NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – The Niagara University men’s hockey team (15-18-2) looks to advance to the Wells Fargo College Hockey America Tournament Championship Game for the second consecutive season, facing the University of Alabama-Huntsville (17-9-4) in the semifinals Saturday at the IRA Civic Center, in Grand Rapids, Minn.
Defeating Robert Morris University, 5-1, Friday in the quarterfinals of the CHA Tournament, Niagara looks to improve its regular-season record against the Chargers in Saturday’s semifinal game. In the four games played in the regular season, the Purple Eagles had a 1-3-0 record against Huntsville, getting swept by the Chargers Feb. 4-5 at Dwyer Arena, the last time the two teams met.
Niagara heads into the semifinals having goals scored by six different players in the quarterfinal contest against Robert Morris. Four players -- Justin Cross (Camarillo, Calif.), Brian Hartman (Pittsburgh), Trevor Mallon (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.) and Tim Madsen (Elk River, Minn.) -- each had two points a piece in Friday’s contest, with Cross, Mallon and Madsen each scoring a goal and adding an assist.
Senior forwards Barret Ehgoetz (Kincardine, Ont.) and Ryan Gale (St. Catharines, Ont.) continue to lead the Purple Eagles in scoring. Ehgoetz, with 46 points on 16 goals and 30 assists, leads the CHA conference in points and assists, with Gale among the conference leaders with 23 goals.
In Saturday’s semifinal against the Chargers, Niagara will rely heavily on the goaltending of junior Jeff Van Nynatten (Stratford, Ont.), who made 27 saves for the win Friday against Robert Morris. In his career, Van Nynatten has a 4-4-1 record against the Chargers, falling to Huntsville in his last three starts. This season, Van Nynatten has a 10-10-2 record with a 2.62 goals-against average.
Niagara is 1-0-0 lifetime against the Chargers in the CHA Tournament, defeating Huntsville in the CHA Tournament Championship Game, March 12, 2000.
Huntsville is led by the high-scoring forward line of seniors Jared Ross and Craig Bushey, along with junior Bruce Mulherin. Together, the trio have accounted for 57 of 102 goals (56 percent) this season, led by Mulherin’s 24. Against the Purple Eagles this season, Mulherin, a second team All-CHA selection, has scored five goals in four games, notching a hat trick in the 4-2 Huntsville win Feb. 5.
In goal, the Chargers are headed by first team All-CHA selection Scott Munroe. Leading the conference with 15 wins, Munroe had a .929 save percentage and a 2.31 goals-against average in 29 appearances.
Huntsville led the CHA in all-conference players, placing five players on All-CHA teams. Joining Ross and Munroe on the first team was junior defenseman Jeremy Schreiber, with defenseman Jeff Winchester joining Mulherin on the second team.
Saturday’s winner between Niagara and Huntsville faces the winner of Bemidji State and Air Force in Sunday’s championship game at 8:35 p.m.
