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

The Purple Eagles hockey team picked up its first victory of the season Tuesday night on home ice, defeating the Mercyhurst Lakers by a score of 5-4. Niagara continues Atlantic Hockey play with four straight road games to close the month of November, starting this weekend with a pair of games against the Sacred Heart Pioneers. Niagara and Sacred Heart face off from Webster Bank Arena on Friday, Nov. 18 at 7:05 p.m., before closing the weekend series with a 2:05 p.m. matinee on Saturday, Nov. 19.
 
Jeremy White has the play-by-play call locally on 1340 AM WLVL. Both games will be live streamed on AtlanticHockey.tv.
 
Last Time Out
• The Purple Eagles picked up their first win of the season earlier this week, securing a 5-4 home victory over Mercyhurst on Tuesday.
• Niagara leapt out to a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes of play. Vinny Muto and Derian Plouffe scored the first two goals for Niagara, and Tyler Hayes scored a thrilling shorthanded goal to extend the Purple Eagles' lead to three.
• Mercyhurst came back to tie the game at three 9:08 into the second period, but 45 seconds later, TJ Sarcona put Niagara ahead for good with a no-look backhand goal from the low slot.
• Sarcona added a power-play goal, the eventual game-winner, late in the second period with assists from Noah Delmas and Stanislav Dzakhov.
• Freshman forward Derek Brown added an assist versus Mercyhurst to gain a share of the team scoring lead at seven points (3+4). He has at least one point in five of Niagara's last six games entering the Sacred Heart series.
 
Sarcona For Three
• With two goals and one assist, TJ Sarcona registered the first three-point game of the season by a Purple Eagle in Tuesday night's win over Mercyhurst.
• Sarcona has eight career multiple-point games at Niagara, and the Purple Eagles are 6-2-0 in those games.
• The West Islip, New York native last scored three points in a game when he tallied two goals and one assist in a 6-1 home win over Air Force on Feb. 20, 2015.
 
Brown Breaks Out
• Derek Brown has three goals and four assists in nine games this season, giving him a share of the Purple Eagles scoring lead. He has a point in five of Niagara's last six games.
• A native of Peoria, Arizona, Brown scored five points (2+3) in a four-game scoring streak from Oct. 22 to Nov. 3, the longest by a Purple Eagle this year. He scored one goal and one assist on Oct. 22 at Union, and he scored one point in three straight games against Big Ten opponents Ohio State and Penn State.
• With five points in six non-conference games, Brown is tied for the Atlantic Hockey lead in total scoring outside of conference play, and that total is tops among the Purple Eagles.
 
Take One For The Team
• Niagara blocked a season-best 28 shots in a 5-4 victory over Mercyhurst on Tuesday. Defenseman Devin Campbell led the way with five, a single-game high for the Purple Eagles.
• On the season, Tyler Hayes ranks third in Atlantic Hockey at 22 blocked shots, followed by Vinny Muto who is tied for fifth at 20.
 
Scouting the Pioneers (2-6-2, 1-4-0 Atlantic Hockey)
• Niagara takes on the Sacred Heart Pioneers this weekend in the only two matchups of the year between these two teams.
•  Sacred Heart enters this weekend's series with Niagara following a pair of 4-1 home losses to the Robert Morris Colonials last weekend.
• The Pioneers won both games against Niagara last season, earning a 5-0 win on Jan. 2, 2016 and a 2-1 overtime win on Jan. 3, 2016.
• Niagara is 4-4-2 in its last 10 matchups with Sacred Heart.
• Despite having to kill a conference-high 66 penalties, Sacred Heart boasts the third-best penalty kill in Atlantic Hockey at 86.4 percent.
• Sacred Heart ranks tenth in Atlantic Hockey in scoring offense (1.7 goals for per game) and ninth in scoring defense (3.6 goals against per game).
• Jeff Carroll (2+4), Liam Clare (0+6), and Evan Jasper (4+2) are tied for the Pioneers scoring lead at six points.
• Jasper ranks second in Atlantic Hockey with 41 shots on goal, followed by teammate Justin Danforth who is tied for third at 39.
• Nathan Perry has started the last four games in goal for the Pioneers. The junior has recorded a 2.95 goals-against average and .894 save percentage in that span, going 0-3-1.
 
Stay connected with the Purple Eagles through social media. Follow Niagara Athletics on Twitter @NUPurpleEagles and for hockey updates, follow @NiagaraUHockey. Check in with the Purple Eagles on Facebook.com/PurpleEagles and on Instagram @NUPurpleEagles.