NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. – Niagara took a 1-0 lead just 4:29 into the first period and never trailed, weathering a wild third period of a 5-4 win over Bemidji State to advance to the College Hockey America finals for the fifth time in school history.
Niagara opened the scoring when David Ross won an offensive zone faceoff back to the right point. Tyler Gotto’s wrist shot through a screen found the net.
“Ross won the draw back and their coach was yelling at (Jordan) George to come through,” said Gotto. “I was waiting for him to come through and he set up to block it. I knew I just had to get the puck past him and I saw the corner of the net. I kept it on the ice because he was crunched down a little bit.”
Just 43 seconds later, the Beavers tied it, 1-1. Tyler Lehrke fed defenseman Chris Peluso, who found the top left corner. It was his first goal of the season and only the second of his career.
Senior Ryan Olidis gave the Purple Eagles the lead back with just 33 seconds remaining in the first with assists from Chris Moran and C.J. Chartrain.
The Beavers Ryan Cramer scored at 11:31 of the second from Shea Walters to again tie the game, but Gotto netted a power-play goal just 4:15 later to give Niagara the lead for good.
Brian Haczyk took a feather pass from Paul Zanette to score a short-handed goal late in the second to put the Purps up by two.
“Paul (Zanette) and I have been killing (penalties) together for two or three years now, so we know where we’re going to be at all times,” said Haczyk. “Getting the puck on the wall, he knew I was going to streak for the middle. He laid a nice soft pass out there for me and luckily I beat the defenseman and the goalie.”
The third period got a bit squirrely with three goals over a 2:20 span.
Bemidji State’s Shea Walters scored unassisted at 10:25 to again bring his team back to within a goal of the lead, but Niagara senior Egor Mironov pushed home a loose rebound at 11:40 to make it 5-3. Then Cramer netted his second of the game at 12:45 to make it a one-goal game for the fifth time.
But Niagara persevered through heavy offensive pressure over the final ten minutes to advance to the finals.
“It was pretty emotional, so I just reminded everyone on the bench to stay calm and keep it simple,” Gotto said of the third period. “We needed to get our momentum back so we could establish the forecheck like we did in the first two periods.”
As for Bemidji State and their hopes for an NCAA playoff at-large bid after being ranked among the top-10 for most of the season, head coach Tom Serratore said, “I have no clue. The pairwise is very volatile, but all I want to think about now is the game tomorrow. It’s a very important game for Bemidji State. I think you have to go in thinking a win is essential.”
“We played Michigan, Cornell, North Dakota, all probable NCAA tournament teams, and they (Bemidji State) are as good or better than some of those teams that we’ve played-no question,” Niagara head coach Dave Burkholder said.
“It would be an amazing story if they take care of business tomorrow that we could send two CHA teams to the tournament. What a fitting way to go off into the sunset.”
After Bemidji State and Robert Morris meet in the third-place game at 4 p.m., Niagara will play third-seeded Alabama-Huntsville in the championship at 8 p.m.
The only other time the two met in the title game was in the first CHA playoff in 2000. Niagara won that game 3-2 at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville.
“We lost season series (to UAH) 4-2 with the last in overtime, so it’s a team we owe,” Burkholder said. “We’re going to be the visitors on home ice, but if you told me at the beginning of the year with our schedule that we were going to play for a championship on the last day of the season, I’m in.”
The Chargers are 1-4 in title games and the Purple Eagles are 3-1.
SEEN AND HEARD AT DWYER ARENA
• Bemidji State traveled from Alabama-Huntsville, site of the last regular season games one week ago-to Niagara arriving Tuesday. In between were stops to see a Nashville Predators game against Vancouver Sunday and the Buffalo Sabres versus Dallas game Wednesday.
• Beavers senior defenseman Chris Peluso had his NHL rights traded from Pittsburgh to Toronto at the March 3rd trade deadline.
• Paper hats were passed out to fans to market next season’s IIHF World Junior Championships being held in Buffalo and at Dwyer Arena Dec. 26 – Jan. 5. The highest ticket package (all 31 games at HSBC Arena and Dwyer) goes for $1,240 with the lowest (a 21-game HSBC pack) at $493.
• Niagara senior Chris Moran kept his scoring streak intact. With his first period assist, he now has registered at least one point in all six CHA tournament games he has played in.
• The Purps are now 11-1-1 all time in the month of March at Dwyer Arena.
• A few fans were seen wearing the Bemidji State jerseys that were auctioned off after the final game in their arena. All had John S. Glas on the back above the number – the man the arena was named after. The Beavers move into a new facility and the WCHA in the fall.
