Niagara University, N.Y.—The Niagara Hockey team hosted the United States National Team Development Program on Friday night in an exhibition against a team of the top prospects from the United State. Niagara used their experience to their advantage as they won 8-5 at home.
Game Recap
First Period

• The Purple Eagles came out of the nest fast after being off last week. Niagara scored just 28 seconds into the game as Jason Pineo scored of a beautiful pass from the corner. Pineo tapped in as Olivier Gauthier and Ryan Naumovski picked up assists on the play.
• After Niagara took a penalty, the USNTDP knotted the game at one on the power play.
• Niagara promptly responded as Josef Mysak scored a highlight reel goal as he walked in from the point and dangled two defenders and ripped a backhand shot into the back of the net.
• The Purple Eagles responded just under six minutes later as Drew Vieten took a feed from fellow freshman Johnny Wescoe and ripped it home on a wicked wrister.
• Niagara held a two goal lead after the opening period as they outshot the USNTDP 12-9 in the opening period.

Second Period

• After a lot of back and forth play to open the second period, Niagara extended their lead as Mike Egan scored on rebound shot from Ethan Lund. Mysak earned his second point of the game while the Purple Eagles took a three goal lead.
• The young American's were not going down without a fight as they scored two straight goals within two minutes to make it 4-3 game.
• After they got back in the game, the USNTDP took a penalty and gave Niagara the power play. With the man advantage, Pineo parked himself in front and got his second goal of the night as Casey Carreau and Glebs Porhorenkovs picked up assists on the power play marker.
• The USNTDP scored once more before the end of the period at the 18:41 mark to make it a one goal game once again.
• Niagara once again outshot the USNTDP 12-8 in the frame.

Third Period

• Just 1:39 into the third period, the game was tied at five as the USNTDP scored on their 18^th shot of the game.
• After the goal it was all Niagara, at the 11:17 mark of the third, Ott grabbed his own rebound and fired it past the netminder to give the Purple Eagles the lead.
• Pineo finished off the hat trick at the 18:49 mark of the period with the USNTDP net empty. The duo of Lucas Bahn and Gauthier forced a turnover and Pineo found the open net.
• Ott scored his second of the night into the empty net just over 31 seconds later to make it 8-5 and close out the game.

Niagara Notes

• Niagara outshot the USNTDP 44-22 in the game as Chad Veltri made 17 saves in the win.
• 30 of Niagara's 44 shots came from within the top of the faceoff circles.
• This is the first time in which Niagara has beat the USNTDP, it was the first time the teams played since the 2015-16 season.
• Niagara is 2-0 in their last two exhibitions against non-NCAA team with the other win coming over Ryerson (Canada) in 2019-20. Niagara has one more exhibition game on their schedule this season as they host the University of Toronto on Jan. 2 at Dwyer Arena.
• The Purple Eagles are the first NCAA Division I team to beat the USNTDP this season and only the second team overall.

Up Next

• The Purple Eagles were scheduled to host St. Lawrence on Saturday but the game as been postponed to Jan. 5 due to impending weather and travel concerns in the WNY region.
• Niagara is back in action on Black Friday as they host Colgate at 3:30 PM.