Springfield, Mass.—After playing to a 0-0 tie on Friday, the Niagara hockey team once again took on AIC in the second game of the two-game series. Niagara managed to score first but could maintain the lead as they fell 4-1 to AIC.
Game Recap
First Period

• The Purple Eagles decided there was going to be at least one goal scored in the Friday contest. Just 1:59 into the first period, Ryan Cox took a quick pass from Shane Ott and fired a shot on net. Cox's shot was saved by the left pad of the AIC netminder but Lars Rodne was driving to the net and cleaned up the rebound for his fifth goal of the season. AIC challenged for offside but were unsuccessful.
• Just under five minutes later, AIC finally solved Chad Velti after over 70 minutes of game play to tie the game at one.
• After the first period, shots were 11-8 AIC while blocking four shots with Lucas Bahn, Jordan Wishman, Christian Gorscak, and Cox each blocking a shot.

Second Period

• The start of the period was a wide-open chess match as neither team had many opportunities. In the period, shots were 8-6 in favor of AIC.
• At the 14:25 mark of the period, AIC scored their second power play goal of the afternoon to take the 2-1 lead.
• Less than two minutes later, the Yellow Jackets scored again on the power play to make it 3-1.
• Niagara had blocked 10 shots in the first two periods with Bahn accounting for five of them. The Purple Eagles were also leading in the faceoff dot as they won 22 draws compared to 19 from AIC.

Third Period

• Niagara did everything they could in the third period to claw themselves back into the game. They outshot AIC 15-8 in the third period but could not beat the AIC netminder.
• The Purple Eagles had two power plays in the third which included a brief 5v3 power play but could not convert.
• With more than five minutes remaining in regulation, Veltri was called to the bench for an extra skater. AIC scored the lone goal of the period into the empty net with 2:30 remaining to seal the game.

Niagara Notes

• With an assist, Cox remains the team leader in goals, assists, and points. Rodne joins Casey Carreau, Jason Pineo, and Carter Randklev with five goals this season.
• Veltri made 23 saves in the game and now has a 2.30 goals against average and a .928 save percentage. In the two games, Veltri had a 1.48 goals against average and a .950 save percentage while making 57 saves.
• Niagara went 61-47 in the faceoff circle in the two games with Pineo winning 25 times. Cox won 61.1 percent of faceoffs while Christian Gorscak won 58.8 of his draws.
• Josef Mysak had a team high seven shots in the series, he came into the series with 19 shots in the season.

Up Next

• The Purple Eagles have the next 20 days off for the holiday break before they hit the road again to face Miami (OH) on December 30^th and 31^st.