NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. – Junior Rob Linsmayer (Winnetka, Ill.) scored the game-winner at 14:30 of the third period to break a 3-3 tie as the Holy Cross men's hockey team defeated Niagara, 4-3, at Dwyer Arena on Saturday evening in Atlantic Hockey action. With the win, the Crusaders improve to 3-3-0 overall (2-2-0 Atlantic Hockey), while the Purple Eagles fall to 2-4-2 overall (1-2-1 Atlantic Hockey). The Crusaders split the two-game regular season series with Niagara as the Purple Eagles won on Friday by a 4-2 score.
After a scoreless first period, the Crusaders took a 1-0 lead at 3:13 of the second period when junior Brandon Nunn (Fairport, N.Y.) scored on the power play for his second goal of the season. Seniors Luke Miller (Andover, Mass.) and Mike Daly (South Burlington, Vt.) each posted assists. Just 1:49 later, Miller found the back of the net while on the power play for his first goal of the season. Daly and Nunn each recorded assists. At 15:44, the Crusaders scored their third straight power play goal when senior Kyle Atkins (Brockville, Ontario) netted his first goal of the year. Sophomore Adam Schmidt (Warrington, Pa.) and Shayne Stockton (Rochester, N.Y.) each tallied assists. Schmidt has posted at least one point in each of the first six games. With just 11 seconds left in the period, Dan Weiss netted the first goal for the Purple Eagles to make it a 3-1 contest.
Scott Arnold cut the deficit to 3-2 when he recorded a goal at 6:23 of the third period. The Purple Eagles scored their third straight goal to tie the game at 3-3 when Giancarlo Iuorio found the back of the net on the power play at 7:22. At 14:30, Linsmayer netted his second career-game winner. Nunn and Miller tallied assists. The goal was Linsmayer's second of the season.
Junior goalie Thomas Tysowsky (Amherst, N.Y.) made 32 saves in his first appearance of the season to start with a 1-0-0 record, while Colby Drost posted 25 saves and is 1-1-0. The Crusaders went 3-4 on the power play and took 29 shots for the game, while the Purple Eagles went 1-3 and posted 35 shots.
The Crusaders return to action on Friday, Nov. 11 when they play Hockey East opponent UMass in Amherst, Mass., at 6:00 p.m. at the Mullins Center.
