THE BASICS:

Score: Niagara 2, Holy Cross 1
Records: Holy Cross (13-17-5); Niagara (6-25-4)
Location: Worcester, Mass. (Hart Center)
Date: Friday, March 6, 2015
Time: 8:05 p.m.            
The Lead:  Luke Edwards broke a 1-1 tie when he scored the game-winner  for Niagara in the third period as the Holy Cross men's hockey team fell 2-1 in the first game of the best two-out-of-three Atlantic Hockey Tournament first round series. The second game of the series will be played Saturday night at 8:05 p.m. at the Hart Center. With a win, the Crusaders would force a game three on Sunday night at 8:05 p.m. at the Hart Center.

Video: Postgame Press Conference

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• A back-and-forth first period kept the score knotted at 0-0 to finish the first 20 minutes of play.
• Niagara went on the power play with 2:32 remaining in the first period but the Crusader defense held them scoreless. Holy Cross went 0-1 and Niagara went 0-2 for the period.
• The Crusaders were outshot by the Purple Eagles by a margin of 13-9.
• Freshman Matt Scarth (Calgary, Alberta) opened the scoring for the Crusaders at 12:04 in the second period while on the man-advantage. Sophomore Mike Barrett (Orland Park, Ill.) delivered the puck into traffic in front of the net where it was then deflected by a Niagara defenseman onto the stick of junior Jake Bolton (Ellington, Conn.) who fired a slap shot from just inside the blue line directly on target for Scarth who tipped the puck over the glove side of Niagara goalie Jackson Teichroeb making the score 1-0 Crusaders.
• Niagara had a short-handed breakaway at the end of the second but a big glove save by senior captain Matt Ginn (Lindsay, Ontario) kept the Purple Eagles off the board.
• The Crusaders finished the second period on the power play and headed into the locker room with 1:03 remaining on the man-advantage to start the third period.
• Holy Cross opened the third period on the power play but did not score.
• At 4:29 in third period Niagara got on the score board with a slap shot drilled by Kevin Patterson from the blue line. Stephen Pietrobon passed the puck to Robert Angiolella who sent the puck to an open Patterson beating Ginn for the goal. The score was tied 1-1.
• Just over five minutes later at the 10:10 mark, Edwards sent a back-handed shot behind Ginn increasing the Purple Eagles lead to 2-1. Angiolella crossed the puck to Pietrobon who found Edwards waiting on the post.
• The Crusaders had their fifth power play of the night at 15:48 in the third but couldn't even the score.
• With 1:11 left in regulation, Holy Cross went with the empty net but the Crusaders could not net the equalizer and lost by a final of 2-1.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Holy Cross outshot Niagara 32-30.
• The Crusaders more than doubled the Purple Eagles with face-offs won by a margin of 46-22.
• Holy Cross went 1-5 on the power play, while Niagara was 0-3.
• Ginn recorded 28 saves on the night and Teichroeb had 31.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• Ginn moved into 23rd place in the record book for all-time career saves in NCAA Division I history with 3,516. He had 28 saves on the night.
• With Bolton's 19th point of the season he moves into a tie for ninth on the Holy Cross Division I single-season list for most points scored by a defenseman. He is also tied for 10th all-time for the Division I career record for most points scored by a defenseman with 36.
• This was the first-ever postseason meeting between these two teams.

UP NEXT:

• The Crusaders are back in action at the Hart Center tomorrow night, Saturday, March 7 for an 8:05 p.m. face-off against Niagara in the second game of the best two-out-of-three Atlantic Hockey Tournament first round series. With a Holy Cross win, there will be a decisive game three on Sunday night at 8:05 p.m. at the Hart Center.

BE PART OF THE ACTION:

• To purchase tickets for the series go to GoHolyCross.com/Tickets or call (508) 793-2573.

KEEP CONNECTED:

• There are numerous ways to stay connected with the Holy Cross men's hockey team. Follow the Crusaders on Twitter @HCrossMHockey and on Facebook. You can also get the latest news and results on the team sent directly to your e-mail. To sign up for e-mail alerts go here: http://www.goholycross.com/list-signup.