NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – Niagara hockey dropped American International, 4-2 to sweep the Yellow Jackets in the first round of the Atlantic Hockey Tournament First Round series at Dwyer Arena on Saturday evening.
Niagara wins the series 2-0 and advances to the AHA best-of-three quarterfinal starting next Friday, March 14. The Purple Eagles’ opponent will be determined by the remainder of the AHA First Round games that are taking place this weekend.
The Purple Eagles received goals from four different players en route to the victory. Ryan Rashid pocketed a two-point evening off a goal and an assist, pushing the senior captain to 21 points on the season to make him the first Purple Eagle to net four consecutive 20-point seasons since Chris Moran achieved it from the 2006-10 seasons. Niagara also received goals from Sam Alfieri, Matt Chartrain and Matt Williams.
After shutting down the Yellow Jackets last night, NU goaltender Jackson Teichroeb made his seventh consecutive start, pushing aside 29 AIC looks on net to grab his seventh victory of the year.
“AIC was playing to keep its season going so it’s hard at any level to end someone’s year which is what we were trying to do,” head coach Dave Burkholder said. “They are a very good team offensively which we knew coming in and they threw everything at us in the third. Thankfully Teichroeb came up big for us and we were able to fight through it.”
Before Niagara’s first period three-goal outburst, AIC’s Austin Orszulak came close to putting the Yellow Jackets ahead early in the first two minutes of contest, picking up his own rebound in the slot and seeing his second attempt sail wide of the wide open net as Teichroeb was caught out of position.
The Purple Eagles’ first goal of the evening came from Alfieri at 4:36 via an assist from Rashid. Alfieri started the goal-scoring play, winning the faceoff that was pushed back to Rashid who dished it back to Alfieri for the wrist shot that beat AIC goaltender Hunter Leisner high, stick side.
The lead was pushed to two at 8:18 when Chartrain pocketed his fourth of the year. Williams sent in a hard pass towards net that was picked up by Alfieri at the top of the crease. The junior dished a backhand across the blue paint to Chartrain at the front of the net and he shoveled the puck under Leisner.
Tyler Akeson and Rashid connected for the final goal of the period at 15:33. With three second remaining on the man-advantage, Akeson sent a pass across the slot to Rashid for the one timer that beat Leisner clean, stick side.
Niagara continued to extend its lead four minutes into the second stanza as Williams scored his second of the year with a low shot from the point. TJ Sarcona and Stephen Pietrobon were credited with the assists.
Teichroeb came up big as the second period wore on to keep the Yellow Jackets off the scoreboard. The freshman robbed Blake Peake point blank as a Chris Porter shot trickled to the open senior for the easy tap in, but Teichroeb dove across the crease and snagged the puck midair just as it was about to cross the goal line.
The Yellow Jackets found the answer to Teichroeb in the third period as David Norris scored a pair of goals. Despite AIC outshooting the Purple Eagles, 16-7 in the frame the rookie goaltender and the NU defense clamped down in the remainder of the game to send AIC home without a victory.
The game wrapped up with AIC holding a 31-28 advantage in shots. The Purple Eagles went 1-for-2 on the man-advantage, while AIC were scoreless on two power play attempts.
