Oxford, Ohio — The Niagara Hockey team closed out 2022 looking to earn a weekend split with Miami (OH). The Purple Eagles jumped out a 3-0 lead and held on to win 5-4 over the Redhawks.
Game Recap
First Period
- Niagara opened the scoring just over seven minutes into the game as Carter Randklev scored his sixth goal of the season. Casey Carreau forced a turnover deep in the Miami (OH) zone and fed it out front to Randklev who buried a one-timer in front.
- At the 12:59 mark of the period the Purple Eagles doubled their lead. The freshman duo of Drew Vieten and Johnny Wescoe forced a turnover in the neutral zone and Ryan Naumovski took the pass from Wescoe and toe dragged around the goalie and scored his third goal of the year.
- With just over 11 seconds left in the opening period, Niagara took a three goal lead with their third shorthanded goal of the year. Albin Nilsson stole the puck and went to the net and scored his fifth goal of the season.
- Miami (OH) responded before the end of the opening period as they scored with two seconds left in the period.
Second Period
- Just under four minutes into the second period, the Redhawks made it a one goal game at the 3:38 mark of the second.
- Niagara responded at the 7:05 mark of the middle frame as Ryan Cox netted his team high eighth goal. Lars Rodne forced a turnover behind the Miami net, the puck tricked out to Cox and he golfed it in to make it 4-2.
- Two minutes later, Miami (OH) made it a one goal game once again.
- After two periods, Niagara led 4-3 and were outshooting the Redhawks 24-23.
Third Period
- At the 9:04 mark of the third period Miami (OH) scored their fourth goal of the game to tie the game.
- The contest looked like it was headed to overtime before Carreau tied up the Miami defensemen. Shane Ott fended off a defensemen and made a pass to Nilsson who was waiting in front of the net. Nilsson made no mistake as he buried his second goal of the game and his first game winning goal of the season.
- In the third period shots were even at nine.
Niagara Notes
- At the 7:45 mark of the second period Niagara goalie Chad Veltri made his 2000th career save as a Purple Eagle; he is the second active goalie in Atlantic Hockey to have 2000 career saves. Veltri made 28 saves in his ninth win of the season.
- Niagara blocked 15 shots on the night with Carreau blocking three shots. Jordan Wishman, Max Ruoho, and Lane Brockhoff each blocked two shots.
- It was Nilsson’s second straight game with multiple points after he had two points on Friday. It is his third game this season with multiple times, it was his eighth game as a Purple Eagle in which he had multiple points.
- Nilsson finished the weekend with three goals and one assist while Carreau had three assists on the weekend.
- Wishman blocked a team high six shots on the weekend while the team blocked 31 shots.
- The Purple Eagles finish the 2022 calendar year with a 17-16-1 record in regular season play which includes seven non-conference wins.
- Niagara finished the season with a 3-1-0 record against NCHC opponents. The Purple Eagles are 5-1-0 in non-conference play this season.
Up Next
- The Purple Eagles open 2023 as they host University of Toronto on Jan. 2 for an exhibition at 3 PM. Niagara is back to countable games on Thursday Jan. 5th as they host St. Lawrence.
