Falls 

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is the 43rd largest United 

States metro area with a population of 1,170,111. 

City of Buffalo Facts 

LOCATION 

Buffalo is the commercial, political and entertainment hub of 

an eight county region (Erie, Niagara, Allegany, Cattaraugus, 

Chautauqua, Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties) with 

a population of nearly 1.6 million. 

Located at the easternmost end of Lake Erie, overlooking the 

Niagara River, Buffalo is just across the Peace Bridge from the 

Canadian province of Ontario, and a 20-minute drive from 

Niagara Falls. 

Approximately 55 percent of the U.S. population and 62 

percent of Canada’s population is within a 500-mile radius of 

the Buffalo Niagara region. 

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Bu f f a l o 

Fascinating Facts 

• All Cheerios are made here. 

• Niagara Falls, one of the seven wonders of the world, is located 20 

minutes away from Buffalo. 

• Chicken wings were first served at the Anchor Bar on Main Street 

in 1964. 

• Kleinhans Music Hall, a National Historic Landmark, is considered 

one of the five acoustically perfect buildings in the world. 

• In 1905, the NAACP was founded in the region, with its first 

national conference in Buffalo. 

• Two hundred miles of fresh water shore border the area. 

• Buffalo was the first city in the United States to light streets with 

electricity. 

• Buffalo is the only city in the United States to boast five Frank 

Lloyd Wright designed homes. 

• More bagels are made in Buffalo than any other U.S. city. 

• Buffalo is home to more than 50 public and private art galleries, 

the country’s largest intact park system designed by Frederick Law 

Olmstead and Calvert Vaux, and more buildings designed by Frank 

Lloyd Wright than any other city except Chicago. 

• The Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site, 

formerly the Wilcox residence, was the scene of the inauguration 

of Theodore Roosevelt as President of the United States on 

September 14, 1901, following the assassination of William 

McKinley. 

• Forest Lawn Cemetery, located across the street from Canisius 

College, is the resting place of President Millard Fillmore, General 

Albert J. Meyer (founder of National Weather Service), Chief Red 

Jacket of the Seneca Indians and William G. Fargo, co-organizer of 

the first transcontinental Express Service. 

• Home of Samuel Clemens, who worked as the managing editor of 

them Buffalo Express Newspapers, Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 

24th President of the United States, and Warren Spahn, the Hall 

of Fame pitcher, who is the winningest left-hander of all time with 

363 victories. 


At h l e t ic Tradition 

Department of Athletics Mission Statement: 

Consistent with the Jesuit philosophy of education and the mission of the College, the 

Canisius College intercollegiate athletics program strives for excellence in academics, 

athletics, leadership and service to others while embracing the principles of good sportsmanship, 

ethical conduct and equity in opportunity. 

Core Values: 

In pursuing this mission the Department of Athletics subscribes to established core values 

through which all stakeholders of the program ensure that we will: 

• Understand that our student-athletes are central to our primary purpose and as such, 

their well being and successful graduation from the college are expected. 

• Continually recruit student athletes that will enhance our program by representing 

the College with distinction. 

• Tirelessly prepare for and compete in each contest with the expectation of winning. 

• Expect the highest levels of sportsmanship and personal integrity from all participants. 

• Strive to provide a leadership role in the College’s service to the Western New York 

community. 

• Embrace equal opportunity for all participants in a culturally diverse community. 

• Provide a positive educational and athletic experience for our student-athletes and 

alumni that will create a passion for a commitment to the college and engender a 

lifetime of support for our Golden Griffins. 

2008 MAAC Men’s Lacrosse Champions 

What is a Griffin? 

The Griffin is a mythical creature of supposed gigantic size that has the head, forelegs and wings of an eagle and the 

hindquarters, tail and ears of a lion. They are well known for their speed, ability to fly and having eyes like an eagle 

as well as the strength and courage of a lion. 

Griffins have been known for centuries as symbols of strength and vigilance, have been called “The Hounds of Zeus” 

in Greek mythology and are said to have mastery of both the land and sky. 

They are thought to be from India, where the natives of the land made their talons and claws into drinking cups 

because the talon of a Griffin was said to detect poison in a liquid. Griffins would find gold in the mountains and 

line their nests with it and as a result, were forced to become great guardians of the nests to keep the hunters away. 

