WORCESTER, Mass. – The Niagara hockey team clawed back and nearly tied the game after falling into an early deficit against the Holy Cross Crusaders. Despite multiple chances at an equalizer in the third period, it was Holy Cross who reestablished the two-goal lead in the closing minutes, sending Niagara to a 3-1 loss Friday night at the Hart Center.
Niagara had a strong shift in the offensive zone in the early minutes with Kris Spriggs, Ben Sokay, and Joey Molinaro applying the pressure. On the next Holy Cross rush, however, Spencer Trapp sent a point shot over the right shoulder of Therien to open the scoring 2:55 into the contest.
Johnny Curran finished the first period with two shots on goal and drove a pair of scoring chances for Niagara. Curran just missed a power-play chance on a cross-slot pass from Derek Brown. Curran then fed newcomer Christian Cakebread in the closing minute of the first period, and his low shot glove-side against Holy Cross goaltender Paul Berrafato was snared away. As the clock expired in the first period, the Crusaders’ Danny Lopez put a shot along the ice that beat Therien five-hole, crossing the goal line with 0.2 seconds remaining before the first intermission.
The Purple Eagles cut the deficit to one just past the midway point of the second period. Curran broke into the Holy Cross zone up the left wing, stopping and spinning a backhand pass to Caleb Boman on the far side. In all alone against Berrafato, Boman roofed a shot under the crossbar to make it 2-1 Holy Cross. Niagara had two shots on two more power plays in the second period, but failed to put the tying goal past Berrafato. The Purple Eagles killed off a boarding penalty by TJ Sarcona in the closing minutes of the second period. The line of Sokay, Spriggs, and Molinaro came close to giving Niagara the tying goal on multiple occasions in the first half of the third period. The best of those chances came on a breakaway by Spriggs, whose backhand deke was swallowed up midway through the period. Two minutes after Spriggs was stopped on the breakaway, Holy Cross hopped on a loose puck in front of Therien, and Peter Crinella reestablished the two-goal lead. Niagara sustained pressure in the Holy Cross zone with Therien pulled for an extra attacker over the final 1:05, but Berrafato held off the Purple Eagles attack to give Holy Cross the 3-1 win.
Niagara and Holy Cross return to the Hart Center Saturday night to close the four-game season series at 7:05 p.m.
from PurpleEagles.com via IFTTT
