NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – Marcus Joughin's first goal of the season proved to be an important one for the Sacred Heart University men's ice hockey team, as the senior netted the game-winner in overtime of the Pioneers' 5–4 win at Niagara in Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) play Friday evening.

Records:
SHU: 10-7-2, 7-4-2 AHA
Niagara: 7-11-0, 4-6-0 AHA

How It Happened
Following a back-and-forth start to the game, the Pioneers opened the scoring at 10:18 with a strike from Stephane Huard. The junior scored right off the faceoff after the media timeout, stealing the puck from an NU player before sniping the top-right corner.

Unfortunately for SHU, the Purple Eagles scored the next two goals to take a 2–1 lead at 13:20.

Sacred Heart evened the score near the end of the first period, with Huard finding the back of the net again at 18:09. Huard made it 2–2 by cleaning up a saved Ray Fust backhanded shot for an easy goal.

SHU again evened the score following a Niagara goal, this time with Felix Trudeau burying a rocket on the power play. With 10:57 gone in the second period, Trudeau sniped the upper stick-side corner for his 17th goal and eighth power-play strike of the season.

Just as they had done all night, the Pios were ready with another rally. After the Purple Eagles scored 3:35 into the third period to go up 4–3, SHU needed just 3:27 to make it 4–4. Noah Ellis provided the equalizer, winding up for a wrist shot from the blueline that soared over the opposing goaltender.

After Ellis' goal, neither team scored over the final 13:08 of regulation, sending the game to overtime.

SHU dominated the action at the start of OT, but the score remained tied through the first 3:30 of the extra frame. The Pios finally got their break at 3:36 when a pair of Purple Eagle players collided, leading to an odd-man rush for Joughin. The senior did not waste the opportunity, firing a hard shot into the goaltender's pad that deflected off a sliding Niagara skater and into the back of the net.

Between the pipes, Teagan Kendrick stopped 26 shots to earn his third consecutive win. The first year made the biggest save of the game with 48 seconds left, stopping a one-one breakaway to keep the game tied which led to OT. 

Notes

• The Pioneers are riding a three-game win streak, their second of the season.
• SHU is now 2-0-2 in overtime this year.
• Trudeau has 17 goals this season, tied for second in the country and 10 shy of the SHU single-season program record.
• Trudeau's eighth power-play goal is tied for the national lead.
• Trudeau leads the team with 24 points.
• Trudeau has totaled 75 career points (38-37-75).
• Joughin scored his first goal of the season.
• With three points on the night, Joughin is tied for second on the team with Mikey Adamson at 15 points.
• Fust, Joughin and Trudeau have recorded a point in each of SHU's last three games.
• Huard posted his first multi-goal game of the season, bringing his total to four goals.
• Kendrick is riding a three-game win streak in net.
• Jack Spicer made his first career appearance tonight, playing 1:51 tonight. 

Up Next
The Pioneers and Purple Eagles will conclude the weekend series tomorrow at 5 p.m. at Dwyer Arena.