According to Charles A. Brady in Canisius College The First Hundred Years, “Though the problems of when and where the Griffin began his reign as 

King Herald of the Canisius College of Arms are not easily settled, the whence is simple to establish. Our Griffin flew to us from the prow of LaSalle’s 

lost Griffon, the Flying Dutchman of the Great Lakes, which disappeared after making a safe voyage from the Niagara River to the Strait of Detroit. 

LaSalle’s ill-fated caravel, the first ship ever built on America’s inland seas, with its 45 tons and five cannons, had its beakhead adorned ‘with a flying 

Griffin, and an eagle above it,’ in honor of the two heraldic beasts on the armorial bearing of the great Frontenac.” 

The Griffin became the symbol for Canisius athletics in the mid-1930s. Steve Weller wrote in The Buffalo News Jan. 22, 1962, “You can have your 

Chihuahuas, Piranhas, Horned Frogs and Iguanas. The best all-around athletic mascot in business today has to be the beast adopted by Canisius 

College – the Golden Griffin.” 

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MAAC 

MAAC History 

With 10 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity 

in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is in 

its 28th year of competition during the 2008-2009 academic year. 

The MAAC was founded in 1980 by six charter members: the U.S. Military Academy, 

Fairfield University, Fordham University, Iona College, Manhattan College and Saint 

Peter’s College. Competition followed one year later in the fall of 1981 with members 

competing in the sports of men’s cross country and men’s soccer. On January 

2, 1982, Army traveled to Iona for the first MAAC men’s basketball game and the 

MAAC story had begun. 

Today, Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona 

College, Loyola College (Md.), Manhattan College, Marist College, Niagara University, 

Rider University, Saint Peter’s College, and Siena College. In addition, associate 

members Mount St. Mary’s University, Providence College, Saint Joseph’s University, 

Virginia Military Institute and Wagner College compete in men’s lacrosse. St. 

Francis (N.Y.) College, Villanova University and Wagner College are all associate 

members of the MAAC Women’s Water Polo League. The MAAC will support 24 

sports and championships during the 2008-2009 academic year. 

Academics and Athletics 

The MAAC prides itself on the accomplishments of its student-athletes in the 

classroom, as well as on the field. Mary Beth Riley, a 1991 graduate of Canisius, was 

the first recipient of the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. In the fall of 1998, Erin 

Whalen, a member of the Iona women’s rowing team, was awarded one of the nation’s 

32 Rhodes Scholarships for academic achievement and civic leadership. Jose 

Vargas, a Loyola student, was also awarded a Rhodes Scholarship in 1999. 

First-class facilities are the rule with MAAC schools, as teams regularly play in topnotch 

arenas, such as Madison Square Garden, the IZOD Center, HSBC Arena, Times 

Union Center, the Arena at Harbor Yard and Sovereign Bank Arena. The other 

MAAC championships boast their share of outstanding locales as well, such as the 

fabled Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, where the cross country championships are 

contested, and Waterfront Park in Trenton, home of the baseball championship. 

This year, the MAAC will take its Cross Country Championships to Orlando, Florida, 

where it will conduct its post-season championships at Disney’s Wide World of 

Sports Complex. In 2009, the MAAC Women’s Soccer Championship will be at Walt 

Disney World. The MAAC Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships will move to 

Celebration Golf Club, located in Celebration, Florida, beginning in 2009. 

In the past several years, a number of the MAAC schools have also enjoyed success 

in NCAA Championships. MAAC schools have made a total of 72 NIT appearances 

and 41 NCAA appearances. In addition, Rider University represented the league last 

season in the inaugural College Basketball Invitational (CBI). Combined with recent 

bracket expansion in several sports, the MAAC possesses 12 automatic bids in men’s 

and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, 

men’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis, women’s water polo and men’s lacrosse. In 

2007, the Marist women’s basketball team advanced to the Sweet 16 before falling 

to the eventual National Champion, the University of Tennessee. Last fall, the Iona 

College men’s cross country team finished second at the 2007 NCAA Division I Cross 

Country Championships. Canisius softball, Manhattan track, Manhattan and Marist 

baseball and Loyola soccer and lacrosse have also flourished on the national stage. 

The MAAC has also been a leader in the forefront of technology, expanding the 

notoriety of the league into cyberspace. In 2007, the league retained XOS Technologies, 

Inc., to sponsor the MAAC web page. Launched in November 1999, www. 

maacsports.com has been a great success, providing fans with up-to-date contest 

results, fan polls and an online merchandise store. 

