When Jason Lammers took the head coaching job at Niagara in 2017, it didn’t take him long to appreciate the school’s long-standing rivalry with Canisius.
“It took about one minute,” said Lammers. “In the interview process, it was made clear that we had not had a lot of success lately against the team south of the bridge.”
“The team south of the bridge” is reminiscent of the way Ohio State refers to Michigan as “that team up north.” It’s no surprise that Lammers spent three seasons at Ohio State as an assistant coach.
The rivalry, which goes back decades and includes all sports at the two schools, is referred to as “The Battle of the Bridge,” named after the Grand Island Bridge on I-190 that separates them.
“There’s a relentless expectation to do well against them,” said Lammers. “It’s been fun to be a part of.”
The Purple Eagles come into the series on a bit of a roll. NU has won three games in a row, its longest streak of the season. Last weekend’s home sweep of Bentley made Niagara the only Atlantic Hockey team to take all six points.
“I thought we played really good, very committed defense and played with passion on offense,” said Lammers. “We played hard and with passion but didn’t get caught up in the highs or lows. (Bentley) is a good team and we needed to play our game in order to be successful.”
Niagara’s offense has clearly been by committee this season, with no players in double-digits in goals, but six scoring between five and eight so far. Junior Ryan Naumovski leads the team in points (21) and is third in the conference in league points (15).
“We’ve got a lot of talented players, but at the same time we don’t have a marquee guy,” said Lammers. “We knew as the year unfolded we weren’t going to be relying on one or two players. I prefer to get everybody involved to do their role.”
One player Niagara has been relying on is goaltender Chad Veltri, who’s appeared in 20 of the Purple Eagles 27 games to date.
“He’s done a really nice job for us,” said Lammers. “He has a history of being great this time of year. Both Michael Corson and Jake Sibell are there and ready. They’ve worked very hard. Chad’s got some more experience.”
The rivalry aside, every game is crucial at this point in the season. After Canisius, Niagara’s remaining schedule consists of series with Rochester Institute of Technology and American International. The Purple Eagles are currently in a three-way tie for fifth place, but just three points out of third. They trail second-place Canisius by five points, so a sweep would vault them ahead of the Golden Griffins.
“At this point in the season, everyone is aware of the standings,” said Lammers. “We’re all posturing for the tournament. We know this is a marathon and not a sprint. We’ll continue to work to get better every day and play our best hockey at the end of the season.”
