Senior Kris Wiebe tallied two goals against the Chargers Dec. 4.

Freshman Trevor Mallon leads all Niagara defensemen with eight assists.

The Niagara University men’s hockey team (10-14-1, 5-6-1) looks to extend its three-game home winning streak, hosting the University of Alabama in Huntsville (10-6-4, 7-2-1) in a two-game College Hockey America conference series at Dwyer Arena Friday and Saturday.

The two teams split the previous two games this season, with the Chargers winning, 5-4, Dec. 3 and Niagara earning a 3-2 win Dec. 4, with both games played at the Von Braun Center, in Huntsville, Ala.

Both games this weekend are set for 7:05 p.m.

ON THE AIR

Both Friday’s and Saturday’s game can be heard live on Niagara University’s official athletics site, www.PurpleEagles.com, with Frank Gallo handling play-by-play duties.

Saturday’s game against the Chargers will be broadcast on tape delay by Adelphia Cable Channel 13. The game will air Sunday, Feb. 6, at 4 p.m.

The Purple Eagles look to rebound following a shutout loss to Robert Morris University Saturday. In the 6-0 loss to the Colonials, Niagara was shutout for the first time this season, outshooting Robert Morris, 28-23, in the contest.

Leading the Purple Eagles offensively last weekend were senior forwards Kris Wiebe and Barret Ehgoetz.

Wiebe tallied a team-leading two goals and three points in the two games against the Colonials, standing fourth on the team with 16 points (7 goals, 9 assists). In his 16 games against Alabama-Huntsville, Wiebe stands second on the team with five goals.

Ehgoetz, who became Niagara’s all-time leading goal scorer with his 68th-career goal in the 4-4 draw with Robert Morris Friday, continues to lead the Purple Eagles with 35 points (13 goals, 22 assists) this season. Among the national leaders in points and assists this season, Ehgoetz has seven points in his last five games.

Senior forward Ryan Gale is second on the team with a career-high 29 points this season, standing second in the conference with 18 goals.

SCOUTING THE CHARGERS

The high-scoring Huntsville attack, leading the CHA with a 3.55 goals per game average, is led by the forward line of seniors Jared Ross, Craig Bushey and junior Bruce Mulherin.

Ross and Mulherin are tied for the team lead in scoring, each with 30 points.

Mulherin leads the CHA with 19 goals this season, adding 11 assists. Ross has 16 goals and 14 assists.

In goal, junior Scott Munroe leads the conference with a .920 save percentage, credited with a record of 9-6-4. He has a 2.50 goals-against average in his 19 appearances this season.

SIMPSON OUT FOR SEASON

Suffering a torn anterior crucial ligament in the Purple Eagles’ last contest, freshman forward Tayler Simpson will miss the remainder of the 2004-05 season.

Expected to make a full recovery, Simpson will undergo surgery on his knee later this month.

Playing in each of the last 12 games, Simpson scored his first collegiate goal in the Purple Eagles’ 3-0 win over Air Force Jan. 22.

FORMER TEAM HONORED

The 1999-00 Niagara University men’s hockey team will be honored at Saturday’s men’s basketball game against Marist, played at the Gallagher Center at 4 p.m.

Finishing with a CHA-record of 30 wins in a season, including a 15-0-2 mark in conference play, the 1999-00 team advanced to the Elite Eight of the 2000 NCAA Tournament, upsetting No. 3 seed New Hampshire in the first round with a 4-1 win.

Having four of the top five scorers in school history on the 1999-00 roster, the team was led by the goaltending of Greg Gardner, who signed a free agent contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League following the 1999-00 season, becoming the first free agent signee in club history.

On hand for the ceremony celebrating the 1999-00 Purple Eagles accomplishments will be former Niagara forward Peter DeSantis, who ranks fourth on the school’s all-time scoring list with 135 career points.

Already holding the all-time points record in Niagara history, senior captain Barret Ehgoetz broke the school’s all-time goal mark in the 4-4 draw with Robert Morris Jan. 28.

With Niagara trailing 4-3 with less than three minutes remaining in regulation, Ehgoetz scored his 68th career goal at the 17:44 mark of the third period, passing former Niagara forward Peter DeSantis.

This season, Ehgoetz leads Niagara in scoring with 35 points on 13 goals and 22 assists.