2008 MAAC Lacrosse Review 

MAAC Standings 

MAAC 

Overall 

Canisius 7-1 .875 10- 6 .625 

Providence 7-1 .875 7- 8 .467 

Manhattan 5-3 .625 6- 9 .400 

VMI 4-4 .500 6-10 .375 

Saint Joseph’s 4-4 .500 4-11 .267 

Siena 4-4 .500 10- 6 .625 

Marist 3-5 .375 3-13 .188 

Mount St. Mary’s 2-6 .250 2-12 .143 

Wagner 0-8 .000 0-15 .000 

MAAC Championship 

Semifinals 

(4) VMI 9, (1) Providence 8 (OT) 

(2) Canisius 11, (3) Manhattan 2 

Championship 

Canisius 14, VMI 5 

MAAC at the NCAA Tournament 

First Round 

Syracuse 20, Canisius 3 

All-MAAC 

First Team 

Ryan Duggan, Siena 

Kevin Hill, VMI 

Nick LoCoco, Canisius 

Mark Dillon, Providence 

Adam Jones, Canisius 

Tim Moran, VMI 

Corey Dolik, Manhattan 

Ben Johnston, Providence 

Chris Viviano, Siena 

Erik Hotaling, Saint Joseph’s 

Second Team 

Michael Blocho, Canisius 

Scott Cullinan, Saint Joseph’s 

Matt Girsh, Siena 

Bennett Murphy, Providence 

Jackson Fallon, Providence 

Tom Hensel, Canisius 

Brian Wynne, Manhattan 

Lou Aboyoun, Marist 

Dylan Cox, Providence 

Matt Nealis, Mount St. Mary’s 

Ryan Riedl, Providence 

Steve Sternberg, Manhattan 

James Taylor, Marist 

Phil Thomas, Mount St. Mary’s 

Tom Wengenosky, Saint Joseph’s 

Brent Herbst, Siena 


Fa c il it ie s 

The Rev. James M. Demske, S.J. Sports Complex, built in 1989 at a cost of $4.5 

million, provides a home field for Canisius College athletics. It has been hailed 

by the New York Times, USA Today, and The NCAA News as a model for urban 

campuses. 

History 

The facility is unique for its space utilization in a compact urban setting and has 

set the standard for design for other schools with limited land. Built on a 14-acre 

parcel of land located behind the Koessler Athletic Center, the multi-use, allpurpose, 

all-weather A-Turf surface serves as home to the Golden Griffin soccer, 

lacrosse, baseball and softball teams. The field, which is fully lighted for evening 

activities, features grandstand seating for 1,000 and portable bleachers for 150. 

In addition to the field, a locker room for Canisius student-athletes and visiting 

opponents sits adjacent to the Koessler Athletic Center. 

The Demske Sports Complex underwent a major face lift during the summer of 

2008 when Canisius replaced the old AstroTurf 12 playing surface with 123,000 

square feet of A-Turf. A-Turf is a multi-purpose, all-weather synthetic playing 

surface that is virtually unaffected by adverse weather conditions. Using natural 

grass as its model, A-Turf’s synthetic turf consists of a denser construction of 

polyethylene fibers and a high-level of specialized rubber and sand mix to increase 

playability and lower the G-Max rating. The lower the G-Max rating, the greater 

the shock absorption and less impact to the athlete. In addition to the work on 

the playing fields, Canisius also installed brand new scoreboards and new baseball 

dugouts along the first and third base sides. 

The Demske Sports Complex hosted the 2004 MAAC Men’s Lacrosse League 

championships and will serve as the host venue for the event again in May 2009. 

Center for Athletic Training 

Canisius College opened the Center for Athletic Training in the summer of 2007. 

The state-of-the art facility, located in the Koessler Athletic Center, is used for 

game and practice preparation and is fully equipped for acute and long-term injury 

rehabilitation. The Center houses private offices for both team of the College’s 

team physicians and full-time Certified Athletic Trainers who serve Canisius’ 

student-athletes. An adjacent Hydrotherapy area compliments the Center in 

providing the highest quality care for those donning the Blue and Gold. 

30 

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Ca n i s iu s Ad m in i st r a t io n 

Rev. Vincent M. Cooke, S.J. 

