MILFORD, Conn. – Sophomore Jordan Minello's (Sweaburg, Ont.) goal with 4:35 remaining in regulation, along with four saves from goaltender Andrew Bodnarchuk (Saskatoon, Sask.), earned the Sacred Heart men's hockey team a 4-4 overtime tie against the Canisius Golden Griffins at Milford Ice Pavilion Saturday night.

Sacred Heart (3-5-2, 3-3-2 AHA) took three of a possible four points from the weekend series. Minello, Zach Luczyk (Charlton, Mass.), and Erlich Doerksen (Toronto, Ont.) each had a goal and an assist for the Pioneers. Doerksen's goal was his first of his career. Bodnarchuk made 37 saves in goal.

Just like Friday night, it was Canisius (4-4-2, 3-2-1 AHA) that scored first. Ryan Schmelzer scored 4:09 into the hockey game, with assists from Shane Conacher and Ralph Cuddemi, to give the Golden Griffins a 1-0 lead. The Pioneers quickly tied the game 52 seconds later. Evan Jasper (Whitby, Ont.) slammed home the rebound of a Ben Lake (Calgary, Alb.) shot to make the score 1-1. Less than a minute later, the Pioneers took the lead on Luczyk's fourth goal of the season. Luczyk fired a shot past the stick of Canisius goaltender Reilly Turner with 14:00 left in the period to give Sacred Heart a 2-1 lead.

The Golden Griffins tied the game 3:40 into the second period. Matthew Grazen finished off an odd-man rush with Conacher to make the score 2-2. After being outshot 15-11 in the first period, Canisius tilted the ice in its favor by outshooting Sacred Heart 17-8 in the period. However, that didn't stop the Pioneers from taking back the lead. With 3:32 to play in the second, Zach Sabatini (Johns Creek, Ga.) took the puck at center ice and went up the right wing. When he got to the circle, he passed the puck to a trailing Doerksen who roofed a backhanded shot over Turner's shoulder to give Sacred Heart a 3-2 lead.

Canisius rallied in the third period to take the lead. Mitch McCrank scored on the power play with 12:02 to play to tie the game 3-3, getting assists from defensemen Stephen Farrell and Doug Jessey. With five minutes to play, Canisius had an odd man rush into the Pioneers zone. Bodnarchuk stopped shots from Cuddemi and Chris Rumble, but as he searched for the puck while on his back Conacher snuck the puck across the goalline with 5:00 left to give Canisius a 4-3 lead.

Twenty-five seconds later, Sacred Heart responded. Justin Danforth (Oshawa, Ont.) fired a long pass to Minello, who came up the left wing and fired a shot just inside the crossbar and over the goalline to tie the game at 4-4. The Pioneers went on the power play with 2:38 remaining, but didn't register a shot on goal as the game headed to overtime. Bodnarchuk ensured the extra period by stopping a Tyler Wiseman shot with 0:38 remaining. The senior goaltender stopped all four Canisius shots in overtime as the game ended in a 4-4 tie.

Canisius outshot the Pioneers 41-29 for the game, including a 13-6 margin in the third period and overtime. Turner made 25 saves for the Golden Griffins, who were 2-for-7 on the power play. Sacred Heart was 0-for-5 on the power play. Conacher had three points on a goal and two assists.

Sacred Heart takes on UConn on Friday, Nov. 14 at The Taft School in Watertown, Conn. at 7:05 p.m.