Facing CHA-newcomer Robert Morris University for the first time in school history, the Purple Eagles played to a 4-4 draw with the Colonials Jan. 28, falling, 6-0, the following evening.

In the two games, Niagara suffered from second period lapses, allowing six of 10 goals in the middle period.

Leading the team in scoring in the two games were senior forwards Kris Wiebe and Barret Ehgoetz, who combined for five points (3 goals, 2 assists) in the two contests.

The shutout loss to Robert Morris is the first time this season Niagara has been shutout by an opponent.

EHGOETZ LEADS VS. UAH

Playing in 14 games in his career against the Chargers, senior captain Barret Ehgoetz leads the Purple Eagles with 23 points. Scoring 14 goals and adding nine assists, Ehgoetz is averaging 1.64 points per game against Huntsville.

Behind Ehgoetz are forwards Kris Wiebe (8 points), Justin Cross (7 points) and Jason Williamson (7 points).

In goal, junior goaltender Jeff Van Nynatten has a 4-1-1 career record against the Chargers with a 2.50 goals-against average.

PENALTY KILLERS

The Purple Eagles continue to lead the CHA with a penalty kill that holds opponents to a 15 percent conversion rate on the power play.

Led by the goaltending of junior Jeff Van Nynatten, Niagara has killed off 25 of 27 power play opportunities in its last five games.

Niagara continues to have problems when entering the overtime period.

Playing in four overtime games this season, Niagara fell to 0-3-1 with its draw against Robert Morris Saturday.

Prior to the draw, the Purple Eagles fell to UMass Lowell (Oct. 9), Bemidji State (Nov. 20) and Wayne State (Jan. 14) in the overtime period.

In the 4-4 draw with Robert Morris Jan. 28, freshman forward C.J. Tozzo tallied his first collegiate goal.

With a goal and three points this season, Tozzo scored at the 12:21 mark of the first period, giving Niagara a 1-0 lead against the Colonials.

Eight of nine freshmen skaters have registered a point for the Purple Eagles this season.

Led by forward Matt Caruana, who has 10 points on five goals and five assists, the rookie class has accounted for 19.4 percent of the Niagara points this season.

Freshman goaltender Scott Mollison has played in nine games this season, earning three wins in his rookie season.

Senior forwards Barret Ehgoetz and Ryan Gale advanced to the Preliminary Voting phase for this season’s Hobey Baker Award.

Both among the CHA and national leaders in points, goals and assists this season, Ehgoetz and Gale have accounted for 42 percent of Niagara’s goals this season. In addition, the senior duo have combined for 33 percent of the team’s points.

This marks the second consecutive season Ehgoetz has advanced to the second phase of voting.

Exploding onto the national scene in his final season, senior Ryan Gale passed his career points total from his previous three seasons in the Jan. 21 game against Air Force.

Totaling 27 points (16 goals, 11 assists) in his first three seasons, Gale is among the CHA leaders with 18 goals this season, adding 11 assists for 29 points.

The St. Catharines, Ontario, native, continues to excel playing alongside fellow-senior Barret Ehgoetz.

Standing second in the College Hockey America conference with 18 goals this season, senior forward Ryan Gale continues his breakout season for the Purple Eagles.

With his two goals against UMass Lowell Dec. 30, Gale notched his fifth multiple-goal game of the season, tops among all Niagara players.

In his final season, Gale has set career highs in points, goals and assists through 25 games.

Seniors Barret Ehgoetz and Ryan Gale continue to rank among the conference leaders in points and goals.

Ehgoetz leads the conference with 35 points this season, tallying a conference-high 22 assists.

Gale, setting career highs in every statistical category, is second in the conference with 18 goals, standing fifth in the CHA in points.

Sophomore defenseman Pat Oliveto stands tied for third in the conference in goals by a defenseman (4).

NATIONAL RANKINGS

The Niagara offense stands 22nd in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 3.04 goals per game.

Additionally, the Purple Eagles’ penalty kill stands 17th nationally, with opponents held to a 15 percent conversion rate.

Standing in the top 10 nationally are senior forwards Barret Ehgoetz and Ryan Gale.

Ehgoetz stands tied for eighth in the nation in both points (35) and assists (22).

Gale stands tied for sixth in the nation with 18 goals this season, leading the nation with five game-winning goals.