President 

President of Canisius College since 1993, Rev. Vincent M. Cooke, S.J. has transformed Canisius College from a 

commuter college serving primarily the Western New York market into a residential comprehensive university 

drawing students from across the Northeast and beyond. 

Under Father Cooke’s leadership, Canisius has invested nearly $120 million in 24 major capital projects on the 

Main Street campus, including a complete renovation of the college’s signature classroom building, Old Main, 

Lyons Hall, and the development of the Montante Cultural Center. Canisius has completed eight residence hall 

construction or renovation projects, including two townhouse complexes and a high-rise residence hall. Plans to 

develop Science Hall, an interdisciplinary science center at the college are underway. 

Educating students for the demands of an ever-changing world is a high priority for Father Cooke. New majors 

in emerging fields such as bioinformatics, international business, accounting information systems, health and 

human performance and digital media arts have recently been added to Canisius’ comprehensive curriculum. 

Canisius faculty, students and staff are heavily involved in wide variety of service learning and volunteer activities 

throughout Western New York and beyond. 

Father Cooke received high marks in a Buffalo News poll of Western New York leaders which ranked Father Cooke as the second most influential civic 

leader and the college as the second most influential institution overall in terms of their positive impact on the community. Father Cooke was also recognized 

by The Buffalo News as one of its Outstanding Citizens for 2001 and named the 2003 Renaissance Man by the Buffalo Renaissance Foundation 

(BRF). He received the 2005 Humanitarian Award from the Niagara Lutheran Foundation, and the National Federation for Just Communities (NFJC) of 

Western New York presented Father Cooke with a 2007 Citation Award for his community leadership. 

In early 2008, Father Cooke served as a delegate at the Jesuits’ General Congregation 35 that elected Father Adolfo Nicolas as the new General of the 

Society of Jesus. He was also a delegate at General Congregation 33 in 1983 that elected Father Peter-Hans Kolvenbach as General. 

Prior to joining the Canisius community, Father Cooke served as executive and academic vice president of John Carroll University. Born in New York 

and raised in Hoboken, NJ, Father Cooke received a bachelor of arts degree from Fordham University in 1960; a Licentiate in philosophy from Loyola 

Seminary, Shrub Oak, in 1961; master’s degrees in teaching and philosophy in 1962 and 1965; respectively, from Fordham; advanced theology degrees 

from Woodstock College in 1967 and Yale University in 1968; and a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 1971. Father 

Cooke’s academic area of expertise focuses on ethics, the theory of knowledge and the philosophy of language. 

Father Cooke is currently a member of the board of trustees of Fordham University, and a member of the finance committee of the New York Province 

of the Society of Jesus. 

Dr. Ellen Conley 

Vice President for Student Affairs 

Ellen O. Conley, PhD, a member of the Canisius Community since 1970, was named vice president for student 

affairs in 1998. One of her many accomplishments in her new role includes spearheading the upgrade of the 

athletics program at the college. 

Dr. Conley earned a bachelor’s degree from Slippery Rock State College (1967), advanced education degrees 

from the University of Pittsburgh (1968) and Buffalo State (1973) and a doctorate in higher education from the 

University at Buffalo (1981). 

During her tenure as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Conley supported the formation of the School 

of Education and Human Services, developed a mentoring program for new faculty, initiated the development of 

majors in criminal justice and environmental science and guided the initiative to implement a Master of Science 

in Organizational Communication and Development. She also established the Fine Arts Department and facilitated 

the development of MusiCanisius, which has since evolved into the ArtsCanisius program. 

While acting dean, she coordinated the promotion of the school’s graduate education program to the Canadian 

market and guided the implementation of the Master in Sport Administration. 

From 1987-89, Dr. Conley was the assistant director of athletics for women’s sports and financial aid, and from 1987-90, she was the athletic scholarship 

coordinator. Under her direction, the women’s athletic program was formed and grew from one club level team to seven varsity teams. In addition, she 

implemented and monitored an athletic scholarship program for men’s and women’s non-revenue producing sports. 

From 1982-1990 Dr. Conley served as chair of the undergraduate Physical Education Major Program and Coordinator of the Physical Education Graduate 

Program. In 1989, she developed alternative curricular tracks for physical education majors to enhance enrollment, and in 1986, she co-wrote the 

New York State Professional Preparation Council’s position paper for “Strengthening Teaching in New York State.” 


