Box Score NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – Making multiple great plays can make for a memorable shift. When it sets up the game-winning goal that keeps you in first place in a road contest against a hot team, it becomes a key season highlight.

That's what happened to Sacred Heart Men's Hockey graduate winger Tyler Ghirardosi in a 2-2 game midway through the third period against second-place Niagara. He blocked a shot, won the race to the puck in the neutral zone and carried it around the net before spotting his center and classmate in the slot. Max Dorrington, looking for his 11^th of the year, accepted the perfect feed and then sent a sizzling wrister glove side for the winner, his third decisive tally this winter.

"Off the draw, I was trying to get up to my guy and was lucky enough the puck hit me and squirted down the ice," said Ghirardosi.  "Dorrington did a good job getting wide open, and all I did was give him the puck."

Niagara, which now trails SHU by six points, poured on the shots looking for the equalizer and pulled its goalie for the last three minutes. First year Pioneer netminder Ajeet Gundarah needed 13 of his career-high 38 saves in the final period to earn the victory while his teammates did a great job of clearing the zone and clogging up the passing and shooting lanes.

This character-building decision was a great example of the Pios' scoring depth; each goal was produced by the third and fourth lines.

There's nothing more beautiful in hockey scoring than a "tic-tac-toe" tally, especially when it's your team lighting the lamp. First year defenseman Aiden VanRooyan had the "tic" to get SHU on the board first midway through the opening frame. The South Dakota native carried the puck through the right circle and then sent it across the slot to sophomore winger Cole Galata at the bottom of the opposite circle. Galata spotted his classmate Jake Bongo open in the low slot for an easy one-timer from eight feet out and his second goal of the year. Galata and Bongo each had career-highs with two points.

"I think as a line you find each other really well," said Galata about his two mates. "It's really fun just playing with them and we're meshing so it's been good." Bongo added, "It's been awesome and our line has been playing pretty well lately. We're working hard to lead to some success on the score sheet, so hopefully we can keep it going in tomorrow."

The Purple Eagles, who had a 16-9 advantage in shots the first period, used the last few minutes to erase the deficit and take the lead.

The 2-1 home team advantage remained late into the second period, thanks largely to a great Gundarah breakaway save with 3:41 left. While Niagara grabbed the momentum at the end of the first, the visitors did it in the middle period, and it was SHU's fourth line again on the scoring. Bongo carried behind the net and then left it for graduate blueliner Hunter Sansbury, who was heading in the opposite and fired a quick shot off Pierce Charleson's pads. The puck bounced out to the right of the tender where Galata was waiting to pounce on it for his fifth of the season.

Gundarah, making his first start since Jan. 11, saw his squad turn the table in the second with 15 of the combined 26 shots over those 20 minutes. That was enough momentum to get SHU its fifth win in six games – 16^th overall - with game two of this road trip coming tomorrow at 5 p.m. at Dwyer Arena and just five left in its regular season.

"Got to come ready to work again. We had a slow start in the first, but we'll be ready for tomorrow," added Ghirardosi.