Friday vs. RPI: Tickets | Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats | Game Notes (Niagara) | Game Notes (RPI)
Saturday vs. Union: Tickets | Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats | Game Notes (Niagara) | Game Notes (Union)

The Purple Eagles hockey team looks to build on its success from a 4-3 overtime win over Robert Morris on home ice two weeks ago. After a weekend off from game action, Niagara is back at home for two games this weekend, hosting a pair of games against Capital Region opponents RPI and Union. The RPI Engineers open the weekend against Niagara at 7:05 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 20. The Union Dutchmen come to Dwyer Arena for a 7:05 p.m. contest on Saturday, Oct. 21 after taking on RIT Friday night in Rochester.

Both games can be heard live on WLVL 1340 AM, with Jeremy White handling play-by-play duties on Friday and Steve Warzala on Saturday. Saturday's game against Union can also be seen locally on LCTV (Ch. 20).

Last Time Out
• Niagara picked up its first win of the season in overtime fashion, defeating the Robert Morris Colonials 4-3 at Dwyer Arena on Oct. 6.
• The Purple Eagles took a 2-1 lead into the third period after an early power-play goal from Derian Plouffe and a shorthanded tally in the second from Nick Farmer.
• Senior defenseman Keegan Harper gave Niagara a two-goal lead in the third, but Robert Morris erased the 3-1 deficit in the final five minutes to force overtime, where Tanner Lomsnes scored the winning goal for the Purple Eagles.
• Guillaume Therien made 31 saves in goal for the win in his first start of his junior season.

Leading The Attack 
• All of Niagara's five goals this season have come from the experienced group of 10 juniors and five seniors. 10 of the team's 14 points through two games have come from upperclassmen.
• Senior Derian Plouffe and juniors Johnny Curran, Nick Farmer, and Tanner Lomsnes are joined by sophomore defenseman Noah Delmas as team leaders with two points through two games.

Cooley Named Rookie of the Week
• Niagara freshman forward Eric Cooley earned Travel Team USA Rookie of the Week honors from Atlantic Hockey on Oct. 10 after scoring his first collegiate point in Niagara's 4-3 win over Robert Morris back on Oct. 6
• Cooley set up defenseman Keegan Harper with a slick drop pass on the rush, and Harper followed up with a wrist shot that gave Niagara a 3-1 lead in the third period.
• Cooley is one of seven Purple Eagles with an assist through the team's first two games of the new season.
• He also is tied for the team lead with a plus-1 rating, and he ranks third among the Purple Eagles with four shots on goal.

Strong Start on Special Teams
• Niagara went 6-for-6 on the penalty kill against Colgate in the season opener on Sept. 30 to start the season with a perfect effort. The Purple Eagles also went 1-for-5 with the man advantage, scoring in a 5-on-3 situation.
• The Purple Eagles scored a power-play goal and held their opponents without one in six games last year, going 3-3-0 in those six contests.
• Against Robert Morris on Oct. 6, Niagara tallied a power-play goal for the second time in as many games, going 1-for-3 with the man advantage. The Colonials found the back of the net twice on eight power plays of their own.

Scouting the Engineers
• RPI opened the 2017-18 regular season last weekend with back-to-back 1-1 ties on the road against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
• In last season's matchup between Niagara and RPI on Oct. 21, 2016, the Purple Eagles battled their way to a 3-3 tie on the road. It was the first game between the two teams since 2010.
• Johnny Curran scored two goals, including the game-tying tally with 3:14 left in regulation. Defenseman Tyler Hayes added two assists while Derian Plouffe rounded out the goal scoring.
• Niagara holds a 4-2-1 advantage in the all-time series with RPI, and the Purple Eagles are 2-0 on home ice against the Engineers.
• The Engineers are in their first season under the direction of head coach Dave Smith. No stranger to Dwyer Arena, Smith was the head coach of the rival Canisius Golden Griffins for the previous 12 seasons.
• Junior Evan Tironese, who scored one goal at Ohio State last weekend, is the Engineers' leading returning scorer this year. He finished second on the team with 28 points (7+21) in 32 games in 2016-17.
• RPI goaltender Chase Perry stopped 83 of 85 shots in the Ohio State series, including a career-high 56 on Oct. 13, to earn ECAC Goaltender of the Week accolades.

Scouting the Dutchmen
• Union has an 0-5-0 record to start the 2017-18 season, but has played a tough schedule including matchups against two top-3 teams (Boston University and Minnesota) as well as current No. 15 Michigan Tech.
• The Purple Eagles are looking for their first-ever win over the Dutchmen as Union holds a 5-0-2 lead in the all-time series.
• Last season, Niagara lost at Union 5-2 on Oct. 22, 2016. 
• Kris Spriggs and Derek Brown each tallied one goal and one assist in the loss, while Guillaume Therien made 43 saves on 47 shots. 
• Niagara has an 0-2-1 record against the Dutchmen at Dwyer Arena, including a 3-3 tie in the last home matchup on Oct. 21, 2011.
• Through five games, Brett Supinski is the scoring leader for Union, tallying three goals and two assists for five points.
• Anthony Rinaldi is tied with Supinski for the team lead with three goals, while Sebastian Vidmar paces the Dutchmen with three assists.
• Goaltender Jake Kupsky has played every minute between the pipes for Union entering this weekend, recording a 3.27 goals-against average and .891 save percentage.

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