Friday, December 6
USAFA, CO
7:05 pm MT
Air Force Academy
8-10-1, 5-4-0
2
vs
3
Niagara University
8-7-3, 7-3-2
1
2
3
OT 1
F
Niagara
1
1
0
1
3
Air Force
1
0
1
0
2
Niagara defeats Air Force, 3-2 in overtime
12/6/2024 10:33:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Niagara's Shane Ott scored 40 seconds into overtime for a 3-2 win over Air Force in an Atlantic Hockey America game Friday, Dec. 6, at the Cadet Ice Arena. Niagara gets two points in the conference standings with the overtime win. Air Force gets one point with the overtime loss.
Niagara (8-7-3, 7-3-2 AHA) scored on the first shift of the game as Ott scored 22 seconds into the game on a 2-on-1 rush. Air Force (8-10-1, 5-4-0 AHA) tied the game midway through the opening period on Nolan Cunningham's first career goal. Chris Hedden got the puck to Clayton Cosentino in the slot. Cosentino fed Cunningham who whistled a wrister under the bar at 10:51.
The Purple Eagles took a 2-1 lead early in the second period on the power play. Ott made a pass to the right circle and Tyler Wallace's one-timer found the back of the net at 1:42. Air Force outshot Niagara, 19-5, in the second period, not including a short-handed breakaway shot by Austin Schwartz that hit a post midway through the period.
Early in the third period, Air Force tied the game on senior Mitchell Digby's first goal of the season. Freshman Sam Stitz set up Digby in the right circle for his wrister that went high, glove side. Midway through the third period, a major penalty was called on Niagara's Grayson Dietrich for a hit on Austin Schwartz. On the five-minute power play, Niagara's Pierce Charleson made seven saves and the Purple Eagles blocked four other shots.
In overtime, Ott took a long outlet pass from Gleb Prohorenkvos and spun around an Air Force defender at the blue line. Ott, a Denver native, made a move around Guy Blessing and scored the game-winner just 40 seconds into overtime.
Air Force had 39 shots in the game, the second most this season. Niagara entered the game averaging 33 shots on goal, but the Falcons held the visitors to just 18. Niagara was 1-for-3 on the power play while Air Force was 0-for-3. Charleson made 37 saves in the game. Blessing made 15 for the Falcons.
"This was an entertaining game and I'm proud of our boys for battling the entire game," head coach Frank Serratore said. "You never want to give up a goal in the first or last minute of a period, but our guys were resilient and found a way to get the next goal. We had that five-minute power play in the third and couldn't score. The difference in the game was they got a power-play goal and we didn't. Winning that third period gave us that point and now we have a chance to win the series tomorrow."
Air Force and Niagara conclude the two-game series on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 5:05 pm at the Cadet Ice Arena.
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Niagara (8-7-3, 7-3-2 AHA) scored on the first shift of the game as Ott scored 22 seconds into the game on a 2-on-1 rush. Air Force (8-10-1, 5-4-0 AHA) tied the game midway through the opening period on Nolan Cunningham's first career goal. Chris Hedden got the puck to Clayton Cosentino in the slot. Cosentino fed Cunningham who whistled a wrister under the bar at 10:51.
The Purple Eagles took a 2-1 lead early in the second period on the power play. Ott made a pass to the right circle and Tyler Wallace's one-timer found the back of the net at 1:42. Air Force outshot Niagara, 19-5, in the second period, not including a short-handed breakaway shot by Austin Schwartz that hit a post midway through the period.
Early in the third period, Air Force tied the game on senior Mitchell Digby's first goal of the season. Freshman Sam Stitz set up Digby in the right circle for his wrister that went high, glove side. Midway through the third period, a major penalty was called on Niagara's Grayson Dietrich for a hit on Austin Schwartz. On the five-minute power play, Niagara's Pierce Charleson made seven saves and the Purple Eagles blocked four other shots.
In overtime, Ott took a long outlet pass from Gleb Prohorenkvos and spun around an Air Force defender at the blue line. Ott, a Denver native, made a move around Guy Blessing and scored the game-winner just 40 seconds into overtime.
Air Force had 39 shots in the game, the second most this season. Niagara entered the game averaging 33 shots on goal, but the Falcons held the visitors to just 18. Niagara was 1-for-3 on the power play while Air Force was 0-for-3. Charleson made 37 saves in the game. Blessing made 15 for the Falcons.
"This was an entertaining game and I'm proud of our boys for battling the entire game," head coach Frank Serratore said. "You never want to give up a goal in the first or last minute of a period, but our guys were resilient and found a way to get the next goal. We had that five-minute power play in the third and couldn't score. The difference in the game was they got a power-play goal and we didn't. Winning that third period gave us that point and now we have a chance to win the series tomorrow."
Air Force and Niagara conclude the two-game series on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 5:05 pm at the Cadet Ice Arena.
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Team Stats
NU
AF
Shots
18
39
PPG
1
0
SHG
0
0
Penalties
5
4
Penalty Mins
21
8
Faceoffs Won
33
34
Game Leaders
Skaters
+/-
0
Goals
1
Sh
4
A
0
+/-
1
Goals
1
Sh
3
A
0
+/-
-1
Goals
0
Sh
8
A
1
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Ice Hockey
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