Niagara University, N.Y.—The Niagara hockey team earned its first point of the 2023-24 season as they earned a tie with the Mercyhurst Lakers at Dwyer Arena. Niagara forced overtime in the last minutes of regulation but fell in the shootout 1-0.
First Period
Both teams played a back and forth opening 20 minutes with neither team finding the back of the net. Despite no goals, the Purple Eagles were outshooting the Lakers 10-5 through the opening period.
The Purple Eagles dominated the faceoff circle in the first period as they went 19-7 in the dot.
Mercyhurst had one power play opportunity in the first period but the Purple Eagles did not allow a shot on the penalty kill.
Second Period
Mercyhurst opened the scoring at the 7:02 mark of the middle frame as they scored a power play goal.
Less than three minutes later at the 9:50 mark of the period, the Purple Eagles answered. Niagara had a faceoff deep in the Mercyhurst zone and Jay Ahearn battled in the corner with a Laker and managed to tie up the defensemen. Ahearn found the loose puck and fed it to Lars Rodne who fired the puck into the top corner of the net for his first goal of the season. For Ahearn it was his first point of the 2023-24 season.
At the 14:11 mark of the second period, it was Ahearn's turn for his first goal of the season. Rodne fed the puck back to Josef Mysak who flung a shot towards the net. Ahearn redirected puck past the screened netminder to give Niagara the 2-1 lead.
Niagara held the lead through 40 minutes and once again held an advantage in the faceoff dot as they went 15-12 in the second period.
Third Period
Mercyhurst tied the game just 2:12 into the third period and then took the lead at the 6:33 mark of the frame.
Niagara pulled the goalie for the extra attacker around the three-minute mark as they looked to even the game at three.
With just over a minute remaining the Purple Eagles had sustained pressure and the puck was fed to Ahearn in the corner, after a spin move, Ahearn found an open Carter Randklev in the circle. Randklev ripped home his second goal of the season to tie the game at three.
Neither team could take the lead in the final minute and the game went to overtime.
Niagara outshot the Lakers 13-6 in the third period and 30-29 in regulation.
Overtime
The teams combined for just three shots in overtime, Ahearn had the best chance of ending it, but he was stopped on the breakaway.
Shootout
Neither team scored in the first two rounds of the shootout. After Noah Hackett was stopped in the third round, Mercyhurst secured the extra point with the lone shootout goal.
Niagara Notes
· Ryan Ouellette made his second straight start in net for the Purple Eagles and made 27 saves. This season he has a 2.46 goals against average and a .929 save percentage. He is fifth in the AHA in GAA and fifth in save percentage.
· Ahearn had three points in the home opener which is tied for the most by an AHA player this season. He has three three-point games in 20 career games with the Purple Eagles. He has six multi point games in his short career.
· Jaedon Leslie had 21 faceoff wins as he went 21-11 in the circle. The 21 wins is the most in a single game by a single player this season in the AHA.
· Niagara went 49-36 in the faceoff circle with three of five players being 50% or better.
· The Purple Eagles blocked a season high 19 shots with Noah Carlin and Christian Gorscak each blocking a team high three.
· It is the seventh time that Niagara has tied Mercyhurst in program history. The teams last tied on Oct. 28, 2022 with the Purple Eagles taking the extra point in a shootout.
Up Next
The Purple Eagles hit the road to continue Atlantic Hockey play as they head to Sacred Heart to take on the Pioneers.
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