At h l e t ic Ad m in i st r a t io n 

Bill Maher 

Director of Athletics 

Named Director of Athletics in May 2005, Bill Maher is in his fourth year back in the Blue and Gold. 

Since taking over at Canisius, 10 athletic teams won conference or regional championships, with the softball 

team advancing to the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two seasons, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament 

10 times in the last 14 seasons. The 2008 men’s lacrosse team advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 

first time in program history and won a share of the regular-season MAAC Championship for the second time in 

three seasons. The 2008 baseball program earned a share of the regular-season title for the first time in 14 years 

and advanced to the MAAC Tournament for the second consecutive season while setting a school record with 

41 victories. The 2006 volleyball team set a program record for victories. The synchronized swimming program 

won its 11th consecutive ECAC Championship in 2008. During the past three seasons, 63 student-athletes have 

earned all-league honors, 16 have won conference player or rookie of the year awards and 29 were voted to alltournament 

teams. 

On the academic level during the past three athletic seasons, 217 student-athletes were named to the MAAC 

All-Academic Honor Roll, while 39 hockey players made the Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Team and 15 

synchronized swimmers were honored as U.S. Synchro Academic All-Americans. During the past three years, Canisius has had seven student-athletes 

recognized on the district level as ESPN The Magazine CoSIDA All-Academic. 

Starting with the 2007-08 academic year, Maher began a four-year term on the NCAA Division I Management Council. 

A Canisius graduate and former assistant athletic director at the school, Maher spent seven years at the University at Buffalo and served as the Bulls’ 

interim athletic director from 2003-05. 

During his tenure as the interim athletic director at Buffalo, Maher helped UB Athletics oversee $3.6 million in capital improvements to its athletic facilities, 

restructure the school’s Blue & White Club fund drive for athletics, which generated $1 million during the 2003-04 season, and develop marketing 

campaigns which increased attendance at athletic events. 

He also oversaw the development of the men’s basketball program, which set a school record for victories and earned the first postseason bid in school 

history with an invitation to the 2005 National Invitation Tournament. Under his watch, the Bulls’ RPI increased from 284 in 2003 to as high as 34 during 

the 2004-05 season. 

Maher was a four-year letterwinner on the Canisius College football team from 1985-88 and earned All-America honorable mention honors as a senior. 

He received his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Canisius in 1989 and his master’s degree in sport management from East Stroudsburg 

University in 1990. Following an internship with the New York Knicks, Maher returned to Canisius in 1991, becoming the assistant athletic director for 

compliance in 1994. 

He became the director of compliance at the University at Buffalo in 1998, where he moved up the ranks and was named senior associate athletic director 

in 2002. In that role, he managed the day-to-day operations of the Division of Athletics, including the direct supervision of Buffalo’s football and 

men’s and women’s basketball programs, in addition to the office of compliance and the office of student-athlete services. 

Maher resides in East Amherst with his wife, Kristin, and sons, Danny and David. 

Canisius Athletic Administration 

Judi Caserta 

Athletics 

Business 

Manager 

Rachelle Held 

Director of 

Compliance 

Danielle LaMarre 

Academic 

Advisor for 


John Maddock 

Associate 

Athletic 

Director 

Traci Murphy 

Associate 

Athletic 

Director 

Matt Reitnour 

Director 

of Athletic 

Communications 

Andy Smith 

Head Athletic 

Trainer 

Barb Zimmerman 


Administrative 

Assistant 

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Matt Vinc 

Kevin Ross 

Dan Carey 

Mark Miyashita 

Travis Hill

2009 SCHEDULE 

February 

13 at Colgate 4 p.m. 

21 at Princeton 1 p.m. 

March 

10 at Cornell 4 p.m. 

14 at Marist * 1 p.m. 

21 SAINT JOSEPH’S * 1 p.m. 

28 at Providence * 1 p.m. 

April 

4 MOUNT ST. MARY’S * Noon 

7 ROBERT MORRIS 3 p.m. 

11 WAGNER * 1 p.m. 

15 at Siena * 3 p.m. 

18 at Manhattan * 1 p.m. 

21 at Hobart 7 p.m. 

25 VMI * 1 p.m. 

May 

1 MAAC Semifinals 

3 MAAC Championship 

HOME GAMES IN CAPS 

* MAAC Game

Media Guide - Canisius College Griffins Athletics

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