The Niagara Purple Eagles hockey team kicks off the 2016-17 regular season on home ice this weekend. Niagara will play 16-regular season games at Dwyer Arena this season, starting with two against the Holy Cross Crusaders on Friday, Oct. 7 and Saturday, Oct. 8. Both games are slated for 7:05 p.m. starts.
Â
Tickets are still available for both games this weekend. For ticket information, please contact the Niagara University Ticket Office at (716) 286-TIXX (8499), email
tickets@niagara.edu, visitÂ
www.PurpleEagles.com/Tickets, or stop by the ticket office at Dwyer Arena.Â
Â
Jeremy White will have the play-by-play call on 1340 AM WLVL for both Friday's and Saturday's contests. AtlanticHockey.TV live-stream packages are available for the entire 2016-17 season. One-day streaming packages are available for $9.99, and season passes for Niagara hockey are available for $89.
Â
A New Season Begins
- Friday night, the Niagara Purple Eagles hockey team starts its regular season-schedule on home ice for the first time since Oct. 2014, opening against a conference opponent for the first time in program history.
- Niagara plays four games against the Holy Cross Crusaders in the 2016-17 season. The Purple Eagles host two games against the Crusaders before heading to Worcester, Mass. for two games Jan. 6 and 7.
- Niagara closed the 2015-16 season with a 2-3-3 record in February 2016, including a season-long five-game unbeaten streak, before losing a closely contested three-game set in the Atlantic Hockey First Round.
- Nine of Niagara's 10 leading scorers from last season return this year. Seniors TJ Sarcona (51 points), Vinny Muto (37 points), and Stephen Pietrobon (32 points) are Niagara's active scoring leaders, while Derian Plouffe racked up a team-best 18 points (11+7) last season.
- All three goaltenders return for 2016-17: senior Jackson Teichroeb and sophomores Joe O'Brien and Guillaume Therien. Teichroeb set career highs in goals-against average (2.60) and save percentage (.909) in 2015-16.
- Niagara plays 16 regular-season games at Dwyer Arena this season. After hosting Holy Cross this weekend, Niagara welcomes Ohio State for a pair of games on Oct. 28 and 29.
Â
Behind the Bench
- David Burkholder returns for his 21st season at Niagara University and his 16th as the head hockey coach.
- In his time as head coach, Burkholder has led Niagara to 242 wins, three conference titles, and three NCAA Tournament berths, including the first at-large berth by an Atlantic Hockey team in 2013.
- Michael Findorff was named an assistant coach in August 2016 following one year behind the bench at Utica College.
- Findorff played four years at Miami (OH) from 2005 to 2009, advancing to four NCAA Tournaments and one NCAA Championship game with the RedHawks.
- In September 2016, Burkholder added 15-year NHL veteran Ethan Moreau as an assistant coach. Moreau played for the OHL's Niagara Falls Thunder prior to his NHL career, where Burkholder was an assistant coach from 1993-95.
- The 14th overall pick of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, Moreau played 928 NHL games from 1995 to 2012. He spent the majority of his career with the Edmonton Oilers. Moreau played for Edmonton from 1999 to 2010, serving as the team's captain from 2007-10. He helped Edmonton to the 2006 Stanley Cup Final, and also won the 2009 King Clancy Memorial Trophy for exemplary leadership efforts and humanitarian contributions.
Â
Fresh Faces
- Niagara has the third-largest collection of underclassmen in the NCAA, with a roster including 10 sophomores and nine freshmen.
- Forwards Johnny Curran, Nick Farmer, Sean King, Ryan Kuhn, Tanner Lomsnes, and Sam Rennaker, and defensemen Devin Campbell and Niko Kovachis all return for this season. That group of eight accounted for 70 of the team's 192 points last season. Joe O'Brien and Guillaume Therien return in goal.
- Niagara's nine-member freshman class includes forwards Derek Brown, Nicolas Carrier, Joey Molinaro, Ben Sokay, Kris Spriggs, and Tyler Tomberlin, along with defensemen Caleb Boman, Noah Delmas, and Tyler Hayes.
- Colorado College leads the NCAA with 23 freshmen and sophomores this season, while Boston College and Miami (OH) each have 20 underclassmen on their roster.
Â
Scouting the Crusaders
- Holy Cross finished the 2015-16 regular season third in Atlantic Hockey with a 16-7-5 conference record. The Crusaders were upset in the Atlantic Hockey quarterfinals by the Army Black Knights.
- The Crusaders hold a 12-9-0 edge in the all-time series between these two teams.
- Holy Cross's offense is led by senior Mike Barrett (26 points in 2015-16) and juniors T.J. Moore (28) and Scott Pooley (23).
- Williamsville, N.Y. native Paul Berrafato is a junior goaltender for the Crusaders. He started 32 of 36 games last season, going 17-11-5 in goal with a 2.17 goals-against average, .919 save percentage, and three shutouts.
