Box Score
NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – The Niagara men's hockey team won the weekend, taking four out of six possible points from Air Force after a double-overtime decision on Saturday night. The Purple Eagles and Falcons skated to a 1-1 draw after 65 minutes of play. In the second, 3-on-3, overtime, Air Force scored with 2:03 on the clock to steal the second bonus point.
Niagara now has 13 points in its last five games (4-0-1, 4-0-1-0 AHA) and took 15 out of 24 possible points against Atlantic Hockey opponents in the month of November (4-2-2, 4-2-2-1 AHA).
Game Recap
- Eric Cooley had Niagara's first great look of the evening. With 11 minutes to play in the opening period, Cooley took a feed from Ludwig Stenlund, who was below the goal line, and had time and space in front to take a great look. The Air Force goalie, however, was able to get across and cover the net before Cooley could capitalize.
- Midway through the second period, Air Force found itself with a quality chance to open the scoring. With Falcons skaters on both sides of goaltender Brian Wilson, a shot through the crease landed on the stick of Air Force's Brady Tomlak, but Wilson came across the goalmouth to stifle the open shot and keep the visitors off the board.
- Nearing the seven-minute mark in the second, the Falcons sent a high, arcing pass from their own faceoff dot onto the Niagara blue line. On the breakaway chance, Wilson used a quick glove to snatch the puck for the save.
- Trailing in shots on goal, 23-8, with 14 minutes gone in the second, Brandon Stanley made Niagara's ninth shot count. Stanley popped home a loose puck from 10 feet out to put the Purple Eagles up, 1-0.
- The Purple Eagles successfully fended off two back-to-back penalties in the second half of the third period to keep the game tied, 1-1. Between the two advantages, Air Force mustered eight shot attempts, but four were blocked by the Niagara penalty kill units and only two made it to the net.
- With 51.6 seconds left in regulation, Niagara had a golden chance to go on top late. Air Force hooked Ryan Naumovski on a rush and were penalized for the infraction. The penalty wound up carrying over into overtime, but was successfully defended.
- Air Force did not have a shot on goal in the first overtime, thanks in part to blocked shots by Chris Harpur, Naumovski, and Jack Zielinski to help Niagara kill off a penalty of its own.
- The Falcons were able to set up a breakaway chance exactly halfway through the five-minute double overtime, but Harpur recovered beautifully and stick-checked the streaking forward before he could put a shot on Wilson.
Up Next
- Niagara has off next weekend before it closes out the 2019 portion of its schedule at AIC. Puck drop in Springfield, Massachusetts, will be at 1:05 p.m. for the games on December 13-14.
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