NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. - A late goal by junior Bryan Haczyk (Nutley, N.J.) allowed the Niagara men's hockey team (5-12-2, 1-3-1 CHA) to leave Dwyer Arena on Saturday night with a 4-3 victory over the visiting St. Lawrence Saints (10-8-3, 4-3-1 ECAC).

With Niagara holding onto a 3-2 lead as the third period began, senior Ryan Olidis (Uxbridge, Ont.) played the puck up to Haczyk, who skated into the offensive zone and ripped a shot from the right faceoff circle which beat Saints netminder Kain Tisi for the 4-2 lead. The Saints would come within one thanks to a short-handed goal by Jeff Caister, but they couldn't tie the game due to superb shotblocking by the Purple Eagles down the stretch.

"To respond the way we did tonight, was one of the prouder moments of our season so far," head coach Dave Burkholder said. "What we did tonight says a lot about our locker room and who is in it."

The Purps bolted out to a 1-0 lead on the man-advantage early in the first period, when freshman Giancarlo Iuorio (Richmond Hill, Ont.) sent a perfect pass from the slot to junior David Ross (Bowmanville, Ont.) on the doorstep for the tap-in goal. Six minutes later, freshman Jeff Hannan (Venetia, Pa.) intercepted a pass in the offensive zone, skated in and roofed a shot over the glove of Tisi for the 2-0 lead.

St. Lawrence cut into the Niagara lead seven minutes into the second period on the man-advantage, when a rising shot from Peter Child beat sophomore netminder Chris Noonan (Portage, Mich.). Four minutes later senior Tyler Gotto (Calgary, Alb.) would respond, by ripping a point shot from in front of the Niagara bench that beat Tisi to restore the two-goal lead.

St. Lawrence would score once more before the end of the second period to draw within one, when a one-timer by Drew Weaver on the power-play beat Noonan low.

Noonan made 29 saves in earning his first career home victory, coming against the same team in which he earned his first career start against, back on Oct. 17. 

The Purps are back at Dwyer Arena on Friday, Jan. 15 at 7 p.m., when they host CHA rival Bemidji State.