Rochester, N.Y. — Theo Lemieux scored a shorthanded goal in the first period, but that wouldn't be enough as Niagara hockey fell to RIT 4-2 Saturday night in Atlantic Hockey America action.
The Purple Eagles fell to 1-1-0, while the Tigers improved to 1-1-0 on the short season.
First period
Niagara fell behind 41 seconds in, when Matthew Mania scored at even strength off assists from Tristan Allen and Caleb Elfering.
The Purple Eagles answered quickly. Jacob Maillet went off for high sticking at 1:21, but Lemieux scored shorthanded at 2:52 with an assist from Brayden Boehm to make it 1-1.
Marshall Finnie had a chance but hit the post at 6:53, just after the first power play expired. Maillet rang a shot off the pipe at 17:08 on the third man-up advantage.
Niagara won 7 of 15 faceoffs, while Charles-Edward Gravel made 11 saves.
Second period
Niagara outshot RIT 13-10 but was outscored 2-0. Julian Demiglio put the Tigers ahead 2-1 at 2:55 on assists from Wang and Camden Bajzer. It came after Niagara fired four attempts in the first two minutes, two saved and two wide.
Moore struck again at 6:49. The Purple Eagles' holding penalty had just expired and Niagara had been on a power play for 29 seconds when Moore scored shorthanded, with assists from Elfering and Kevin Scott.
Niagara got shots from Mitchell Young and Spencer Young in that stretch but couldn't cash in.
Gravel held RIT off the board on the power play. He stopped Elfering at 10:31 a few moments after Mania hit the pipe at 10:10. Gravel finished with eight saves on 10 shots. Noah Hackett led Niagara with three shots on goal, and Dallon Melin and Humphrey each had two.
Third period
Niagara cut it to 3-2 at 1:20 when Adam Gionta scored at even strength, two seconds after a Hunter Wallace shot was blocked. Josh Van Mulligen also assisted.
The Purple Eagles held RIT without a goal on both of the Tigers power-play opportunities.
Maxim Muranov had all three of his shots on goal in the period. Niagara pulled Gravel at 16:43, put him back at 17:42 and pulled him again at 17:50. The extra attacker produced four shots on goal and four more blocked shots. Jakub Krbecek stopped Maillet, Spencer Young, Muranov and Hackett, and Melin's attempt was blocked at 19:28. Moore then hit the empty net at 19:29. Gionta fired one last shot at 19:48 that Krbecek saved.
Game Notes
Niagara is now 30-25-18 all-time against RIT
Gionta and Lemieux both tallied their first collegiate goals
Van Mulligen recorded his first collegiate point with an assist on Gionta's tally
Boehm earned his first point as a Purple Eagle
The Purple and White won the face-off battle 29-26
Wallace opens the season with points in back-to-back games
Up Next
Niagara heads on the road to open non-conference play against Notre Dame Thursday October 8 at 7:00 PM.
