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Niagara University Athletics

Hockey Cellys After Win over Mercyhurst
Nick DeMarchi
3
Mercyhurst MER 10-21-3, 9-14-3
5
Winner Niagara NIA 16-15-3, 10-13-3
Mercyhurst MER
10-21-3, 9-14-3
3
Final
5
Niagara NIA
16-15-3, 10-13-3
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 F
Mercyhurst MER 1 2 0 3
Niagara NIA 2 2 1 5

Game Recap: Men's Ice Hockey |

Purple Eagles Close Out Regular Season With Win Over Mercyhurst

Niagara University, N.Y.—The Niagara hockey team earned its 16th win of the season on Saturday night with a 5-3 win over the Mercyhurst Lakers.
Game Recap
First Period
  • The Purple Eagles came out of the gates flying as they outshot the Lakers 10-4 in the opening 20 minutes.
  • Niagara opened the scoring at the 6:59 mark of the first period. Ryan Cox finished off a pass from Shane Ott who waited out the Mercyhurst netminder. When the puck found coach the goalie was out of position and Cox ripped it home for his 12th of the season. Jay Ahearn picked up his sixth assist of the season.
  • Less than a minute later the Lakers tied the game at one.
  • Niagara found themselves on the power play with less than five minutes left in the frame. It took Niagara just 14 seconds to convert on the power play. Max Ruoho fed the puck down low and Ahean kicked the puck out of a scrum to Ott. Ott drove to the front of the net and beat the goalie for his seventh goal of the season.
  • The Purple Eagles went to the room with a 2-1 lead while limiting Mercyhurst to just one scoring opportunity.
Second Period
  • At the 4:14 mark of the second period the Lakers forced a short handed break a way and scored to tie the game. Just over six minutes later they scored to take the 3-2 lead.
  • Niagara trailed until the 16:49, Mercyhurst took back-to-back penalties and the Purple Eagles made them pay on the 5v3. With the two man advantage the Purple Eagles worked the puck around until Ryan Naumovski took a shot. The shot missed but came back towards the net off the boards, Cox was there to tap it in for his 13th of the season. Casey Carreau picked up his team high 19th assist.
  • Less than a minutes later with the Purple Eagles on a traditional 5v4 power play they took the lead. Ruoho found Ahearn at the top of the right circle. Ahearn fired a perfect pass to the stick of Jason Pineo who tipped it in for his ninth goal of the season.
  • After 40 minutes, Niagara was outshooting Mercyhurst 25-11 and had won over 61% of the draws.
Third Period
  • Just 3:50 into the third period the Purple Eagles extended its lead to two. Ott took a one touch pass from Cox and went down the left wing. He took a shoot that was slightly deflected by the Mercyhurst defensemen and beat the goalie short side.
  • The Lakers attempted a comeback as they peppered Chad Veltri with 14 shots in the third period.
  • The Purple Eagles also killed off two power plays in the third period including a 6v4 situation near the end of the third period.
Niagara Notes
  • Niagara finishes the regular season with a 16-15-3 record marking it the first time since the 2012-13 season that Niagara has finished over .500 in the regular season. It is also the most wins Niagara has had in a regular season since the 12-13 campaign.
  • The Purple Eagles are now 23-19-6 all-time against Mercyhurst while taking nine of a possible 12 points against the Lakers this season.
  • Niagara is now 14-1-2 this season when they take a lead into the third period.
  • The Purple Eagles scored four or more goals in a game for the 13th time this season. Niagara is 12-0-1 in those games.
  • Prior to the game Niagara honored 10 members of the Class of 2023. In the game, the seven seniors in the lineup combined for six points along with 22 saves in the cage.
  • Ahearn had three assists, it is the fourth multi point game for him this season. Both Cox and Ott both had three points as well. For Cox it is his fifth game this season in which he had multiple points. Ott has also tallied five multi point games this season.
  • Niagara's power play converted three times on six attempts while having seven shots. It is the third time this season Niagara has scored more than once on the man advantage. Niagara last scored three power play goals in game on Jan. 14, 2022 at Air Force.
  • Niagara earned the sixth seed in the Atlantic Hockey playoffs finishing the year with 38 points. Niagara was picked to finish ninth in the preseason coaches' poll.
Up Next
  • The first round the Atlantic Hockey playoffs start on Friday Mar. 3. The Purple Eagles will travel to Sacred Heart for the best of three series. Game times have yet to be announced.
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