NIAGARA UN., N.Y. – Sophomore Vince Rocco (Woodbridge, Ont.) scored the game-winning goal to help the Niagara University men’s hockey team (2-2-0) come from behind Saturday for a 5-4 overtime victory over Holy Cross (0-1-0). Down 4-1 late in the second period, the scoring barrage came from four different Purple Eagles and was capped by Rocco’s tally just 1:51 into the extra period.

In overtime, after a Crusader turnover in the neutral zone, freshman Chris Moran (Buffalo, N.Y.) took the puck wide in the zone and skated behind the net. He exchanged the puck with freshman Egor Mironov (Thornhill, Ont.) who chipped it behind the defender to Rocco. Alone in front of the net, the center used a quick deke and beat the goalie high for the game winner. The goal was Rocco’s second of the game and third on the season.

After trailing 3-0 after the first period of play, Niagara faced a 4-1 deficit going into the second intermission until junior forward Matt Caruana (Orono, Ont.) deflected a shot from Moran with just eight seconds on the clock. The Purple Eagles rode the momentum of that goal into the final stanza where they scored two goals 54 seconds apart to tie the score at 4-4.

"The guys just kept chipping away and we started to gain momentum from different players," Niagara head coach Dave Burkholder said. "They really persevered tonight and fought through the rough start to win the game."

After giving up three goals on 18 shots in the first period, the Purple Eagle defense stiffened, allowing just 16 shots the rest of the way. Offensively, Niagara turned up the pressure as well, totaling 31 shots after the first break, opposed to just eight in the opening frame. Sophomore goalie Juliano Pagliero (Dalroy, Alb.) made 30 saves earning his second win of the year.

Sophomore Ted Cook (Hogansburg, N.Y.) had his hand in on both third period tallies to even the score. The forward scored a goal with 12:12 remaining and then assisted Les Reaney (Ceylon, Sask.) on the equalizer. Both Cook (1 goal and 2 assists) and Moran (3 assists) finished the contest with three points. Sophomore defender Travis Anderson (Coon Rapids, Minn.) added two assists in the win.

Rocco provided the Purple Eagles’ first goal early in the second period when he took a pass from Anderson and freshman Nate Bostic (Holden, Mass.) and beat the keeper on the right side of the net.

Niagara is back in action Oct. 20, when it travels to Omaha, Neb., for the Mutaul of Omaha Stampede where it will face Nebraska-Omaha at 8 p.m.