MILFORD, Conn. – After leading 2-1 after two periods Saturday night against the Niagara Purple Eagles at Milford Ice Pavilion, the Sacred Heart men's hockey team settled for a 2-2 tie to take three points from the weekend series. Evan Jasper (Whitby, Ont.) and Zach Sabatini (Johns Creek, Ga.) had the Pioneers' goals.

Just as it did Friday night, Sacred Heart (6-11-3, 5-6-3 AHC) scored first Saturday. Just past 10 minutes into the game, Sabatini knocked home the rebound of a Zach Luczyk (Charlton, Mass.) shot to make the score 1-0. Mitch Nylen (Lawrenceville, Ga.) got the play started with a rush out of the Sacred Heart zone. The Pioneers then had to go on the defensive as Niagara had four power played in the period, including two in the last three minutes. Sacred Heart held the Purple Eagles to just three shots on the man advantage, and seven in the period. The Pioneers had an opportunity to go up 2-0 with 1:23 left when Erlich Doerksen (Toronto, Ont.) drew a penalty shot after he was slashed on a shorthanded breakaway. Ben Lake took the ensuing penalty shot but was denied by Niagara goaltender Jackson Teichroeb, leading the Pioneers to take a 1-0 lead into the intermission.

Niagara (3-13-2, 3-9-2 AHC) tied the game at 1-1 5:17 into the second period. Dan Kolenda let loose a shot from the slot that went off and over the pads of Andrew Bodnarchuk (Saskatoon, Sask.), trickling behind him and over the goal line. The Purple Eagles controlled play for much of the second period, at one point taking eight of the first 11 shots of the period. However, Sacred Heart regained the lead with 0:12 left in the period. Lake won a faceoff in the Pioneers' zone to Will Rayner (Needham, Mass.). The senior defenseman then fired off an outlet pass to a streaking Jasper who scored on Teichroeb to give Sacred Heart a 2-1 lead heading into the third period.

The Pioneers had an opportunity to extend the lead early in the third, going on the power play 2:10 in as Niagara was called for having too many men on the ice. Both Doerksen and Lake hit goal posts on the power play as the lead remained 2-1. The Purple Eagles then took advantage of a Sacred Heart penalty to tie the game. Keegan Harper let loose a shot from the slot from Chris Lochner with 15:08 remaining in regulation that went through Bodnarchuk's legs and in the net for a power play goal, tying the game 2-2. Sacred Heart came close to breaking the tie with 9:00 remaining, but Teichroeb stopped a barrage of four straight Pioneer shots to keep the game 2-2. Bodnarchuk also made four saves in the nine minutes as the teams headed to overtime tied 2-2.

Sacred Heart had two shots on goal early in the overtime, but both were stopped by Teichroeb. With 2:03 remaining, Niagara's Vince Muto fired a shot from the blueline that was deflected into the goal. However, the officials ruled that the shot was put in from a high stick, so the game remained tied. David Iacono (Newmarket, Ont.) nearly won the game in the final minute, but Teichroeb was on point as the two teams ended in a 2-2 draw.

The Pioneers outshot the Purple Eagles 41-28 for the game. Niagara was 1-for-7 on the power play as Sacred Heart was scoreless on six power plays. Bodnarchuk made 26 saves for the Pioneers as Teichroeb had 39 for the Purple Eagles. Luczyk extended his point-scoring streak to six games with an assist Saturday night, while Sabatin's goal gave him a five-game point-scoring streak.

Sacred Heart is back in action January 9-10 at Mercyhurst, with both games starting at 7:05 p.m.