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Game Recap: Men's Ice Hockey |

Hockey Upended By Pioneers

NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – Looking to split the weekend series with a victory Saturday night, the Niagara Purple Eagles hockey team fell short as they fell to the Sacred Heart Pioneers at Dwyer Arena by a final score of 5-3. Joe O'Brien made his first start of the season, where he made 18 saves over the course of the game. Johnny Curran, Sam Rennaker and Eric Cooley all recorded goal for Niagara, while Ryan Kuhn, Noah Delmas and Keegan Harper each had assists.
 
Game Summary
  • Final Score: Sacred Heart 5, Niagara 3
  • Niagara Goal Scorers: Johnny Curran, Sam Rennaker, Eric Cooley
  • Niagara Assists: Ryan Kuhn, Noah Delmas, Keegan Harper
  • In Goal: Joe O'Brien (0-1-0) – 5 GA, 18 SV
  • Power Plays: Sacred Heart– 3-for-7 (9 SOG); Niagara – 1-for-6 (10 SOG)
  • Records: Sacred Heart– 9-16-4 (7-12-4 AHC); Niagara -11-18-3 (10-13-3 AHC);
  • Location: Dwyer Arena – Niagara University, New York
  • Attendance: 603
Game Recap
  • After a penalty was given to Niagara's Nick Farmer early in the first period, Johnny Curran intercepted a pass in the middle of the ice and flipped his eighth goal of the season past Pioneer Brett Magnus to give Niagara a 1-0 lead just 5:21 into the game.
  • As the play on the goal was developing, Sacred Heart was given a penalty, resulting in Niagara with two minutes on the power play. Niko Kochavis had a clean look right in front of the net, but was unable to score on Magnus and extend the lead.
  • With both sides earning penalties to make the play briefly four-on-four, Sacred Heart cashed in when Alex Bates shot past Joe O'Brien to put the Pioneers on the scoreboard and tie the game nearly nine minutes into the opening period, 1-1.
  • Another Niagara penalty just over five minutes later resulted in a Sacred Heart power play, and Marc Johnstone was able to just lob the puck over O'Brien for Sacred Heart's first lead of the game, 2-1, where the score would remain for the remainder of the first period.
  • The Pioneers came out of the first intermission just as determined however, as Jackson Barliant scored 2:08 into the second period to extend the Sacred Heart lead, 3-1.
  • 11 seconds later, Ryan Kuhn hit Sam Rennaker for a Purple Eagles goal to bring Niagara within one goal, trailing by a score of 3-2. The Purple Eagles had a solid opportunity to tie the score when Curran hit Sean King right in front of the net, but another miraculous save by Magnus kept the Purple Eagles trailing.
  • Sacred Heart was not done in the second period however, as the Pioneer lead would be extended to three goals when Johnstone recorded his second goal of the game, a power play goal, to give the Pioneers a 4-2 lead with one period left to play.
  • The Pioneers were able to extend the lead to a game-high three goals with less than six minutes to go in the game thanks to Rusian Rakhmatov.
  • Niagara was able to inch closer in the final minutes of the game thanks to a six-to-four advantage after both a Sacred Heart penalty and pulling O'Brien from the net. Kochavis and Noah Delmas were able to set up a goal to Eric Cooley to pull within two goals, 5-3, before closing out the game without gaining more ground on Sacred Heart.
 
Inside the Numbers
  • Johnny Curran's first period shorthanded goal was his first shorthanded goal of the season and his eighth during the 2017-18 campaign. The Purple Eagles collectively now have seven shorthanded goals this season, headlined by Curran's teammate Derian Plouffe who has a team-best three.
  • Sam Rennaker's goal in the second period was his third of the season. Rennaker, a junior, had seven goals and four assists for Niagara last season.
  • Eric Cooley's goals in the final minutes of the game gave him back-to-back games with a point this season. Cooley has seven goals this season, good for a tie for third in goals scored this season for the Purple Eagles.
  • Niagara and Sacred Heart will finish the regular season splitting the four games at two games apiece with the road team winning in all four games. Niagara continues to lead the all-time series with a record of 13-7-2.
 
Up Next
  • The "Battle of the Bridge" continues on Dec. 23 when Niagara travels to Canisius to battle the Golden Griffins, with puck drop scheduled for 7:05 p.m. The radio telecast for the game will be live on WLVL 1340 AM and on www.PurpleEagles.com/Watch.

Stay connected with the Purple Eagles through social media. Follow Niagara Athletics on Twitter @NUPurpleEagles and for hockey updates, follow Niagara hockey on Twitter and Instagram. Check in with the Purple Eagles on Facebook.com/PurpleEagles and on Instagram @NUPurpleEagles.
 
 
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