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The Niagara Purple Eagles hockey team faces off with the Robert Morris Colonials Friday, Oct. 6 in the team's home opener and first game against Atlantic Hockey competition. Niagara looks for a victorious start on home ice in the first game at Dwyer Arena for new head coach Jason Lammers. 

Opening faceoff between the Purple Eagles and Colonials is slated for 7:05 p.m. Friday night. Jeremy White has the play-by-play call on WLVL 1340 AM, and the game can be streamed live online through AtlanticHockey.tv. 

Purple Points
• The home game against Robert Morris marks the start of a stretch in which the Purple Eagles will play seven of their next nine games on home ice.
• Robert Morris and Niagara have played 61 times, a longstanding rivalry dating back to the days of College Hockey America (CHA). Niagara holds the edge in the all-time series, 29-22-10 (.557 winning percentage). After Friday's matchup, the Purple Eagles and Colonials will face off at Dwyer Arena on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018.
• Last Saturday, Niagara played in the first regular-season game of the 2017-18 men's college hockey season at Colgate. Derian Plouffe's power-play goal tied the game at 1-1 in the second period, but Colgate pulled away in the third for a 5-1 victory.
• Plouffe's power-play goal came in his first game back in the Niagara lineup after suffering a season-ending injury in November 2016. 
• Combining a team-high six shots on goal with his power-play tally, Plouffe was named this week's Travel Team USA Player of the Week by Atlantic Hockey.
• Niagara finished the Colgate loss with 32 shots on goal, including a 6-0 advantage through the first eight minutes of the game. The Purple Eagles totaled 32 or more shots on goal in just nine of 39 games last season.
• 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.
• Pittsburgh hockey connections abound for the Purple Eagles. Head coach Jason Lammers is a Pittsburgh native, and assistant coach Matt Nicholson was on the Robert Morris bench from 2009-15 as an associate head coach and assistant coach .
• Niagara freshman forward Eric Cooley is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Plouffe Named Player of the Week by Atlantic Hockey
• After missing all but 12 games last year, center Derian Plouffe made his return to the Niagara lineup at Colgate.
• With one power-play goal and six shots on goal, Plouffe was named Travel Team USA Player of the Week by Atlantic Hockey on Oct. 3. It was the second time Plouffe earned conference Player of the Week honors.
• Through Nov. 17, 2016, Plouffe led the Purple Eagles in scoring with eight points (4+4) in 12 games. That total includes five points (3+2) and a plus-7 rating in six conference games.
• A Niagara co-captain in 2016-17, Plouffe was named Atlantic Hockey Player of the Week on Nov. 22, 2016 after posting three goals and one assist in a 2-1 week for the Purple Eagles, including conference wins over Mercyhurst and Sacred Heart.

Scouting the Colonials
• Robert Morris looks to make a return trip to the Atlantic Hockey Championship in 2018 after falling in the league title game to Air Force last year.
• The Colonials received 39 votes in the USCHO.com Preseason Poll, one of three Atlantic Hockey teams to receive votes.
• Robert Morris played host to the University of Ottawa last weekend, winning the exhibition game by a score of 5-1.
• Brady Ferguson led all scorers with two goals and two assists. Brett Beauvais, Eric Israel, and Michael Louria rounded out the goal-scoring, while Francis Marotte picked up the win in goal.
• Robert Morris and Niagara have played 61 times, with Niagara holding the edge in the all-time series, 29-22-10.
• Ferguson, a senior, is the leading returning scorer in the NCAA this season after totaling 118 points in his first three years.
• The Colonials have an experienced roster led by eight seniors and one graduate student. 
• A sophomore goaltender from Quebec, Marotte led Robert Morris in goal last year, setting single-season RMU records in goals-against average (2.08) and save percentage (.931) while posting a 16-7-3 record with two shutouts.

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