Two-game series with Robert Morris concludes road trip for Niagara hockey

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

• The Purple Eagles will conclude their six-game road trip with a stop at Robert Morris. This is the longest road trip since the team went 0-5-1 between January 2-17, 2015 at Sacred Heart, Air Force and North Dakota.
• Niagara is 30-23-1 all-time against the Colonials, including postseason games. Last season, the Purple Eagles split the season series with Robert Morris, winning 4-3 in overtime on October 6 and losing 3-1 on January 9.
• This will be the first two-game regular-season series played in Pittsburgh since the teams earned 3-3 and 0-0 ties on February 27 and 28, 2009, respectively.

• The Purple Eagles are coming off a split weekend at the Air Force Academy. The team had its best outing of the young season on October 25, shutting out the preseason favorites, 5-0, before falling 2-1 the following night.
• The Air Force opener was the first game since February 9, 2011 in which two brothers scored for Niagara in the same game. Dylan Mills’ second period strike and Zach Mills’ tally in the third marked the first time it has occurred since Paul and Marc Zanette each scored in the second period during an 8-5 loss to Mercyhurst.
• The Zanettes had previously been the only brotherly duo to record goals in the same game. In their two seasons sharing the ice, it happened five times, with the Purple Eagles going 2-3-0 in those games.
• Goaltender Brian Wilson has turned plenty of heads through his first four games. Following his shutout against Air Force, the sophomore netminder earned Atlantic Hockey Goalie of the Week Honors on October 30 and was named Goalie of the Month today for his performance throughout October. Wilson has only allowed seven goals, fewest among the AHA’s qualifying goaltenders. His save percentage (.942) ranks 14th in the county while his goals-against average (1.76) ranks 20th. Both marks lead the conference.
• Each of Niagara’s goalies has registered a game in the conference’s top five in terms of saves made. Wilson made 39 saves in the shutout against the Falcons, while Cole Weaver posted 47 and Joe O’Briennotched a career-high 55 in losses at No. 10 Penn State.

• Robert Morris enters the weekend coming off a split with RIT. The Colonials shut out the Tigers, 3-0, on October 26 before dropping the second game, 2-1, in overtime. The second game saw each of the three goals scored on the power play.
• Francis Marotte started both games last weekend, collecting 124:37 minutes in net. Overall, Marotte has started every game for the Colonials this season, allowing 17 goals for a 2.86 save percentage and a .908 save percentage.
• Alex Tonge leads the team with five points (2 G, 3 A) so far this season. Right behind him with four apiece are Justin Addamo (2 G, 2 A) and Michael Louria (1 G, 3 A).

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