MOON TOWNSHIP, PA. - A late goal by senior captain Vince Rocco (Woodbridge, Ont.) helped the Purple Eagles men's hockey team (15-13-3; 8-5-2) secure a point, tying the Robert Morris Colonials (8-17-6; 4-7-4) 3-3 at the RMU Island Sports Center on Friday night.

Down 3-2 with under five minutes left in the game, Rocco picked up a mis-played puck behind the net from Colonials netminder Brooks Ostergard and stuffed it in the open side to tie the game.

The first period had a rather inauspicisious start, with both teams combining for 30 penalty minutes in the opening 10 minutes, thanks to two hitting from behind penalties. Niagara eventually would get into an offensive groove, one that saw several quality chances stopped, including a partial breakaway by sophomore David Ross (Bowmanville, Ont.). The Colonials scored the only goal of the period, when a floating wrist shot from the point beat senior netminder Juliano Pagliero (Dalroy, Alb.) over his glove shoulder.

The Purps responded early in the second period, when a nice touch pass at the blueline by sophomore Bryan Haczyk (Nutley, N.J.) sent junior Tyler Gotto (Calgary, Alb.) streaking in to the right of Ostergard. Gotto used the open ice and sent a wrist shot off of the far post, past Ostergard's glove to tie the game.  

Niagara took the upper hand early in the third period, with junior Ryan Olidis (Uxbridge, Ont.) burying a rebound for the 3-2 lead. The Colonials would respond by scoring twice in a four-minute span to take a 3-2 lead, capped off by Nathan Longpre's bomb from the blueline.

The Purple Eagles conclude their two game set with the Colonials tomorrow night at 7:35 pm.