D1 men’s notebook: Canisius College baseball player Zurat gets ice time

Canisius College goaltender Jake Zurat closed out a win against Clarkson. (Canisius Athletics)

Jake Zurat thought he had nine more weeks until his second season at Canisius College began. After all, that’s the norm in college baseball.

The sophomore from East Amherst, N.Y., appeared in five games as a catcher for last season’s Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship-winning club, but this season has already been anything but the norm for Zurat.

The Golden Griffin hockey team has had its share of injury troubles in goal. Returning starter Daniel Urbani has yet to play this season. Blake Weyrick has seen the brunt of the action, starting 10 of the first 15 games, but sophomore Tucker Weppner (Williamsville, N.Y.) was lone healthy man remaining on the depth chart when the junior was sidelined for a few games in early November.

Second-year head coach Trevor Large was left scrambling to find an extra goaltender, and that’s where Zurat comes in. He’s been given the rare opportunity to balance time on the diamond and ice over the last month in Buffalo.