WINTHROP, Mass. – Two freshmen from the Niagara Purple Eagles hockey team were recognized by Atlantic Hockey for their standout performances as the team played three road games in five days last week. Defenseman Tyler Hayes (Brighton, MI/Topeka RoadRunners) earned Travel Team USA Defensive Player of the Week accolades, and forward Derek Brown (Peoria, AZ/Odessa Jackalopes) was named the Travel Team USA Rookie of the Week.
The weekly honors for Hayes and Brown are the second and third Atlantic Hockey awards earned by Niagara freshmen just three weeks into the 2016-17 season. Two of the three Rookies of the Week this season have been Purple Eagles, as Kris Spriggs earned the award on Oct. 11. The Defensive Player of the Week nod for Hayes is the first since Niko Kovachis on Feb. 9, 2016.
In addition to scoring two assists, Hayes tied for second in the NCAA last week with 9 blocked shots, along with an even rating in three games played. Hayes’ best game of the week came in a 3-3 Niagara tie on Oct. 21 at RPI, as he scored his first two collegiate points with a pair of power-play assists, adding a plus-1 rating and tying a game-high with four blocked shots. Hayes also logged significant minutes for a Niagara penalty kill that posted a stellar 95-percent efficiency (19-for-20) in three games last week. With five games played, Hayes is third in Atlantic Hockey, and tied for 12th in the NCAA, with 2.6 blocked shots per game.
Brown tied for the scoring lead in Atlantic Hockey last week, leading the Purple Eagles with three points in three games played. The Peoria, Arizona native scored a pair of goals and an assist, his first three collegiate points. Brown scored his first goal at Mercyhurst on Oct. 18, burying a rebound late in the third period. At Union on Oct. 22, Brown added a goal and an assist, the third time a Purple Eagle freshman recorded multiple points in a game this season. Brown’s three points on the season are tied for third on Niagara.
The Purple Eagles return to Dwyer Arena this weekend, hosting a pair of contests against the No. 15/14 Ohio State Buckeyes. Both games on Friday, Oct. 28 and Saturday, Oct. 29 are slated for 7 p.m. starts.
