BUFFALO, N.Y. – Unyielding goaltending and relentless defense made for a tight Atlantic Hockey semifinal game between the NIagara Purple Eagles and RIT. Scoreless after 60 minutes, the contest went into overtime, where Ludwig Stenlund vaulted the Purple Eagles into their first berth in the AHA championship game. They will now face the regular season champion AIC Yellow Jackets, who defeated Robert Morris in overtime, 3-2, in the early game at HarborCenter.
 
Game Recap

• With 11 minutes gone and the game still scoreless, RIT let go a shot from the right side of Brian Wilson. Wilson made the initial save but the puck squirted free and fell at his left skate. A swarming Tigers' attack pounced on the shot, but Wilson stuck his pad out to stuff the chance and keep RIT off the board.
• As the period entered the 16th minute, Niagara found itselof with a good chance in front of a crowded RIT net. Both teams whacked away at the puck, but Ben Sokay's first shot was blocked while Nic Mucci's was saved.
• Niagara went on the game's first power play with 2:04 left in the first. On the advantage, the team's best chance came by way of Ludwig Stenlund, who wound up on a cross-ice one-time feed but got stopped at the doorstep.
• Early in the third period, Niagara poured on pressure, perhaps no one producing a better chance than Reed Robinson from the right side of the slot. Robinson's chance was saved and bounced to the opposite side of the crease but cleared quickly before the Purple Eagles could scoop it up.
• Nearing the midway point of the third, Ludwig Stenlund danced into the RIT zone and stuck a shot into the pads of RIT's Logan Drackett before he was taken down and the save was made.
• RIT got a string of faceoffs deep in Niagara's end with fewer than 2:30 left in the third. The Tigers got several shot attempts off, but none that slipped past Wilson.
• With a minute to go in regulation, the Tigers created a 2-on-1 that was foiled twice by Chris Harpur, who played the charging RIT attack beautifully and didn't allow the pass to get past him.
• Niagara entered the overtime period shorthanded for 1:26 and was successful in killing off the penalty.
• Stenlund poked home the game-winner with 7:03 elapsed in the extra period to lift the Purple Eagles into the championship game.

 
Beyond The Boxscore

• Niagara played into overtime for the fourth time this postseason and sixth time in the team's last nine games. The Purple Eagles are now 3-1-2 in those games, with all three wins coming in the playoffs.
• In those six overtime games, Niagara has now accumulated 56:38 of extra minutes played.
• Wilson made 32 saves to notch his second shutout of the year and the third of his career.
• Per Atlantic Hockey media relations, this game marked the first time at the Atlantic Hockey final four that a game has ended 0-0 at regulation.

 
Up Next

• Niagara will fight regular-season champion AIC for a bid to the NCAA Tournament tomorrow evening at 7:30 p.m. from HarborCenter. Secure your tickets by visiting Tickets.com.

 
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