NIAGARA UNIV., NY – 56 shots on goal were just enough to help the Niagara ice hockey team earn an overtime victory over American International. Nick Farmer won a faceoff back to Ryan Kuhn, who fed Matt Chiarantano across the slot. The senior defenseman buried the shot with 18 seconds left in overtime, giving the Purple Eagles a 5-4 win Friday night at Dwyer Arena.
Chiarantano’s goal was his first point of the season, highlighting a strong offensive night for Niagara. Nick Farmer led all scorers with four assists, and Stephen Pietrobon (1+1) and Ryan Kuhn (0+2) also picked up two points for Niagara. Sam Rennaker, Patrick Conte, and Niko Kovachis also scored in the win, while Joe O’Brien stopped 28 of 32 shots in net.
“I liked our compete level. We didn’t quit,” head coach Dave Burkholder said. “That’s a team that you don’t shake. They get better as games go on…and we knew that coming in.
“For us, I guess our side of the ledger is it’s a season-high in shots, it’s our best night in the faceoff department, and we score a faceoff goal to win it in overtime, so there’s a lot of good out of that night for us.”
Niagara easily set season-highs with five goals and 56 shots on goal in the win. The 56 shots were the most for the team since Niagara recorded 51 shots in a triple-overtime, 3-2 loss to Holy Cross on March 7, 2015. The team’s all-time record for shots on goal in a game is 62, a mark which was also set against Holy Cross back on Jan. 11, 2000.
Tied 1-1 after a first period in which the Purple Eagles led 16-7 in the shot column, Niagara built a 3-1 lead midway through the second period. A power-play blast by Kovachis at the 10:11 mark was followed up closely, as a shot from Matt Dineen ricocheted off Rennaker’s body and in to the net 1:50 later.
AIC would bring the game back to a 3-3 tie, refusing to go away. Dudley added his second of the night late in the second period, and early in the third period Austin Orszulak picked up his fourth of the season on a three-on-one break. Conte returned the lead to Niagara 6:26 into the third period, using the backhand to deflect the incoming pass from Tanner Lomsnes past AIC netminder Alex Murray, who made 51 saves on the night.
The tying goal in regulation came from AIC’s Giovanni Bombini came off a Niagara turnover as the Purple Eagles attempted to break out of their own zone, sending the game to an overtime period. In all four home games on Fridays this season, Niagara has gone to overtime. On this occasion, the Purple Eagles picked up their first overtime win of the season, as Chiarantano’s goal sent Niagara to their first win of the 2015-16 season.
