Box Score

MILFORD, Conn. - A goal by Marc Zanette 11:02 into the final period was the game winner as the Niagara men’s hockey (3-5-3; 2-2-2 AHA) squeaked past Sacred Heart (1-12-0; 0-8-0 AHA), 3-2 in an AHA contest Saturday evening at Milford Ice Rink.  

Despite outshooting the Pioneers 39-24 entering the final period, the game was deadlocked at 2-2 halfway through the period. Zanette's third tally of the season gave Niagara a 3-2 lead after slapping in a rebound past Sacred Heart goalie Steven Legatto off a Kevin Ryan shot.  Zanette would finish the game with two points (1-1-2).    

"We had a contribution from all four lines offensively", said head coach David Burkholder.  "We had an amazing amount of chances and it was nice to be rewarded with a rebound goal for the game winner".   

The Purple Eagles battled to a two-goal lead early in the opening period.  Seniors Robert Martini and Dan Baco hooked up less than two minutes into the first to make it 1-0.  Baco fed Martini, who notched his first of the season, after firing one past Legatto.  

Niagara got its first powerplay of the game after Jordan Ciccarello was called for holding 5:07 into the period.  C.J. Chartrain capitalized on the man-advangate when he hit the back of the net off a feed from Zanette, for his first goal of the season.  The Purple Eagles would end the game killing off five man-disadvantages.  

"Special teams did great with the one power play goal," added Burkholder, "We held them off the sheet on the powerplay.  We had really stellar goaltending from Cody Campbell as well.  

The Pioneers tallied the next two goals, beginning with Matt Gingera’s fifth tally of the season 3:13 minutes after Chartrain made it a two-goal game.  Before hitting the halfway mark of the final period, Eric Delong evened the game at two nearly halfway through the third period.

The Purple Eagles peppered Pioneers goalie Steven Legatto with a season-high 53 shots and Cody Campbell finished the game with 32 saves.  Nine out of Niagara’s last 10 games have been decided by a goal or less. 

The Purple Eagles face off against Sacred Heart in the final game of the weekend series tomorrow at the Webster Bank Arena.  The puck is set to drop at 6 p.m.