NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – Nearly 90 minutes of hockey was needed to settle tonight's opening game of the Atlantic Hockey playoffs between Niagara and Canisius. A go-ahead goal late in the third-period put the Golden Griffins on top, but Ben Sokay leveled the score at 4-4 with 11.9 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime. In the overtime extra frame, Justin Kendall came blitzing into the Canisius zone and got the puck through to end it, 5-4.
 
Game Recap

• After nearly 15 minutes of back-and-forth action, a Canisius penalty gave Niagara true momentum for the first time. After setting up their offense in the zone, the puck ricoheted around the crease and landed on the stick of Delmas, who raked it into the lower left corner of the net to put Niagara ahead.
• Canisius responded with a power play goal of their own, but Ben Sokay restored Niagara's lead with the man advantage late in the opening frame. With 40 seconds left before the intermission and less than a second left on the power play, the junior laced a laser from deep and found the top right corner of the net.
• Early in the second, Nic Mucci and Sokay nearly combined to double Niagara's lead, but Sokay's slick move was denied at the doorstep.
• The Griffs made it 2-2, but just 69 seconds later, Niagara went back in front when Tyler Hayes rushed ahead to create a 3-on-2 with Zac Herrmann and Johnny Curran. Hayes fed Herrmann from the right side, and Herrmann dished to Curran on the left, who buried the puck in the wide open cage.
• Late in the second, Canisius had an odd-man rush that was foiled when Hayes dropped to the ice and slid in front of the puck to kill the chance.
• With less than five minutes remaining in the third, Canisius scored a go-ahead goal to put Niagara on its heels. To try and change their luck, the Purple Eagles pulled Brian Wilson with less than three miniutes to play. After the Griffs iced the puck with 23.9 seconds to go, Niagara won the faceoff and controlled play deep in the Canisius zone, allowing Sokay to hammer home his second goal of the game and send the game into overtime.
• Wilson provided the highlight of the first overtime period when he stuffed a Griffs' chance from in close by sliding across the crease.
• 9:53 into the second overtime, Justin Kendall finally ended the marathon by speeding in and tucking the puck through the goaltender for the game-winner.

 
Beyond The Boxscore

• As the game crept into the 85th minute, it became the second-longest contest ever in Niagara history, eclipsing a double-OT contest against AIC on March 7, 2014. Niagara dropped the AIC Yellow Jackets, 1-0, in that game, marking the first time in the program's history the Purple Eagles battled an opponent into a second period of extra time.
• The longest game in Niagara history came the following season against Holy Cross. The Crusaders and Purple Eagles played 110:40 minutes (into a third overtime) in the second game of the AHA First Round.

 
Up Next

• The series will continue with game two tomorrow afternoon at Dwyer Arena. The puck will drop at 4 p.m. As always, head coach Jason Lammers will be available for postgame comments and fans interested in attending can purchase tickets through Ticketmaster or contact the Niagara University Ticket Office at 716-286-TIXX (8499).

 
 
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