The Niagara hockey team, hoping to bounce back after last weekend’s back-to-back loss, travels to Ohio State to mark the end of the team’s first road trip of the season. The Purple Eagles will take to the ice against the Buckeyes on Friday at 7 p.m., and finish off the weekend with an 8:05 p.m. tilt the following day.
KEEP UP WILL ALL THE ACTION
• Both Friday’s and Saturday’s contest will be broadcasted live on WLVL, with Jeremy White on the call. OSU will also have a paid video stream for each game.
• You can also follow the games via live stats as well by clicking on the appropriate link above.
TALE OF TWO COLORADO TEAMS
• The Purple Eagles were faced with a pair of dominant teams from Colorado two weekends ago, then-No. 17 Denver and Air Force.
• The NU squad fell to Denver 5-1 on Oct. 25, and almost completed an impressive comeback against AF, but eventually lost, 7-4.
• The Purps fell behind by two goals in the first nine minutes into the game en route to the 5-1 loss to the Pioneers. The 0-for-7 performance turned in by the power play unit, and allowing three goals on the penalty kill was a major factor in the defeat. Niagara was outshot 34-22.
• Niagara and Air Force continued a series that dated back to the College Hockey America conference years.
• With a little over three minutes remaining in regulation and down 5-3, Niagara pulled Adrian Ignagni for the extra attacker. NU was able slice Air Force’s lead to one while playing 6-on-5 as Ryan Rashid scored to make it 5-4. The Falcons added an empty net tally and a power play goal in the final 1:09 of the contest to solidify the victory.
• The Falcons held a 44-38 advantage in shots. Niagara went 0-for-4 on the man-advantage, which included 1:16of 5-on-3 action. Air Force converted on two of four power play chances, while also pocketing a short-handed goal.
THE LEADERS
• Mike Conderman and Kevin Ryan lead the Purple Eagles in scoring with four points each.
• Conderman leads the squad in goals with three, while Ryan ranks first in assists with three.
• Ryan is first with a +4 plus/minus rating.
• Hugo Turcotte leads with 25 shots on goal. Patrick Divjak is close behind with 24 looks on net.
FRESHIE CONTRIBUTIONS
• Niagara is getting contributions from its freshmen on a nightly basis so far this season.
• Up front, freshmen have registered points in five of six games thus far, including goals by freshmen in all five of those games played.
• Freshmen goaltenders Jackson Teichroeb and Adrian Ignagni have split time between the pipes, and freshmen defensemen Vincent Muto and Tyler Akeson have played in three of the six games thus far for Niagara.
• The Purple Eagles have dressed no less than three freshmen in each game this season, including six during the Canisius and Denver matchups.
SERIES HISTORY
• The Purple Eagles and Buckeyes have met only twice in the all-time series in 1998 and 2000.
• The teams have split the series with Niagara winning game one, 6-3 and Ohio State ousting NU in the second game, 4-1.
SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES
• Ohio State is a member of the Big Ten Conference, currently 4-4-0 on the year. The team has yet to play a conference game.
• OSU defeated then-No. 20 Minnesota Duluth, 4-2, Saturday in Value City Arena to split the weekend series between the teams. The Buckeyes dropped the opening game, 3-1.
• Ohio State is averaging 3.38 goals a game and is allowing 3.75, placing them 13th and 49th in the nation, respectively.
• The power play has gone 7-for-47, while the penalty kill is 24-for-35, ranking them 40th and 54th in the NCAA, respectively.
• Seventeen of the 22 Buckeyes who have seen action this season have pocketed at least two points in eight games. Ryan Dzingel is tops on the team with eight points with a team-leading six assists and two goals. Nick Oddo and Max McCormick are tied for second on the team in points (7), Oddo with three goals and four assists and McCormick with a goal and a team-leading six assists.
• In the net, Matt Tomkins and Collin Olson have each seen time. Tomkins has a 4-3-0 record, along with a 3.04 goals against average and a .901 save percentage. Olson is 2-4-1 with a 3.70 GAA and a .885 save percentage.
ON DECK FOR NIAGARA
• After this weekend’s games the Purple Eagles return to Dwyer Arena for a pair of contests against the Army Black Knights on Friday, Nov. 15 and Saturday, Nov. 16. Both contests are scheduled to being at 7:05 p.m.
• Tickets are limited so call the Niagara Ticket Office (located inside Dwyer Arena) at 716-286-TIXX, visit www.PurpleEagles.com/Tickets or by emailing [email protected] to reserve your seats today.
• NU will then start its longest stretch away from Monteagle Ridge of eight consecutive games, starting on Nov. 19when the Purps head to Erie, Pa. to play Mercyhurst and runs through the New Year to Jan. 3-4 when Niagara faces Bentley for a two-game series at Waltham, Mass.
