No. 19 Niagara scored two power-play goals in the third period to erase a 2-1 deficit and beat Colgate, 3-2, on Friday at Starr Rink. Chris Moran netted the winning goal for the Purple Eagles (12-6-3), and assisted on the other two scores as NU went 3-for-8 on the power play.
With less than seven minutes left in regulation, Niagara set up its offense on the power play. The Purple Eagles cycled the puck for about a minute, with Ted Cook crossing to Pat Oliveto at the right point, and Oliveto giving it to Moran at the left point. Moran took a slapshot that squeaked over Raider junior goaltender Mark Dekanich’s glove as he was screened by Les Reaney.
After a scramble at the left dot about seven minutes into the final frame, Reaney tipped the puck to Cook, who skated in on Dekanich unopposed. At the bottom of the left circle, Cook fired a shot that entered the net high over Dekanich’s blocker to tie the game at 2-2.
Colgate took a 1-0 lead 5:24 into the first period. Niagara sent the puck around the boards, but sophomore Nick St. Pierre stopped it and dumped it behind the net to senior Marc Fulton. Fulton quickly passed from behind the net around the left post to junior Jesse Winchester, who one-timed it into the net top-shelf, blocker side.
Four minutes later, junior Ben Camper was ejected from the game and saddled with a five-minute major for checking from behind. On the ensuing power play, Niagara set up in the zone and cycled the puck for two minutes. Sean Bentivoglio passed from the left point to Moran in the slot, and Moran threaded a pass between a pair of Colgate defenders to Cook in the left faceoff circle. Cook one-timed the puck over Dekanich’s blocker to tie the game at 1.
Junior Tyler Burton scored the 50th goal of his career with less than five minutes remaining in the second period on the power play. Sophomore Jason Fredricks crossed the puck to Burton as he entered the zone. Burton snapped a pass across the ice to Fulton on the right faceoff dot, and he one-timed the puck back to Burton through traffic.
Burton received the pass, then shot from the slot in the same motion, beating goaltender Juliano Pagliero, who was caught out of position.
Dekanich finished the game with 30 saves, including 23 over the final two periods. Pagliero earned the win with 28 stops. The Raiders finished 1-for-5 on the power play, and dominated in the faceoff circle, 39-20, but were outshot, 33-30.
