NIAGARA UNIVERSITY MEN'S HOCKEY
Robert Morris Colonials (11-16-5, 11-10-5-3 Atlantic Hockey) at Niagara Purple Eagles (10-18-4, 10-12-4-2 Atlantic Hockey)
GAME 33	Friday, February 28 | 7:05 PM
GAME 34	Saturday, February 29 | 7:05 PM
LOCATION	Dwyer Arena – Niagara Univ., NY
TICKETS	Ticketmaster
LIVE VIDEO	flohockey.tv
LIVE AUDIO	PurpleEagles.com
RADIO	1340 AM / 105.3 FM WLVL
LIVE STATS	Sidearm Stats

A first round bye in the Atlantic Hockey playoffs is on the line when the Niagara men's hockey team welcomes Robert Morris for a two-game set this weekend.

Matchup Preview

• The Purple Eagles have only played once before on Leap Day, at home against the Colonials in 2008. Niagara took the contest by a 6-3 score before sweeping the weekend the following night.
• This will be the first and only regular season series between Niagara and Robert Morris.
• The last time these two schools met was November 2-3, 2018 in Pittsburgh. The Colonials took game one, 3-1, but the Purple Eagles bounced back to take the finale, 4-2.
• Niagara is 2-2-0-0 against Robert Morris since Jason Lammers took over as head coach.
• All-time, the Purple Eagles are 30-25-10-0 against their longtime rivals. The 65 games played against the Colonials are the second-most for Niagara against any opponent.

 
Playoff Picture

• Niagara (36 points) currently resides in seventh place in the conference standings, five behind Robert Morris (41 points), who is in fifth place. Between the two, in sixth place, sits Air Force (38 points). The fifth seeded team at the end of the regular season will earn the final bye into the quarterfinal round.
• The Purple Eagles are ahead of Bentley (35 points), Holy Cross (32 points), and Canisius (30 points) but can finish as a lower seed than any of those schools depending on their respective results this weekend.
• The Purple Eagles can overtake Robert Morris by taking at least five points this weekend. However, to clinch the five seed, Niagara also needs Air Force to earn no more than three points during their series at RIT.
• Of the teams with which Niagara can finish the season in a tie, they only hold the head-to-head tiebreaker against Canisius (conference wins). A two-team tie with Air Force, Bentley, or Holy Cross will result in lost tiebreakers after losing the season series.
• In the event Niagara finishes in a three-way tie, the results would play out as illustrated in the AHA's Tiebreaker Implications release.

 
Niagara Notes

• The Purple Eagles are coming off a split weekend against RIT. They won the opener at home, 4-1, but fell in overtime, 3-2, in Rochester.
• As highlighted by John Buccigross on Wednesday, Chad Veltri is tied for the best save percentage (.927) by a rookie goalie in the country. Veltri also has the second-best goals-against average (2.23) in the nation, and was named the AHA Rookie of the Week for his performance against the Tigers on February 21-22.
• Jack Billings leads the Purple Eagles in points (22) and is tied for the team lead in goals (10) with Ben Sokay.

Milestone Watch
Player.......... Needs     To Reach............ Note (if applicable)                                    
Jack Billings.... 4 points   100 career points
Ryan Cook.... 3 games   100 career games
Noah Delmas. 1 goal      20 career goals.... Would pass Chris Mackenzie for most by Niagara defenseman
Noah Delmas. 2 points   100 career points Would be first Niagara defenseman to reach milestone
Noah Delmas. 4 games   148 career games Would become Niagara's all-time leader in appearances
Ben Sokay..... 4 games   100 career games
Brian Wilson.. 1 win       29 career wins.... Would tie Chris Noonan for fifth-most in Niagara history
Brian Wilson.. 1 shutout 6 career shutouts Would put him in sole possession of fourth-most in Niagara history
 
Scouting The Colonials

• The Colonials had a five-point weekend against Canisius on February 21-22. They nabbed two points in a shootout, then avoided a late-game upset the following night by scoring the go-ahead goal with 52 seconds left in regulation.
• Nick Prkusic leads all Robert Morris players in goals (9), assists (16), and points (25).
• Justin Kapelmaster is the Colonials' top netminder. In 26 games played, the senior has posted a .925 save percentage and a 2.65 goals-against average.

 
For The Fans

• Fans are encouraged to be in their seats early prior to Saturday's contest. There will be a pregame ceremony honoring Niagara's five outgoing seniors – Ryan Cook, Noah Delmas, Tyler Hayes, Ben Sokay, and Kris Spriggs.
• Anyone interested in attending can purchase tickets through Ticketmaster or contact the ticket office at 716-286-TIXX (8499). Following the game, head coach Jason Lammers will also be available for postgame comments and questions.

 
 
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