Box Score

NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. - Junior defender C.J. Chartrain helped the Niagara men's hockey team (11-8-7; 10-4-5 AHA) keep its six-game undefeated streak alive with a 2-1 victory over the Robert Morris Colonials (12-11-3; 10-6-3 AHA) Saturday evening at Dwyer Arena. Niagara is  now in third place with 25 points after the sweep.   

Chartrain scored the eventual game-winner at the eight minute mark of the second frame to make it a 2-0 game.  Freshman Isaac Kohls  
  




    won won the battle for a loose puck before sliding a feed to Chartrain who ripped one over the shoulder of Colonials goaltender Brooks Ostergard for his sixth tally of the year.     

"I thought we perservered," head coach David Burkholder said.  "We weren't perfect.  I think we learned that this weekend that it's not always going to be pretty.  We locked it down when we had to and I thought in the second period when we need to pick up the pace I thought we did." 
 
The last time the Purple Eagles achieved a six-game winning stretch was from Oct. 19, 2001 to Nov. 3, 2001 when Niagara recorded sweeps against Army, Findlay and Princeton.  The streak capped off at seven games after a 5-2 win over Alabama-Hunstville on Nov. 9.    

"Six-in-a-row is a really good feat for these guys," Burkholder added.  "Obviously they've worked really hard for it.  This was a very tough weekend against a very good team especially defensively how good they are." 

Freshman forward Chris Lochner extended his goal-scoring streak to three games as he gave the Purple Eagles the one-goal lead about midway through the game.  The initial shot by Patrick Divjak was stopped by Ostergard, but he could not find the puck in the scramble in front of the net before it popped out to the waiting Lochner.  The goal was Lochner’s seventh of the season, and fifth in three games. 

Colin South was finally able to get by the stellar performance of Niagara netminder Chris Noonan at the 14:50 mark of the final period off feeds from Nick Chiavetta and Cody Cartier, but it was not enough to rally back from the two-goal deficit. 

Noonan finished the game with 34 saves for his sixth straight win between the pipes (8-3-3), having allowed five goals in his last six games. 

The Purple Eagles also hold a six-game winning streak against conference foes, last accomplished in the 2003-04 season when Niagara swept Wayne State, Air Force and Alabama-Hunstville.  The run finished at seven games, with a 6-3 win over Bemidji State on Jan. 9, 2004.  

Niagara hits the ice next weekend in a home-and-home series against AHA opponent the Mercyhurst Lakers.  Action begins Friday, Feb.3 at the Mercyhurst Ice Center and wraps up at Dwyer Arena the following day.  The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. for both contests, with Saturday's contest broadcast live on Time Warner Cable Sports Net.   

Tickets for Saturday's contest can be purchased by either visiting the Niagara Ticket Office in Dwyer Arena or by calling 716-286-TIXX.