WATERTOWN, Mass. – Isaac Kohls scored 55 seconds into overtime to give the Niagara Purple Eagles the 3-2 win over the Bentley Falcons for NU's first win of the season.
 
With the game knotted at 2-2 heading into the extra period, all three forwards crashed the net on the rush when the puck found its way onto Kohls' stick and he slid it under a diving goaltender to give his team its first victory of the season. The puck was barely over the line when the Purple Eagles (1-9-0; 1-5-0 AHA) came off the bench and mobbed their teammate.
 
"There's no better way to end the streak we were on than with an overtime game winner where the bench empties," head coach Dave Burkholder said. "It was a great play on the rush by Robert Angiolella and Kohls finished it off for us, which was a big moment. Seeing our guys empty the bench and celebrate the way they did was tremendous and they deserved it."
 
Both Niagara's first and last goals were the result of forwards crashing the net with a purpose, something Burkholder says will be a key going forward.
 
"That's how you're going to win games at this level," he said. "Obviously, it's very hard as a goalie and as a defenseman to decide who you're going to take so that was a good goal and Isaac was rewarded for doing just that; going to the top of the crease."
 
Angiolella earned the primary assist after the freshman collected the primary on both of Niagara's second-period goals to finish with a team-leading three points.
 
Niagara took two one-goal leads throughout the second period, but each time a power play goal would bring Bentley (4-5-0; 2-2-0 AHA) right back to tie the game. Hugo Turcotte got the party started just 54 seconds into the second when he collected his third goal of the season in a goalmouth scrum.  The senior found the puck unattended in the crease and put it home with authority to give his team the 1-0 lead. Dan Kolenda picked up the secondary assist on the goal to get rewarded on the stat sheet for a strong game.
 
"Dan Kolenda did a great job," Burkholder said. "Dan was a power forward tonight; he had a lot of big hits for us and had a helper on the first goal, so that line was very effective."
 
Keegan Harper put his team back in front after the first of Bentley's two goals tied the game back at the four-minute mark. The freshman d-man collected the puck behind his own net, brought it through the neutral zone with a full head of steam, chipped the puck into the offensive zone, and gave chase. Turcotte and Angiolella won the battle behind the net before Angiolella found Harper just to the right of the goal and the freshman went far side for the 2-1 lead.  The tally was the first of Harper's career.
 
The lead lasted all of two minutes before Bentley was able to tie the game with a wrist shot that was wired top corner, again with the man advantage. A scoreless third sent the game to OT.

Jackson Teichroeb made 28 saves to get the win between the pipes.
 
The Purple Eagles have a weekend off before hosting Army on Nov. 21 and Nov. 22 at Dwyer Arena.