The Niagara hockey team came within one goal in the final three minutes of an Atlantic Hockey showdown against Air Force, but the Falcons were able to stave off what would have been an impressive comeback, dropping the Purple Eagles, 7-4 on Sunday afternoon at the Cadet Ice Arena.
With a little over three minutes remaining in regulation and down 5-3, Niagara goaltender Adrian Ignagni was called to the bench for the extra attacker. Niagara (1-3-1; 1-1-1 AHA) was able slice Air Force’s lead to one while playing 6-on-5 as captain Ryan Rashid scored to make it 5-4. The senior chipped the puck over the shoulder of AF goaltender Jason Torf while falling to his back at 2:09 for his second of the year.
Air Force (3-2-0; 2-0-0 AHA) would not give the Purple Eagles to opportunity to tie the game however, as the Falcons added an empty net tally and a power play goal in the final 1:09 of the contest to solidify the victory.
Niagara’s power play woes this season continued going 0-for-4 on the man-advantage, which included 1:16 of 5-on-3 action. Air Force converted on two of four power play chances, while also pocketing a short-handed goal to hand NU its first conference loss of the season.
“Work ethic was certainly there tonight,” head coach Dave Burkholder said. “We had close to 40 shots on goal which is the positive. I thought we were going to make a late comeback, but again our special teams are a work in progress to say the least. It’s a long year ahead of us though, and I have a lot of faith in the guys in that locker room that will be around at the end of the season when they’re declaring champions.”
There were a combined six goals in the opening period of the league contest, with three lead changes over the span of 20 minutes. It was a frantic pace in the first few minutes of the game, with both teams getting quality looks on net, but it was Air Force that opened the scoring at 3:54 of the first as Ryan Tymar put away a rebound off a Dan Weissenhofer wrister with a backhand shot at the top of the crease.
Niagara scored the next two goals to grab a 2-1 lead beginning with Patrick Conte who cleaned up a rebound off a long shot by Kevin Ryan from the slot just inside the blue line. Conte was left all alone out front and lifted the rebound over Torf for his first as a Purple Eagle.
Less than two minutes later Matt Chartrain had a superb solo effort to give NU its first lead of the contest. Chartrain picked up the puck in the Purple Eagle defensive zone and skated along the boards, releasing a long shot that Torf pushed aside. Chartrain latched onto his rebound, skating around the net and tucked the puck under the pads of Torf for his first of the season.
The Purple Eagles’ lead was short lived as the Falcons responded with a trio of goals to head into the first intermission with a 4-2 lead. Ben Carey netted the equalizer just 46 seconds after Chartrain’s tally via assists by George Michalke and Mike McDonald.
Chad Demer made it 3-2 on a mad scramble in front of the NU net, finding a loose puck in the crease and slipping it under the sprawled out Purple Eagle defenders. The hosts doubled their lead at 17:04 while on the power play as Scott Holm skated to the top of the crease and lifted a backhander over the left shoulder of Ignagni.
Air Force’s 4-2 lead lasted until 9:00 into the second when Mike Conderman cashed in on a deflection in front of the net for goal number one of the season. Sam Alfieri dished a pass to freshman Kevin Patterson at the top of the blue line who whipped a shot towards net that Conderman redirected with his skate.
Following its goal, Niagara immediately went on the power play as Ryan Dau was called for hooking, but just 14 seconds into the man-advantage Jason Fabion capitalized on an Ignagni mistake behind the net, backhanding a wraparound into the empty net to restore the Falcon’s two-goal lead at 9:40 of the frame.
Ignagni finished the contest with a career-high 37 saves to drop to 1-2-1 on the season, while his counterpart, Torf, pushed aside 34 Niagara shots. Patterson finished his first game as a Purple Eagle with two points off a pair of helpers.
The Purple Eagles have a week off before continuing the non-conference slate with a pair of games against Ohio State onNov. 8 and Nov. 9 at Columbus, Ohio.
