ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Niagara hockey team opened the Atlantic Hockey first round with a stunning comeback win over the RIT Tigers. Trailing 4-2 late in regulation, the Purple Eagles scored three goals in the final 3:54 of the game, with Sam Rennaker scoring on a shorthanded three-on-one for the 5-4 victory Friday night at the Gene Polisseni Center.
Niagara scored two shorthanded goals in the three-goal to run to close the game, with Johnny Curran setting up Vinny Muto to make it 4-3 at the 16:05 mark. Rennaker, Curran, and Kris Spriggs all tallied one goal and one assist in the game. Stephen Pietrobon rounded out the Niagara scoring, and Jackson Teichroeb made 35 saves on 39 shots in goal.
Game Summary
* Final Score: Niagara 5, RIT 4
* Niagara Goal Scorers: Kris Spriggs, Stephen Pietrobon, Vinny Muto, Johnny Curran, Sam Rennaker
* Niagara Assists: Niko Kovachis, Christian Cakebread, Keegan Harper, Kris Spriggs, Johnny Curran, Sam Rennaker, TJ Sarcona
* In Goal: Jackson Teichroeb (2-14-2) – 4 GA, 35 SV
* Power Plays: Niagara – 0-for-5 (9 SOG); RIT – 0-for-4 (3 SOG)
* Records: Niagara – 4-28-3; RIT – 13-21-1
* Location: Gene Polisseni Center – Rochester, N.Y.
* Attendance: 1,382
Game Recap
* Neither team was able to find the back of the net through the first 10 minutes of the contest, but RIT scored twice in a span of 3:33 to take a 2-0 lead on goals by Jordan Peacock and Danny Smith.
* Niagara came right back on the next play following Smith’s goal to cut the deficit in half as Niko Kovachis fed Kris Spriggs up the left wing boards. Spriggs fought off a hook from an RIT defender, drove to the net, and buried a backhand shot past RIT goaltender Mike Rotolo.
* Liam Kerins was able to make it 3-1 RIT before the first intermission, as RIT outshot Niagara 16-4 in the opening 20 minutes.
* Teichroeb stopped all 11 RIT shots in the second period, as the Purple Eagles were able to get back within one goal thanks to Stephen Pietrobon’s tally four minutes into the middle period.
* Spriggs drew another penalty against RIT, working the puck down low to Keegan Harper. Harper found Pietrobon back at the blue line, and the senior one-timed a slap shot over the left shoulder of Rotolo to make it 3-2.
* Niagara looked to claw their way back in the third period. In the first half of the final stanza, RIT was able to hold off the Purple Eagles’ attack and add another goal to their side of the ledger courtesy of Erik Brown, making it 4-2.
* The comeback started for Niagara with 3:55 to play, as Johnny Curran worked a puck off of the left boards into the RIT zone, shutting down the Tigers’ power-play breakout. Curran found Muto breaking into the slot, and the senior wristed a shot past Rotolo to draw Niagara within one for the third time in the game.
* Niagara was able to tie the game for the first time with 57 seconds left. Curran ripped a shot from the right point that ricocheted off a body, high into the air, and bounced past Rotolo. Sam Rennaker and TJ Sarcona assisted on the play.
* Muto was called for holding with 21 seconds left in regulation, giving RIT a late man advantage, but Rennaker capitalized off a turnover at the Niagara blue line. Rennaker broke into the RIT zone three-on-one up the left wing, and he wristed his shot home for the game-winner.
Coach’s Corner
* Head coach David Burkholder: “I’ll just give the guys credit. I’m really proud that we didn’t quit. We got a couple of fortuitous bounces, two shorthanded goals. I’d say we stole it, they were playing pretty good, but it feels really good to get off the losing streak with the dramatic shorty at the end to win it.”
Inside the Numbers
* Niagara won its first game of the Atlantic Hockey first round for the second consecutive season, after beating Canisius 3-2 back on March 4, 2016.
* With his second-period tally, Stephen Pietrobon now has four goals in his last five games.
* Niko Kovachis’ assist on the first-period goal by Kris Spriggs gave him assists in four straight games, tying him for the longest assist streak and point streak by a Purple Eagle this season
* Spriggs scored a goal and one assist for his team-best fourth multiple-point game this year. The freshman now has two points in each of Niagara’s last two wins, as he also scored two points in a 3-1 win at Dwyer Arena on Jan. 14 against the Bentley Falcons.
* Rennaker and Johnny Curran both finished the game with one goal and one assist as well, the first time this season that three Purple Eagles have scored multiple points in one game.
* Niagara snapped a 12-game losing streak with the comeback win at RIT.
Up Next
* Niagara has a chance to clinch a series win in the Atlantic Hockey first round Saturday night. The Purple Eagles and Tigers face off again at the Gene Polisseni Center tomorrow night, March 4, at 7:05 p.m.
* Jeremy White has the play-by-play call on 1340 AM WLVL, and the game can be seen on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel in Buffalo (Ch. 52/323).
