(Amherst, N.Y.)- The SUNY Canton men's ice hockey moved into the championship game of the appropriately named Blizzard in Buffalo Tournament hosted by the University of Buffalo with an 8-2 win over John Carroll University on Friday.

The Roos, ranked 21st in the latest ACHA Division I Rankings, improved to 16-3 and will play the host Bulls in the championship game Saturday night at 8 p.m. at the Northtown Center at Amherst.  Buffalo, ranked 18th in the country, beat Slippery Rock University 6-3 in the other first-round game.

The tournament might not have been held if played a day earlier after lake-effect storms dropped over three feet of snow on Western New York closing many roads including portions of the New York State Thruway.

But the Roos did make it through the roads and through a John Carroll team that built an early 2-0 lead in Friday's game.  The Blue streaks jumped ahead 1-0 scoring in the first three minutes of the contest and then again at the 7:43 mark.

But if was all SUNY Canton, who have won eight of their last nine games, from that point on as they tallied eight unanswered goals.  Eric Richard (St.-Hubert, Quebec) and Adam Fedor (Orleans, Ontario) scored late in the opening period to tie the game and then the Roos tacked on three more goals in the second and three in the third to cruise to the win.

Matt Cray (Merrimack, N.H.) improved to 4-0 as he turned aside 28 of 30 shots and he also had an assist, his third of the season.

Darren Camp (Canton, N.Y.) scored twice and set up another goal for SUNY Canton.  Dan Cibelli (Liverpool, N.Y.) also scored twice.  Corey Frizell (Orleans, Ontario) and John Payne (Port Moody, B.C.) each tallied a goal and an assist and Chris Giczewski (Fountain Valley, Calif.) contributed two assists.

Sean McHugh and Lou Morici scored for John Carroll and Justin Camuto made 47 saves.