It remains one of the greatest moments in school history.
 
20 years ago tonight, a massive group of seniors led the Niagara men's hockey team – a program that was anything but established – into Minneapolis for its first-ever game in the NCAA Tournament. Three hours later, the Purple Eagles sent the New Hampshire Wildcats packing following a shock 4-1 upset of the nation's seventh-ranked team.
 
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Four years prior, the team was still merely an idea. In May 1995, Niagara University announced the addition of a men's hockey program that would begin play in the fall of 1996, but the team only had coaches and commits – it wouldn't even hit the ice for another six months.
 
The first three years of the program were full of promise. A talented core of student-athletes helped guide the Purple Eagles to a combined record of 47-31-8, capture the ECAC West postseason championship, and collect wins over ranked teams in No. 2 Michigan and No. 10 St. Lawrence.
 
With 15 fourth-year seniors now on the roster, the 1999-00 season began with more of the same. In its first 15 games, Niagara posted a record of 11-2-2, and collected wins over bluebloods Boston University, Princeton, and No. 5 RPI.
 
The season was also the first for College Hockey America (CHA), a fledgling hockey conference made up of six other schools, plus Niagara. The CHA, by rule, was able to hold a postseason tournament, but would not be granted an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament because it was still in its three-year probationary period. That fact in itself would make Niagara's season that much more impressive.
 
The Purple Eagles continued to roll, picking up steam coming out of the winter break and going unbeaten (14-0-2) over a 16-game stretch that lasted more than seven weeks. By the end of the regular season, Niagara had managed to stack up a record of 27-7-4, including an undefeated mark of 15-0-3 against the other CHA squads. Wins over Air Force and Alabama-Huntsville in the conference playoffs made the Purple Eagles the first-ever CHA Tournament champions and boosted their case for an at-large bid for the NCAAs.
 
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When the puck dropped in Mariucci Arena on March 24, 2000, Niagara was lined up against New Hampshire, a program with 75 years of history with 10 previous appearances in the national tourney.
 
The Wildcats started hot, outshooting Niagara 5-0 in the first four minutes of action. Senior goalie Greg Gardner stopped a breakaway chance by UNH that ensured the game remained scoreless and kept the Purple Eagles level early on.
 
The momentum swung just minutes later, as Grand Island native Randy Harris scored on future NHL netminder Ty Conklin 7:23 into the first period to give Niagara the 1-0 lead.
 
"I just wound up and shot it," Harris told the Buffalo News following the game. "I saw the puck hit their defenseman and then I could see it going right for the net."
 
Not two minutes later, the Purple Eagles found themselves up 2-0 thanks to a shot by Kyle Martin that went top shelf over Conklin's left shoulder.
 
Midway through the second period, Mikko Sivonen added his name to the scoresheet, hammering one-timer through Conklin's legs for a 3-0 advantage.
 
The Wildcats scored early in the third, but an empty-netter from Sivonen sealed their fate and sent Niagara into the national quarterfinals with a decisive, 4-1 victory over the West Region's third seed.
 
After the game, Gardner acknowledged that despite having plenty of reason to celebrate, there was still work to be done.
 
"We just want to keep this train rolling," Gardner said.
 
The "train" was scheduled to return to the ice the following night, March 25, to face the No. 2 team in the nation, North Dakota. John Heffernan netted a goal, but the Fighting Sioux came out victorious with a 4-1 win.
 
"Before the season began I don't think anybody would have believed how close we came to the Frozen Four," Gardner said. "It's been an amazing run and I wouldn't change a thing."
 
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Niagara's win over New Hampshire pushed the young program to unbelievable new heights. The final national poll of the year pegged the Purple Eagles at No. 8, especially remarkable considering they entered the NCAAs unranked. It also gave instant recognition to a program and a conference that were both in their infancies.
 
In the CHA's 11 seasons, that Niagara team remained the only one to be selected to the national tourney as an at-large bid. The Purple Eagles returned to the big dance as CHA Tournament champs in 2004 and 2008, but were unable to harness the first-round magic that followed the 1999-00 team.
 
One player from that team – Andrew Nahirniak – was still on the squad five later when the Wildcats came to Buffalo for the Punch Imlach College Hockey Showcase at HSBC Arena. In their first matchup since 2000, the Purple Eagles once again handled New Hampshire with ease, and earned their first-ever win over the No. 1 team in the country with a 5-2 victory.
 
 
Stay connected with Niagara Men's Hockey on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Niagara Athletics all year long on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and purpleeagles.com.
 
Stay connected with the Purple Eagles through social media. Follow Niagara Athletics all year long on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat, as well as purpleeagles.com.