NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. - The Niagara hockey team is heading back to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in their 17-year history, earning its second ever at-large bid into the postseason. The Purple Eagles will face North Dakota in first-round action in the West Regional at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Friday, March 29 at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Tune In
The games versus North Dakota will be broadcasted live on WJJL 1440 AM and PurpleEagles.com, with Jeremy White and Steve Warzala on the call.
Live stats can be accessed by clicking the appropriate link at the Official Website of Purple Eagle Athletics, www.PurpleEagles.com.
The contest can also be seen live on ESPNU (DirecTV 208; TW 137), and available online on ESPN3.
Ticket Information
Tournament ticket can be requested by contacting the Niagara Ticket Office at (716) 286-TIXX or emailing
Tickets@PurpleEagles.com.
First Time For Everything
The Purple Eagles (23-9-5) are the first-ever Atlantic Hockey team to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
Tournament Opponent: North Dakota
North Dakota enters the NCAA Tournament with a 21-12-7 overall mark. The team wrapped up WCHA play as the No. 4 seed, owning a 14-7-7 record.
Leading UND in points and goals is senior Danny Kristo with 51 points on 25 goals. He is second on the team for assists (26), as senior Corban Knight holds the top spot with 33 helpers.
In net for North Dakota is junior Clarke Saunders who recorded a 13-8-4 mark on the season after playing in 25 games. He has a goals-against average of 2.26 and a save percentage of 916.
All-Time vs. North Dakota
Niagara is 0-4-0 all-time vs. North Dakota, most recently a 3-1 win on Jan. 2, 2010 at the Notre Dame Shillelagh Tournament in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
We Meet Again
The only previous NCAA Tournament meeting between UND and Niagara was UND’s 4-1 win in the 2000 West Region final in Minneapolis.
Battle of the Hobey Baker Finalists
Niagara’s Hobey Baker top 10 finalist comes in the form of goaltender
Carsen Chubak who has backstopped the Purple Eagle defense the entire season with a 1.91 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage.
UND will counter with a pair of Hobey Baker finalists in Danny Kristo and Corban Knight, who both rank in the top eight nationally in scoring with 51 and 48 points, respectively.
Veteran Points
Niagara and North Dakota rank fifth and third, respectively, among the top-scoring senior classes in the nation. The Purple Eagle senior class has combined for 42 goals and 63 assists, while UND’s senior group have scored 56 goals and contributed 99 helpers.
Reunited And It Feels So Good
Before
Giancarlo Iuorio sustained in injury in January, NU’s top line of
Ryan Murphy, Iuorio and
Marc Zanette had combined for 49 points in 13 games playing together.
Since being reunited vs. RMU on Feb. 16 the trio has accounted for 25 points (11g; 14a) in eight games together.
