USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – Four second period goals led the Niagara University men’s hockey team (13-16-2, 8-8-2) to a 5-3 win over the U.S. Air Force Academy (13-15-2, 5-11-0) Saturday at the Cadet Ice Arena. With the win, the Purple Eagles complete the season sweep of the Falcons.

Leading Niagara with two goals in the victory was sophomore forward Sean Bentivoglio (Thorold, Ont.), who gave the Purple Eagles a 1-0 lead just over a minute into the opening period.

Finding room in front of the Air Force net, Bentivoglio deflected a pass from linemate Matt Caruana (Orono, Ont.) from just outside the Falcons’ crease. Racing down the left boards, Caruana found an open Bentivoglio for the back-handed deflection at 1:11 of the first period.

With the goal, the forward line of Bentivoglio, Caruana and freshman Mike Maier (Greece, N.Y.) combined for four goals in the weekend series against the Falcons.

"Me and Matt have been playing together for a while and this weekend Mike moved up," Bentivoglio said. "Mike did a good job creating space for Matt and I. We just fit well together as a line."

Air Force tied the score at the 7:36 mark of the period when sophomore forward Theo Zacour, playing in only his fifth game of the season, took advantage of a Niagara turnover in its defensive zone and scored his second goal of the season. Following a turnover by sophomore defenseman Pat Oliveto (Rochester) near the Purple Eagles blueline, Zacour skated in on Niagara goaltender Jeff Van Nynatten (Stratford, Ont.), placing a wrist shot into the top right corner of the net to even the score at 1-1.

The game remained tied until senior Kris Wiebe (Lloydminster, Alb.) showed great individual effort near the Air Force net, following his own shot and beating multiple Falcon players to the loose rebound for his ninth goal of the season at 1:23 of the second period.

At the 5:21 mark of the middle period, senior captain Barret Ehgoetz (Kincardine, Ont.) hit a loaded slapshot over the left shoulder of Air Force goaltender Peter Foster from in between the faceoff circles. Ehgoetz trailed the play and was able to step into the shot for his 15th goal of the season, giving Niagara a 3-1 lead.

Continuing the scoring onslaught, senior defenseman Ryan Carrigan (Burlington, Ont.) scored the Purple Eagles’ third-straight goal at 8:19 of the period. Tallying his first game-winning goal in his Niagara career, Carrigan’s wrist shot went into the top-right corner of the net, beating Foster, who went down to preparing for a low shot.

Consecutive goals by Air Force freshman Blake Turnquist and sophomore Brandon Merkosky cut the Niagara advantage to just a goal, leading to Bentivoglio’s second goal of the contest.

After Falcons junior Brooks Turnquist was issued a slashing penalty at 18:53 of the second, Bentivoglio picked an opportune time to score the Purple Eagles’ fourth goal of the middle period, capitalizing on the power play.

With Ehgoetz stationed near the left faceoff circle, the senior captain found freshman Cliff Ketchen (Winnipeg, Man.), who quickly laid the puck off to Bentivoglio. After the sophomore forward’s shot from the right side of the crease was stopped by Ian Harper, who replaced Foster midway into the second period, Bentivoglio jammed the rebound into the net as time expired.

The late goal gave Niagara a 5-3 lead and momentum heading into the final period.

"They came back and got two, making it 4-3," Bentivoglio said. "Getting that goal helped us a lot heading into intermission."

The four goals in the second period is a season-high for goals in a period for the Purple Eagles.

Protecting the two-goal lead, Van Nynatten (8-8-2) stopped all 10 Air Force shots in the third period to capture his eighth win of the season. In the game, Van Nynatten made 26 saves, extending his winning streak against the Falcons to 11 games.

Both Foster and Harper made 15 saves, with Foster picking up the loss.

Shots were in favor of the Purple Eagles, 35-29.

Niagara returns to action next weekend, facing the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in a non-conference game at Dwyer Arena.