FAIRFIELD, Conn. (October 27, 2023) – The Sacred Heart University men's ice hockey team held the lead multiple times on Friday night, but could never pull away, which proved costly in the end. Visiting Niagara erased leads of 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2, before Jay Ahearn found the net 1:43 into overtime, to lift the Purple Eagles to a 4-3 (OT) win in Atlantic Hockey play at Martire Family Arena. Braeden Tuck (Calgary, Alberta) had a goal and an assist in defeat for SHU.
 
Every time SHU (1-4-0, 1-2-0 AHA) jumped out front on Friday, Niagara (1-2-1, 1-0-1 AHA) had an answer, starting right from the first period. The Pios got things started at 5:15, after Tuck whipped the puck around the end boards and up to the right point for Grant Anderson (Plymouth, Minn.). Anderson in turn zipped a pass back across the ice and into the left circle for John Jaworski (Grinnell, Iowa), who buried his second of the season from there.
 
The visitors from western New York needed just 94 seconds to respond on a rush into the offensive zone. Ethan Lund carried deep down the right-wing side and centered for Christian Gorscak, who jammed home his first of the campaign at the right post.
 
In the latter half of the second period, SHU reclaimed the lead at 13:36. Kevin Lombardi (Schwenksville, Pa.) forced a turnover in the right circle and poked the puck into the low slot for TJ Walsh (Shrewsbury, Mass.). The RPI grad transfer flipped a highlight-reel backhand inside the left post for his third of the year.
 
This time, Niagara needed 2:21 to respond, and did so on the power play. Lars Rodne provided the feed from the left-wing side and Alex Murray had the back-door finish on his first of the year as he crashed the right post.
 
SHU got a power-play goal of its own at the 18-minute mark to take a 3-2 lead into the second intermission. Mikey Adamson (Quincy, Mass.) had the initial shot on the play from the middle of the blue line, which was stopped by netminder Ryan Ouellette. Tuck was camped out at the top of the crease though and slipped his third of the season inside the right post on the rebound. Tuck has six points (3-3-6) through five games to start the season.
 
Though SHU would hold the lead through the intermission, it ultimately took Niagara just 2:28 of game time to respond, as the Purple Eagles leveled things at 3-3 all of 28 seconds into the third. Luke Mylymok led a rush up the right wing and tried to shoot, but had his attempt blocked by Hunter Sansbury (Lomita, Calif.). However, the puck came straight to the stick of the trailer, Jaedon Leslie, who salted away his first of the year from the inside edge of the right circle.
 
The Pios had a late power-play chance, courtesy of a roughing penalty to Lane Brockhoff at 16:27, but came up empty with a pair of shots. Then, just before the final horn of regulation, Mark Cheremeta (Parkland, Fla.) was whistled for cross checking, and Niagara carried a power play into overtime.
 
The Purple Eagles converted, and cashed in the game-winner at 1:43 of the extra session. Down low on the left-wing side, Carter Randklev sent a centering feed to the top of the crease. Glebs Prohorenkovs got his stick to it and was unable to guide it home, but the rebound kicked out to Ahearn low on the right side. Ahearn put the puck back on net quickly and snuck it past Chase Clark (Williamsville, N.Y.) from a sharp angle to send his teammates spilling off the bench in celebration.
 
Clark (1-4-0) finished with 18 saves against 22 shots in the SHU crease. Ouellette (1-1-1) stopped 21 of 24 at the other end for Niagara.
 
Cheremeta and Lombardi each played in their 100^th career game for SHU.
 
The two teams wrap up the weekend series on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Martire Family Arena.