The Battle of the Bridge is the name of the all-sports rivalry between the Canisius Golden Griffins and the Niagara Purple Eagles.[1][2][3][4] Both schools are members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The two teams compete every school year in 14 sports; men's baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's golf, men's ice hockey, women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, women's softball, men's and women's swimming & diving, and women's volleyball. The overall winner of the annual series receives the Canal Cup trophy.[5] The two long-time Western New York rivals created the trophy in 2007 to enhance the historic rivalry between the two schools.[6] The name of the series is a reference to the Grand Island Bridge, which each team crosses when traveling along I-190 to the other's campus.[7][8] The name of the trophy is a reference to the Erie Canal, which separates Erie County, where Canisius is located, and Niagara County, where Niagara is located.[6]
Overall results
| Season | Winner | Overall score | Series | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canisius | Niagara | |||
| 2006–07 | Niagara | 10 | 24 | Niagara 1–0 |
| 2007–08 | Canisius | 21 | 13 | Tied 1–1 |
| 2008–09 | Canisius | 23 | 11 | Canisius 2–1 |
| 2009–10 | Niagara | 15 | 17 | Tied 2–2 |
| 2010–11 | Canisius | 20 | 13 | Canisius 3–2 |
| 2011–12 | Canisius | 18.5 | 14.5 | Canisius 4–2 |
| 2012–13 | Canisius | 21 | 12 | Canisius 5–2 |
| 2013–14 | Canisius | 23.5 | 9.5 | Canisius 6–2 |
| 2014–15 | Canisius | 21 | 7 | Canisius 7–2 |
| 2015–16 | Canisius | 20.5 | 7.5 | Canisius 8–2 |
| 2016–17 | Canisius | 30 | 8 | Canisius 9–2 |
| 2017–18 | Canisius | 27 | 9 | Canisius 10–2 |
| 2018–19 | Canisius | 19 | 11 | Canisius 11–2 |
| 2019–20 | Canisius | 16 | 10 | Canisius 12–2 |
| 2020–21 | Niagara | 10 | 16 | Canisius 12–3 |
| 2021–22 | Niagara | 13 | 23 | Canisius 12–4 |
| 2022–23 | Canisius | 19 | 17 | Canisius 13–4 |
| Total | 16* seasons | 327.5 | 222.5 | Canisius 13–4 |
References
- 1."Niagara beats Canisius". WIVB-TV. January 27, 2013. Archived from the original on 2014-01-04. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
- 2."A higher bridge for Canisius, Niagara". uscho.com. November 4, 2010. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
- 3.ESPN and Bill Bradley (2009). ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. Bristol, Connecticut: ESPN. p. 114. ISBN 978-0345513922.
- 4.Beck, Stan, and Wilkinson, Jack (2013). College Sports Traditions: Picking Up Butch, Silent Night, and Hundreds of Others. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 227. ISBN 978-0-8108-9120-3.
- 5."COLLEGE ROUNDUP (JAN 31): NU, Canisius to battle for Canal Cup". Niagara Gazette. January 31, 2007. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
- 6.[6.2]"Battle of the Bridge". GoGriffs.com. 2008-06-23. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
- 7.Harrington, Mike (February 2, 2007). "Canisius, Niagara add to rivalry". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
- 8."Battle of the Bridge". PurpleEagles.com. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
- 9."Battle of the Bridge - Canisius College Athletics". gogriffs.com. Archived from the original on 2019-01-09. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
- 10."Battle of the Bridge - Niagara University Athletics". purpleeagles.com. Retrieved 2024-02-06.