TROY, N.Y. – The men’s hockey team (8-5-3) won the longest in-season college hockey tournament, Saturday, with a 3-1 won over Colgate (5-8-2). Sophomore goalie Juliano Pagliero (Dalroy, Alb.) made 30 saves in the win, including 17 in the final period.

Senior Sean Bentivoglio (Thorlod, Ont.) was named the Rensselaer/Bank of America Tournament Most Outstanding Player, as the captain scored three goals, two short-handed.

"I am very proud of our guys," said Niagara head coach Dave Burkholder. "When we are on a roll, we finish our checks, we block shots, and then we get our big plays. The goaltending was fantastic all weekend."

Trailing 1-0, and just seconds into a Colgate penalty, junior Matt Caruana (Orono, Ont.) stole the faceoff and threaded a pass between two defenders to a streaking Bentivoglio. After not scoring a short-handed goal all season before last night’s tally, the senior captain scored Niagara’s second short-hander in as many games, evening the score at 1-1. It was his second short-handed tally of his career. Caruana’s goal improved his team-high point streak to eight games.

"(Caruana) gave me a perfect pass and I had a breakaway chance," Bentivoglio said.

"Bentivoglio’s goal was again key tonight," Burkholder added. "In the second period we had four big hits and that got us rolling. We just stayed patient and treated this as a road game."

After Vince Rocco (Woodbridge, Ont.) and Kyle Rogers (Erie, Pa.) had their extra-man attempts turned away, freshman Ryan Annesley (Ajax, Ont.) scored the game winner on the power play seven minutes into the third period.

Freshman Chris Moran (Buffalo, N.Y.) stole the puck and skated down the right side untouched and buried the cylinder for his fourth tally of the season to give the Purple Eagles a little breathing room.

Pagliero was the star in the final period, making 17 saves, including three in the final two minutes when Colgate was on the power play. He stopped a point-blank shot with under a minute remaining, and snared a slap shot out of mid-air to seal the win.

"Right now we are gaining confidence," Burkholder said. "We play a tough schedule, and we do it to get ready for March."

Colgate got on the board after a Niagara turnover 15 minutes into the contest. Marc Fulton and Tyler Burton worked a give-and-go as Fulton tallied his team-high 10th goal of the season.

The tournament title was the sixth in-season tournament crown in Niagara’s 11-year history, and first since the Syracuse Invitational in 2001. Pagliero, Caruana and Annesley joined Bentivoglio on the All-Tournament Team.

With the victory, Niagara improvds its season-high unbeaten streak to seven games (5-0-2) and stayed unbeaten when facing team for the second time this season (3-0-1).

The Purple Eagles travel to Amherst, Mass. to face No. 14 Massachusetts, Friday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m.