MILFORD, Conn. – Led by three points each from Justin Danforth (Oshawa, Ont.) and Jordan Minello (Sweaburg, Ont.), the Sacred Heart men's hockey team snapped its five-game losing streak with a 5-2 win over the Niagara Purple Eagles at Milford Ice Pavilion.

Sacred Heart (6-11-2, 5-6-2 AHC) got on the scoreboard less than two minutes into the game. Zach Luczyk (Charlton, Mass.) slammed home a Zach Sabatini (Johns Creek, Ga.) pass past the blocker of Niagara goaltender Jackson Teichroeb 1:42 into the game. The goal extended Luczyk's point-scoring streak to five games and Sabatini's to four. The Purple Eagles responded late in the period with a power play goal at the 17:57 mark. Nick Cecere blasted a shot from the blueline past Andrew Bodnarchuk (Saskatoon, Sask.) to tie the game 1-1.

Niagara (3-13-1, 3-9-1 AHC) opened the second period on a 5-on-3 power play, but the Pioneers held the Purple Eagles to two shots and no goals to keep the game tied. Sacred Heart dominated the middle period, outshooting Niagara 14-3. Danforth broke the 1-1 tie at 6:07 of the period, firing a shot from the slot past Teichroeb to give the Pioneers' a 2-1 lead. Minello and Alec Butcher (Anchorage, Alaska) assisted on the go-ahead goal. At 14:25, the Pioneers extended the lead. Minello finished off a rush started by Danforth in the Sacred Heart end, putting in a Jacob Brightbill (Anneville, Pa.) pass to make the score 3-1.

Minello capped off a three-goal Sacred Heart run with a goal 3:38 into the third period, assisted by Danforth and captain Will Rayner (Needham, Mass.). Niagara got back within two, 4-2, at 7:02 of the third period when some tic-tac-toe passing from Cecere and Dan Kolenda led to a Chris Lochner goal. The Pioneers capped the scoring with a power play goal in the final minute from Evan Jasper (Whitby, Ont.), assisted by Butcher and Ben Lake (Calgary, Alb.).

Sacred Heart outshot Niagara 36-24. The Pioneers were 1-for-5 on the power play while the Purple Eagles were 1-for-6. Butcher had his first two-point game of his career. Bodnarchuk made 22 saves in goal for Sacred Heart, while Teichroeb had 31 for Niagara.

The two teams wrap up their weekend series Saturday night at 7:05 p.m.