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Niagara University Athletics

Brown
1
Niagara NIA 2-15-3, 2-10-2 AHC
2
Winner Holy Cross HC 9-8-3, 6-5-3 AHC
Niagara NIA
2-15-3, 2-10-2 AHC
1
Final
2
Holy Cross HC
9-8-3, 6-5-3 AHC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 F
Niagara NIA 1 0 0 1
Holy Cross HC 0 1 1 2

Game Recap: Men's Ice Hockey |

Late Goal Sends Hockey To 2-1 Loss At Holy Cross

WORCESTER, Mass. – Coming off a 3-1 loss against the Holy Cross Crusaders Friday night, the Purple Eagles hockey team came out in the second game of the weekend and took the early lead less than five minutes in. However, Holy Cross would knot the score on a second period power play, and the Crusaders found the game-winner with 9:09 left in regulation, as Niagara lost 2-1 Saturday night at the Hart Center.
 
Playing in his second game with the Purple Eagles, Christian Cakebread scored his first NCAA goal less than four minutes into the contest. Johnny Curran picked up his second assist in as many games, and Derek Brown also assisted to add to his team-leading point total. Joe O'Brien made 30 saves in goal for Niagara.
 
Game Summary
  • Final Score: Holy Cross 2, Niagara 1
  • Niagara Goal Scorers: Derek Brown
  • Niagara Assists: Christian Cakebread, Johnny Curran
  • In Goal: Joe O'Brien (0-3-1) – 2 GA, 30 SV
  • Power Plays: Niagara – 0-for-3 (6 SOG); Holy Cross – 1-for-5 (15 SOG)
  • Records: Niagara – 2-15-3 (2-10-2 AHC); Holy Cross – 9-8-3 (6-5-3 AHC)
  • Location: Hart Center – Worcester, Mass.
  • Attendance: 541
 
Game Recap
  • Niagara pushed the tempo through the opening five minutes, and the effort paid off with the opening goal just 3:38 into the contest.
  • Johnny Curran had a shot from the blue line blocked by Holy Cross, but he regained possession and worked the puck around to Christian Cakebread. Set up to the right of the goal, Cakebread's shot found its way through traffic in front, and ricocheted past Holy Cross netminder Paul Berrafato. Cakebread's fellow Arizona native, Derek Brown, earned the secondary assist on the play.
  • Niagara nearly made it 2-0 as a loose puck laid on the Holy Cross goal line behind Berrafato just past the midway point of the period, but it was swatted away by a defender.
  • The Purple Eagles held the early lead going into the first intermission, as Joe O'Brien made 10 saves in the opening stanza, including five on two Holy Cross power plays.
  • Holy Cross halted Niagara's momentum and knotted the score at one at the 14:13 mark of the second period. On the power play, Holy Cross' Michael Laffin had his shot blocked on the way through to O'Brien, but the puck bounced to Mike Barrett to the left of the goal and he converted on the chance.
  • Both teams went into the third period looking for a deciding goal. At the ten-minute mark, Niagara found its best chance on the power play. TJ Sarcona walked in from the left point and found Nick Farmer on the back door for a tip-in chance. Despite a great shot from Farmer, Berrafato made the save for the Crusaders.
  • A minute after Farmer's chance was denied, Holy Cross got a 2-on-1 breaking into the Niagara zone, and Laffin beat O'Brien high for the eventual-game winner with 9:09 to play.
 
Inside the Numbers
  • In his second game as a Purple Eagle, Christian Cakebread scored his first career point with the first-period goal. He ends his first weekend with one goal, four shots, and a plus-1 rating.
  • Joe O'Brien made his first start between the pipes since Nov. 4, 2016, when he made a career-high 46 saves in a loss at Penn State. At Holy Cross, he finished with 30 stops on 32 saves.
  • With two more blocked shots, Vinny Muto held on to first place in Atlantic Hockey with 2.25 blocked shots per game (45 total).
  • Johnny Curran moves into second place on Niagara in scoring with 10 points (6+4). Curran has assists in two consecutive games and four of his last six after opening the season with six goals in 13 games played.
 
Up Next
  • The Purple Eagles play nine of their final 14 regular-season games at Dwyer Arena. The Bentley Falcons come to Monteagle Ridge for a pair of games next weekend.
  • Niagara and Bentley face off on Friday, Jan. 13 at 7:05 p.m. in a game that will be regionally televised on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel. The Purple Eagles and Falcons conclude the weekend series with a 3:05 p.m. matinee on Saturday, Jan. 14.
 
Stay connected with the Purple Eagles through social media. Follow Niagara Athletics on Twitter @NUPurpleEagles and for hockey updates, follow @NiagaraUHockey. Check in with the Purple Eagles on Facebook.com/PurpleEagles and on Instagram @NUPurpleEagles.
 
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