Kalamazoo, Mich. – Junior defenseman Noah Delmas scored twice and added an assist for the Niagara men’s hockey team in a 7-3 loss at Western Michigan on Saturday night. The Purple Eagles (7-8-1, 7-4-1 AHA) couldn’t quite shrug off a sluggish start that saw them give up three goals in the game’s first 11 minutes, including their first shorthanded goal allowed all season.
Game Recap
Down 4-0 with three minutes left in the first period, Niagara finally pulled one back when Delmas snuck a shot in from deep. The goal was initially waved off because of alleged goaltender interference but after review the call was reversed and the goal was allowed.
Niagara came close to scoring again seven minutes into the second. On a scramble in front of the Broncos’ crease, Trevor Gorsuch fell and was out of positon, leaving the net open, but Chris Harpur had his shot partially blocked high and away.
Less than two minutes later, Delmas tallied his second of the evening and cut the Niagara deficit to 5-2 on a feed from Reed Robinson and Jared Brandt.
After Robinson was called for a penalty early in the third, the Purple Eagles killed the two minutes down a man. Niagara forced a turnover as Robinson was exiting the box, allowing him to go in on Gorsuch alone. Unfortunately Robinson’s attempt to stuff it through the five-hole was denied and the game stayed 5-2.
Eric Cooley got Niagara’s third goal when he swatted the puck in from the left side of the net. Dylan Mills got his second assist of the night on the play, while Delmas had
Beyond The Boxscore
Delmas continued his impressive play as of late with his fifth multi-point game in his last eight outings. It was also the first multi-goal game of his career.
Delmas also became the first Niagara defenseman to register two goals in a game since Vinny Muto nabbed a pair in an 8-3 win over Army on November 16, 2013.
Up Next
Niagara will return to Dwyer Arena on December 7 and 8 to open a two-game slate with the Colgate Raiders. Both games will get underway at 7 p.m. Saturday’s game is Cub Scout Day and will also feature a postgame open skate.
