Game Notes
Friday – Live Stats / Live Audio / Live Video
Saturday – Live Stats / Live Audio / Live Video

NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. –  The Niagara hockey team heads to Milford, Conn. to face off against the Sacred Heart Pioneers for a weekend series.  The teams wrap up action in January with game one of the series on Friday, and kick start the month of February with game two the following day. Both contests are scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
 
Niagara enters the series 7-14-3 overall and 7-7-3 in the AHA, putting it in seventh place, 10 points behind league-leading Mercyhurst.  The Purple Eagles won the season series against Western New York foe RIT after sweeping the Tigers on Jan. 24-25, winning the opener, 3-0, and coming out with a decisive 5-1 victory in game two. 
 
HOW TO CATCH THE GAMES
•   Niagara's games against Sacred Heart on Friday and Saturday will be broadcast live on 1340 WLVL, with Jeremy White covering both games.  Live stats will also be available by clicking on the appropriate link above.
 
NIAGARA TIDBITS
•   The statistical board has been taken over by Isaac Kohls who leads the Purple Eagles in points (20), goals (10) and assists (10).  Hugo Turcotte is second on the team with 16 points and nine assists, while Ryan Rashid has pocketed eight goals in 24 games.
•   Kevin Ryan is first with a +15 plus/minus rating.
•   Patrick Divjak leads the squad with 84 shots on goal. Turcotte is close behind with 75 looks on net.
• Freshmen goaltenders Jackson Teichroeb (3-8-1) and Adrian Ignagni (4-6-2) have split time between the pipes in 24 games thus far.  Teichroeb has a pair of shutouts to his name, owning a .895 save percentage and a .3.01 goals-against average.  Ignagni, who earned his first shutout on Jan. 24 vs. RIT, has made 309 saves on the year for a .906 save percentage and a 2.98 goals-against average.
 
CAGING THE TIGERS
•  The Purple Eagles swept RIT in a home-and-home series this past weekend, coming out with a 3-0 shutout during Friday's nationally-televised contest on CBS Sports Network to keep RIT winless at Dwyer (9-0-4), and followed that performance with a 5-1 win the following day at Ritter Arena.  This was the team's first sweep since Nov. 15-16 against Army.
•  Isaac Kohls and Vincent Muto each had a three-point weekend, Kohls off of a trio of goals, including a pair during the second game and Muto with three assists.  Sam Alfieri (0-2-2), Patrick Conte (2-0-2), TJ Sarcona (2-0-2) and Turcotte (0-2-2) also had a multiple-point weekend.
•   Freshman goalie Adrian Ignagni earned the nod in net both nights, making 69 saves and allowed one goal during the series for a .906 save percentage.  The blank slate on Friday was his first collegiate shutout.
 
GETTING IGGY WITH IT
•  Adrian Ignagni earned Travel Team USA Goaltender of the Week honors  after his stellar performance between the pipes during the weekend sweep over RIT. 
•  The freshman stopped 69 of 70 shots in the series against RIT for a save percentage of .986. 
•  A native of Mississauga, Ont., Ignagni's blank slate during Friday's game was the first of his career.  His 40-save effort during game two, which included several highlight reel stops, was a career-high. 
•   In 13 games, Ignagni has made 309 saves for a 3.02 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage.
 
CONSISTENT OFFENSE
•   A quartet of Purple Eagles have consistently generated offense in the second half of the season.
•   Junior Isaac Kohls has 11 points in the previous seven games off seven goals and four assists.  His two-point evening in the 5-1 victory at RIT extended his point streak to three games.
•   Sophomore Hugo Turcotte grabbed a pair of assists in the win over RIT on Jan. 25 to extend his point total to nine points in seven games.  His has three goals and six assists in that span.
•   Senior Ryan Rashid has been reliable up front, scoring four goals and adding three assists in the last nine games for seven points. 
•   Freshman Brock Edwards had a six-game dry spell from Oct. 25 through Nov. 22, but his contributing an assist in the game at Cornell on No. 26, the rookie has eight points in 12 games (2-6-8).
 
THE NU-SACRED HEART SERIES
•  Niagara has fared well against Sacred Heart in the past, defeating the Pioneers in the nine of 10 meetings between the teams (9-0-1).  Sacred Heart is the only team in Atlantic Hockey that Niagara has never lost to. 
•  Niagara is 6-0-0 against the Pioneers at Dwyer Arena and 3-0-1 at the Milford Ice Pavilion.
 
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
•  Sacred currently owns an 6-18-0 overall mark, while holding a 5-12-0 AHA record.  The Pioneers sit in 11th place in the AHA standings with 10 points.
•  The Pioneers have lost six of their last seven games, currenlty on a two-game losing streak after Sacred Hearts' 3-2 victory against Canisius on Jan 12. 
•  The Pioneers are averaging 1.92 goals a game and are allowing 2.29, placing them 55th in the nation in both categories.
•  The power play has gone 13-for-102 while the penalty kill is 97-for-125, ranking them 54th and 50th in the NCAA, respectively.
•  Justin Danforth leads the team in scoring with 18 points on a team-leading 16 assists and is tied for tops on the squad with six goals.  Drew George (6-7-13) and Jordan Minello (3-9-12) have also contributed offensively for the Pioneers.
•   Alex Vazzano has seen the majority of time in net for Sacred Heart, making 593 saves for a 3.87 goals against average and a .896 save percentage. 
   
OFFENSIVE FURY
•   Niagara has outscored the Pioneers in the team's previous 10 contests by a 40-17 margin.
 
ON DECK
•   Following this weekend's series at Sacred Heart, Niagara and cross-town rival Canisius go head-to-head in a home-and-home series on Thursday, Feb. 6 at Dwyer and Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Buffalo State Sports Arena.
•  Tickets are limited for Thursday's game so call the Niagara Tickets Office (located inside Dwyer Arena) at 716-286-TIXX, visit www.PurpleEagles.com/Tickets or by emailing Tickets@PurpleEagles.com to reserve your seats today!