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

To start the month of February, the Purple Eagles hockey team looks to snap an 11-game winless streak when it hits the road to take on the American International Yellow Jackets in Springfield, Mass. Niagara earned its first win of the season Nov. 20 against AIC, when Matt Chiarantano's goal in the closing seconds of overtime sent the Purple Eagles to a 5-4 victory.
 
Both games this weekend can be heard on 1340 AM WLVL and PurpleEagles.com/Watch, with Jeremy White on play-by-play. Friday night's game begins at 7:05 p.m., while opening faceoff for Saturday's afternoon game is slated for 3:05 p.m.
 
Last Time Out
 

• The Purple Eagles suffered two losses to the Army Black Knights last weekend, falling 4-2 on Jan. 29 before a 3-2 overtime loss on Jan. 30.
• Niagara got into a 3-0 hole in the first 20 minutes of the game, giving up two power-play goals to Army in the process.
• TJ Sarcona got Niagara on the board with a power-play goal late in the second period as his shot deflected into the net off the skate of an Army defender.
• Sean King picked up his third power-play goal of the season in the third period of Friday's loss.
• Niagara ended the first period of Saturday's game tied 1-1, as Sarcona picked up his third goal in as many games off a rebound of Niko Kovachis' shot.
• Trailing 2-1 in the closing seconds of the game, Niagara won a faceoff back to the point, where Larry Smith's point shot was deflected by Derian Plouffe and eventually tapped in for the goal by Nick Farmer, his first goal since Oct. 10 at Clarkson.
• In the overtime period, however, Nick DeCenzo found a gap in front of the net for Army and buried the game-winning goal just over two minutes into the extra period. The loss moved Niagara's record to 1-4-3 in overtime games this season.
• Therien played the entire game Saturday, recording 22 saves on 25 shots in the loss.

 
A New Power Emerges
 

• With a 2-for-7 effort in two games against Army, the Niagara power play advanced to 11-for-103 (10.7%) on the season, finishing the month of January at 5-for-42 (11.9%).
• The two-goal night for the Niagara power play on Jan. 29 versus Army was its first game with multiple power-play goals since a 3-for-4 outing at Holy Cross in a 5-3 win on March 8, 2015.
• Niagara's power play has been decidedly better at home than on the road. The Purple Eagles are converting at a 14.6 percent clip at home compared to 7.3 percent in away games.

 
King Me
 

• Freshman Sean King has scored three goals in his last seven games played, and all three have been on the man advantage.
• King was one of 13 players nationally to record three power-play goals in the month of January. Only Harvard's Kyle Criscuolo (four) had more.
• King's three power-play goals on the season is tied for the most among Atlantic Hockey freshmen.

 
Scouting the Yellow Jackets
 

• The AIC Yellow Jackets, currently 5-20-2 overall and 5-14-2 in Atlantic Hockey, rank tenth in the conference.
• Niagara is 9-4-0 all-time against AIC.
• Earlier this season, Niagara split a season at Dwyer Arena against AIC, with a 5-4 overtime win on Nov. 20 followed by a 4-2 loss Nov. 21.
• Like Niagara, AIC was swept in last weekend's series, losing two road games at Mercyhurst on Jan. 29 and 30 by scores of 3-1 and 5-3.
• In the Nov. 20 win, freshman Nick Farmer recorded four assists on the team's five goals. His efforts won him Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Week on Nov. 24.
• Niagara outshot AIC 94 to 49 in the first two games of the season series.
• Junior Austin Orszulak leads the Yellow Jackets in goals (8), assists (10), points (18), power-play points (6), and shots on goal (90).

 
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.