Army Travels Up to Buffalo to Begin November Schedule Against Canisius

To start the season, Army got off to a 2-0-1 start under new head coach Zach McKelvie. They have cooled off since going 1-2 over their last three games, which includes a split with Holy Cross.

This weekend Army will face off against Canisius College for the second time this season as the Black Knights make the almost six-hour bus ride up to Buffalo. It’s just a one-game set for Saturday night, but Army will be out for some early-season revenge.

Get to Know the Opponent

Canisius College got off to a firing start, opening the season 5-1. This will be the second game that Army will take on Canisius, with the Black Knights dropping their first game this season against the Griffins 3-1 on October 14th at Tate Rink.

Since then, the Griffins have lost three straight games and currently own a 5-4 record, splitting with Colgate and being swept by Bentley.

Canisius leads the all-time series with a 38-35-7 record, while owning a 21-14-5 record at home in Buffalo. Army has also lost the last three matchups against Canisius, with their previous win coming on November 18th, 2023, a 2-1 win at Tate Rink. Their last win at the LECOM Harborcenter came the season prior, a 1-0 overtime victory on March 4th, 2023.

This season, the Griffins’ first line has carried their team. Led by senior Grant Porter (4 Goals & 7 Assists), junior Walter Zacher (6 Goals & 3 Assists), and junior Rhys Chiddenton (3 Goals & 2 Assists), the Griffins first line has 25 points, while the rest of the team has 27 points.

In between the pipes, Canisius boasts one of the better goaltenders in the conference in Chase Clark. In eight starts, Clark is 5-3 with a .924 SV% and a 2.38 GAA. If Army is going to come back to Post with three points, they’re going to have to make things difficult for Clark.

Players to Watch

Senior Defenseman Jude Brower (Army)

The blueline at West Point has been very active. Already this year, freshman Lukas McClosky has won AHA defenseman player of the week, but another blueliner has stood out so far this season, and that’s senior Jude Brower.

The Mahopac, New York, native’s story is about patience paying off. After being a depth defenseman in his first three seasons at Army, playing just 36 games, Brower has established himself as one of Army’s top six D-men. Starting as the “7th” defenseman for Zach McKelvie, Brower’s offensive game has catapulted him up the lineup, playing next to fellow senior and assistant captain Sean Vlasich.

Through five games, Brower has three points, which include two goals for the Black Knights. In his first 36 games, he was only able to tally six points with one goal. With the loss of Mac Gadowskiy this summer, not one person was going to replicate the production of an All-American, but a collective effort.

Brower has been a spark on the blueline, and the Black Knights will need him to continue to produce to maintain the team’s balance in the offensive zone.

Senior Goaltender Chase Clark (Canisius)

Playing for his fourth team in four years, the Washington Capitals’ sixth-round pick in 2019 is one of the most important players for the Griffins. At Tate Rink, Clark made 29 saves on 30 shots (.966 SV%) to lead Canisius to victory at West Point.

In the first three minutes of their first matchup, Army had two shots sneak through the arm of Clark, but weren’t able to capitalize on the rebounds left by the 6’7 goaltender. Here’s what head coach Zach McKelvie said they need to do better against Clark.

“Yeah, Chase is a good goalie. We’ve seen him now with four different programs. I thought that he left out some rebounds for us, and we just weren’t there to clean them up,” said Zach McKelvie. “We just got to be a little harder around the net, better around the net. It comes in spurts with our team. Our guys know that they need to be there, but he’s a good goalie.”

Bentley was able to get to the Griffins goaltender last weekend, with Clark making just 53 saves on 59 shots (.898 SV%) over two games. If Army can pressure Clark early, get traffic in the blue paint and the slot, and capitalize on a chance or two, they’ll have a greater chance of leaving Buffalo with a victory.

Sophomore Winger Nils Forselius (Army)

Army’s offense hasn’t seen one individual light it up on the score sheet just yet, but one player who has stood out is sophomore Nils Forselius. Coming off a freshman season where he put up 22 points (7 Goals & 15 Assists), Forselius has continued right where he left off last season.

Despite not scoring a goal yet, Forselius has five assists in six games. Forselius is also one of the Black Knights who shows true speed on the ice. He is a danger from anywhere in the offensive zone, and playing alongside Ben and Jack Ivey opens up a lot of space for Forselius to work with.

Canisius showed that they play a structured game in front of Chase Clark at Tate Rink. Army is going to need someone to step up with a great individual effort to come away with three points, and so far this season, Forselius is the best option to take over a game.

Army West Point News:

• Tensions Boil Over At Tate Rink as Army Falls 5-1 to Holy Cross
• Army West Point Hockey Dominates Holy Cross 5-2 in Physical Battle at Tate Rink
• Army Hockey Begins AHA Conference Play with a Loss to Canisius

Game Details

When: November 1st; Puck Drop 7:00 pm ET

Where: LECOM Harborcenter, Buffalo, New York

TV/Radio: FloHockey/Varsity Network

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