Friday: Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video | Game Notes
Saturday: Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video | Game Notes

After being swept in a two-game series in Worcester, Mass. last weekend against the Holy Cross Crusaders, the Purple Eagles ice hockey team returns to Dwyer Arena this weekend. On Friday and Saturday, Niagara hosts the Bentley Falcons as they look to pick up points in the Atlantic Hockey standings.
 
Last Time Out
 

• The Purple Eagles were swept in a two-game series at Holy Cross last weekend.
• On Friday, Nov. 27, Niagara jumped out to a 2-0 lead, as Keegan Harper got things started with a power-play blast before Vinny Muto picked up his first goal of the season in the second period.
• Before the second period was over, however, the Crusaders stormed back with three goals of their own, adding two more in the final stanza to clinch a 5-2 win.
• Stephen Pietrobon and Matt Dineen picked up assists in the loss, while Guillaume Therien made 26 saves in net.
• In similar fashion, the Purple Eagles jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Saturday, Nov. 28, before falling 3-2 to the Crusaders in overtime.
• Kevin Patterson picked up a goal and an assist in the loss. It was just the second multiple-point game by a Niagara defenseman this season.
• After Patterson opened the scoring six minutes into the game, Nick Farmer fed a breakaway pass to Tanner Lomsnes, who ripped a wrist shot over the glove of the Holy Cross netminder.
• The Crusaders scored one goal back in the first period, and they tied the game in the second as a shot from the point deflected off a Niagara stick and over the glove of Niagara goaltender Joe O'Brien.
• Holy Cross' Spencer Trapp then scored 3:47 into overtime to seal the win.
• O'Brien made 28 saves in the loss.

 
A Movember to Remember
 

• Last month, the Niagara hockey team participated in Movember, a popular campaign throughout the hockey world where players let their facial hair grow while raising funds and awareness for prostate and testicular cancer.
• By the end of the month, the Purple Eagles raised $3,450 for the Movember Foundation, according to their team page on the Foundation's official website.
• That total of $3,450 ranked first among NCAA Division I ice hockey teams and eighth among all collegiate sports teams that fundraised through the Movember Foundation.

 
Take One for the Team
 

• Throughout the start of the 2015-16 season, Niagara has been one of the best teams in the nation at blocking shots.
• As a team, Niagara is blocking 16.5 shots per game, which is the fourth-best mark in the nation behind Robert Morris, Michigan State, and Cornell.
• Defenseman Nick Cecere has 31 blocked shots in ten games played. His average of 3.10 blocked shots per game ranks third in the NCAA and first in Atlantic Hockey.

 
Scouting the Falcons
 

• The Bentley Falcons are currently fourth in Atlantic Hockey with a 4-2-1 conference record, and they are 6-6-1 overall.
• Bentley won the first of two matchups with the Purple Eagles last season 6-0, but Niagara earned a 3-2 overtime victory in the second game.
• Falcons sophomore goaltender Jayson Argue leads the AHC in save percentage (.941) and is second in goals-against average (2.38).
• Bentley snapped a three-game losing streak Tuesday with a 1-0 win over American International.
• Andrew Gladiuk scored the game's only goal. A senior, Gladiuk ranks fourth in the NCAA with 118 career points and leads all active players with 30 power-play goals.
• Max French leads Bentley in scoring with seven goals and seven assists in nine games played.
• French earned two Travel Team USA Player of the Week awards in November, earning the Atlantic Hockey accolade on Nov. 3 and Nov. 17.

 
Stay connected with the Purple Eagles through social media. Follow Niagara Athletics on Twitter @NUPurpleEagles and follow Purple Eagles hockey on Twitter @NiagaraUHockey. Check in with the Purple Eagles on Facebook.com/PurpleEagles and on Instagram @NUPurpleEagles.