OMAHA, NEB – Niagara (2-0-0) would complete the weekend sweep of Omaha with another 4-3 win on the road against the Mavs Saturday night at Baxter Arena.
Ryan Naumovski scored the game-winning goal for the Purple Eagles with just over three minutes remaining in the contest. Goalie
Chad Veltri recorded his second-straight night with at least 30 saves, stopping 30 of 33 shots faced.
Game Recap
First Period
• Niagara would get the game's first power play but it lasted less than the allotted two minutes as the Purple and White would be called for interference to begin a stretch of 4v4 with less than seven minutes gone in the first.
• After another Niagara penalty, this time for tripping, Omaha would get a 5v3 advantage which led to the game's first goal.
•
Josef Mysak through a back hand shot toward the net that nearly snuck by the Omaha goalie, but Simon Latkocky would make the sliding stop.
• NU would get another power play chance late in the first period, but the opportunity went to the way side as Omaha retained its one goal advantage.
Second Period
• With 13-minutes to go in the frame
Carter Randklev found
Jason Pineo who went top shelf for Niagara's first goal of the contest to tie things up for the Purple Eagles.
• The game would only stay tied for the next 1:32 of game play as Omaha found the back of the net to regain its one goal lead.
• Midway through the period, Niagara rattled three shots off during a scramble in front of the crease, however the game would remain in favor of the Mavericks.
•
Chad Veltri would flash the left pad 11:33 into the period to keep Omaha off the board.
• With exactly eight minutes left to go in the second
Ryan Cox would take a shot that would end up in the glove of the Mavericks goalie.
• Defensemen
Noah Carlin would have his shot blocked with just over seven minutes to go in the second frame.
• Over the next five minutes of play Omaha would take eight shots, with Veltri making five saves before the final media timeout of the period.
•
Ryan Cox would tie the game at two with his second goal of the season at the 18:54 mark of the second period.
Shane Ott was credited with the assist.
Third Period
• With 2:26 gone in the final frame, Niagara would be called for roughing, leading to a power play goal and 3-2 lead for Omaha.
• Veltri controlled a rebound with 14:44 to go in the third, sending the game into a media timeout.
• With just under 15-minutes to go in the third,
Jay Ahearn found the back of the net on a rebound chance to tie the game at three for the Purple Eagles.
• Veltri would deny Jack Randl near the midway point of the period to keep the game knotted at three.
• With 8:01 remaining in the third, Niagara would get its third power play chance. The Purple Eagles would come up empty after taking five shots on the power play.
• Ryan Nuamovski would give the Purple Eagles a 4-3 lead with 3:12 remaining in the contest.
Lucas Bahn and
Casey Carreau were credited with getting the Shelby Township product the puck.
• Niagara would use another power play chance to seal the 4-3 win over Omaha.
Niagara Notes
• The Purple Eagles are now 6-3-1 all-time against Omaha.
• Randklev picked up his fifth career assist on the Pineo goal.
• Pineo's tally in the second period was the seventh of the Toronto, Ont., natives career and first of the 2022-23 campaign.
• Cox and Ahearn each found the back of the net for the second time on the young season. For Cox it was his 23rd goal of his career.
• Veltri stopped 30 shots, marking his second straight game with 30 or more saves.
• Niagara is 2-0 for the first time in the Division I era and for the first time since 1997-98 season when it started the season with wins over Hobart and Elmira.
Up Next
• The Purple Eagles will host the four-time AHA Champions AIC on Friday, Oct. 14 and Saturday, Oct. 15. Friday's contest is set to start at 7:00 p.m. from Dwyer Arena.
For tickets, call (716) 286-TIXX (8499) or email
tickets@niagara.edu. Tickets can also be purchased online via Ticket Master.
