NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. - On a night when the Niagara men's hockey team (14-7-2, 11-5-0 AHA) honored an honorary teammate, the Purple Eagles used a two-goal night from senior Bryan Haczyk to defeat the visiting Sacred Heart Pioneers (3-14-5, 3-8-5 AHA) on Friday night at Dwyer Arena.

Prior to the game, the Purple Eagles honored honorary teammate Meghan Redenbach, a 15-year old who suffered from a rare form of Ovarian cancer but became one of Niagara's biggest sources of inspiration until she passed away on Dec. 24, 2010. A banner was unveiled at center ice with her name and number, something which the Purple Eagles fed off of.

"I'm so proud of the guys for the way they played tonight," senior Paul Zanette said. "We dedicated our season to her. On her night, we worked hard and earned two-points, something that would of made her smile. She will always be with us."

Like Zanette, Niagara men's hockey coach Dave Burkholder fondly remembers Meghan.

"She always expected us to win," Burkholder said. "It has rubbed off on us. Meghan provided great lessons for the guys in our locker room. I only wish she was here to share in these experiences."

The Purple Eagles got right to work by jumping out to a 2-0 lead within a span of 2:58 near the end of the first period. Niagara took a 1-0 lead at the 14:08 mark of the opening stanza, when senior David Ross tipped in a shot from the point. Nearly three minutes later senior Haczyk extended his consecutive games point streak to 19 games, when he assisted on fellow senior Zanette's 19th goal of the season, a slapshot from just inside the blueline that beat Pioneers netminder Steven Legatto.

With Haczyk's point streak at 19 games, he is now tied with Ted Cook ('09) for the program's longest consecutive game point scoring streak, which Cook secured by scoring in the last seven games of the 2005-06 season and the first 12 of the 2006-07 season.

Niagara would push its lead to 3-0 in the second period, when Zanette scooped up a rebound from a Ryan Rashid point shot and passed it over to Haczyk, who shot it into the net. Haczyk would add his 20th goal of the season shorthanded early in the third period, marking the third straight game that he has scored two goals. The Nutley, N.J. native now has scored 10 goals and two assists for 12 points in his last five games.

The Pioneers would score twice in the final five minutes of regulation, but would come no closer. Junior Chris Noonan made 29 saves in earning the victory for the Purple Eagles.

Niagara, winners of five of its last six games, wraps up its series with Sacred Heart tomorrow night, at 7:05 p.m.

                                                                         Meghan Redenbach Banner Unveiling