WORCESTER, Mass. – Coming off a 3-1 loss against the Holy Cross Crusaders Friday night, the Purple Eagles hockey team came out in the second game of the weekend and took the early lead less than five minutes in. However, Holy Cross would knot the score on a second period power play, and the Crusaders found the game-winner with 9:09 left in regulation, as Niagara lost 2-1 Saturday night at the Hart Center.
Derek Brown, Niagara’s leading scorer at 11 points, scored his fifth goal of the season. Christian Cakebread earned his first Niagara point with an assist on the goal, and Johnny Curran picked up his third assist in four games. Joe O’Brien made 30 saves in goal for Niagara.
Niagara pushed the tempo through the opening five minutes, and the effort paid off with the opening goal just 3:38 into the contest. Johnny Curran had a shot from the blue line blocked by Holy Cross, but he regained possession and worked the puck around to Christian Cakebread. Set up to the right of the goal, Cakebread’s shot found its way through traffic to front, and Brown’s stick tipped the shot past Holy Cross netminder Paul Berrafato. Niagara nearly made it 2-0 as a loose puck laid on the Holy Cross goal line behind Berrafato just past the midway point of the period, but it was swatted away by a defender. The Purple Eagles held the early lead going into the first intermission, as Joe O’Brien made 10 saves in the opening stanza, including five on two Holy Cross power plays.
Holy Cross halted Niagara’s momentum and knotted the score at one at the 14:13 mark of the second period. On the power play, Holy Cross’ Michael Laffin had his shot blocked on the way through to O’Brien, but the puck bounced to Mike Barrett to the left of the goal and he converted on the chance. Both teams went into the third period looking for a deciding goal. At the ten-minute mark, Niagara found its best chance on the power play. TJ Sarcona walked in from the left point and found Nick Farmer on the back door for a tip-in chance. Despite a great shot from Farmer, Berrafato made the save for the Crusaders. A minute after Farmer’s chance was denied, Holy Cross got a 2-on-1 breaking into the Niagara zone, and Laffin beat O’Brien high for the eventual-game winner with 9:09 to play.
The Purple Eagles play nine of their final 14 regular-season games at Dwyer Arena. The Bentley Falcons come to Monteagle Ridge for a pair of games next weekend. Niagara and Bentley face off on Friday in a game that will be regionally televised on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel. The Purple Eagles and Falcons conclude the weekend series with a 3:05 p.m. matinee on Jan. 14.
from PurpleEagles.com via IFTTT
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