MOON TOWNSHIP, PA. - A three-goal outburst in the second period propelled the Niagara men's hockey team (0-8-2, 1-1-0 CHA) to a 3-3 tie against the host Robert Morris Colonials (3-6-1, 1-2-1 CHA) on Saturday night at Clearview Arena.

In the overtime session freshman Brent Vandenberg (Burlington, Ont.) and sophomore Sam Goodwin (St. Louis, Mo.) both had good chances to end the game, but couldn't get one past Colonial netminder Brooks Ostergard.

"We played a great road game," head coach Dave Burkholder said. "We were looking for that fourth goal to win the game, but instead only have a point to show for it."

With the game scoreless early in the second period, Nathan Longpre snuck one past junior netminder Adam Avramenko (Strathmore, Alb.) to put Niagara in a hole. The Purple Eagles would respond by scoring three goals in three minutes, off the sticks of freshman Brendan Sheehan (St. Louis, Mo.), Egor Mironov (Thornhill, Ont.) and junior Paul Zanette (Nobleton, Ont.). The Colonials would add one more before the end of the period, giving Niagara a 3-2 lead after two periods.

"The freshmen in particular were truly an energy line for us this weekend," Burkholder said. "Their goals were a result of nothing but hard work and it really got the ball rolling for us."

Niagara would hold onto the lead until late in the third period, when Longpre scored his second of the night to tie the game at three. Avramenko made 31 saves in the draw.

The men's hockey team is back in action for just it's second Wednesday game in program history, when it hosts RPI on Nov. 18 at 7 p.m.