It was a busy November for Holy Cross, as the Crusaders played nine games, including seven conference contests. They totaled nine points during that stretch, and much of that is due to senior goaltender Paul Berrafato (Williamsville, N.Y.), who was named Atlantic Hockey Goalie of the Month.
Berrafato is as dependable as they come between the pipes, having appeared in every game for Holy Cross since Oct. 24, 2015. He stopped 25 or more shots in seven of the nine November games and posted two shutouts.
Crusaders head coach David Berard (Warwick, R.I.) said having a reliable guy like Berrafato on the ice gives the whole team a confidence boost.
"Goaltending is our most important position," Berard said. "And when you have a guy that has consistently performed at a high level, it really gives our team a lot of confidence, just to know that we’ve got someone backing us up that is going to be able to get the job done."
Berrafato says the key to playing consecutive contests for more than two years is by taking it game by game.
"I really try to take care of myself off the ice. I’m always available and ready to go," Berrafato said. "Don’t take anything for granted, just take a game-by-game approach and keep on playing."
This is the second time Berrafato, who previously played for the Amarillo Bulls of the North American Hockey League, was named the conference Goalie of the Month. He says the award is indicative of how the team has been performing.
"The guys in front of me have been playing great, and I’ve just been filling out, holding down the fort and playing solid," Berrafato said. "It’s a personal award, but it’s really a team award."
THE NOTEBOOK
Canisius entered a home-and-home matchup with then-ranked No. 20 Niagara on a five-game conference winning streak. The Golden Griffins came away with two huge wins in early December, outscoring the Purple Eagles 12-4 and shooting to the top of the Atlantic Hockey standings. Dylan McLaughlin pushed his scoring streak to 11 games with three goals and an assist in the two contests. Canisius would steal Niagara’s No. 20 ranking in the USCHO poll the following Monday. …
A couple of Atlantic Hockey teams earned some big wins in December. Army squeaked by No. 16 New Hampshire for an impressive 4-3 victory on Dec. 9. Freshman netminder Jared Dempsey made 37 saves in the winning effort. The Black Knights now have four wins vs. ranked opponents. …
On the same night, RIT dominated No. 11 Providence 4-0 to split the weekend series in Rhode Island. Myles Powell scored twice in the win to push his scoring streak to four. Christian Short earned his first collegiate shutout en route to being named Atlantic Hockey Goalie of the Week. …
State rivals Robert Morris and Mercyhurst took part in a home-and-home weekend series in the last conference games of the first semester. The Colonials came away victorious in both contests, snapping a four-game losing streak. Brady Ferguson dominated against the Lakers, recording seven points on the weekend. The sweep shoots Robert Morris up to third place to close out the first half of the season. …
Bentley is in a unique position, as the team will have almost a month off before returning to the ice Jan. 5 to take on No. 8 Northeastern. The Falcons last played Dec. 9 in a 5-1 win vs. Dartmouth. All other Atlantic Hockey teams played at least one game on the last weekend of 2017.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Jonathan Charbonneau, Mercyhurst
Charbonneau is one of the hottest skaters in Atlantic Hockey. The 5-9 senior forward has eight points in his past six contests, including two goals in a 5-3 loss to Robert Morris on Dec. 17. It was his first multigoal game of the year.
Derian Plouffe, Niagara
Plouffe pushed his scoring streak to seven games after scoring his 11th goal of the year against Canisius on Dec. 9. The senior center continues to lead the Purple Eagles after playing just 12 games last year in an injury-shortened junior campaign.
Ryan Schmelzer, Canisius
The Buffalo native is showing that the Golden Griffins are more than just conference scoring leader Dylan McLaughlin. Schmelzer has notched at least two points in five of his last nine games. The senior is averaging 1.25 points per game, a substantial increase from his 0.81 average last season.
THE CLASH
Canisius at RIT | Friday, Jan. 19, 7:05 p.m. Gene Polisseni Center, Rochester, N.Y.
These two clubs are the only teams with a conference winning percentage over .700 as of Dec. 28. Both programs also average more than 3.8 goals per game in Atlantic Hockey contests, with Canisius leading the way at 3.93. The Tiger trio of Gabe Valenzuela, Myles Powell and Eric Brown will look to attack Golden Griffins goalie Daniel Urbani early and often. It will be interesting to see the Golden Griffins’ impressive penalty-kill unit try to slow down the Tigers’ conference-best power play.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Brennan Kapcheck | AIC | The playmaker
Kapcheck has proven himself to be a viable playmaker, having recorded four points in his past four games. The Yellow Jackets have averaged 3.67 goals per game in that span, a significant increase over their 2.58 average for the entire season. Kapcheck’s 15 points currently lead AIC.
Alden Dupois | RIT | The newcomer
Coming in at just 5-feet-9 and 165 pounds, Dupois has displayed potential on the offensive end. He scored twice and added an assist in a weekend series vs. No. 9 Providence. The Canadian ended the weekend with a plus-3 rating.
Aidan Pelino | Bentley | The sparkplug
Pelino has seen limited ice time for Bentley, but when he’s been out there, he’s been efficient as of late. The Ontario native held Brown to one goal on Dec. 6, then did the same to Dartmouth on Dec. 9 to guide the Falcons to two non-conference wins. Pelino now has a .906 percent save mark in 10 appearances.
THE QUOTE
‘We’ve got to find a way to understand situations and understand moments better.’
— Holy Cross coach David Berard, on what his team needs to do to pull away from the rest of the league
