For the third time in four Atlantic Hockey postseason games, Niagara went to overtime. For the second time in a Game 1 during that span it came out with a victory, this time over Air Force, 3-2, in an Atlantic Hockey quarterfinal opener on Friday night at Cadet Arena.
Freshman Ludwig Stenlund scores his second goal of the game (and 22nd of the season) 7:38 into the extra session, collecting a loose puck in the left circle and firing a shot between the pad and glove of Falcons goalie Billy Christopoulos that trickled over the goal line.
Stenlund’s heroics negated a solid night for the Falcons (16-14-5), who seized an early lead, then played a brief game of catch-up and posted a decisive 38-23 shots-on-goal edge.
“We played a solid, fundamental game,” AFA coach Frank Serratore said. “I liked our game tonight. We had plenty of chances and hit a couple pipes. We just didn’t get any puck luck. That has been the story of our season in a lot of ways.”
Fast starts
Air Force wasted no time taking a 1-0 lead. Just as it did during the regular season-ending victory over Holy Cross, the fourth line made an impression.
Junior Pierce Pluemer scored his first goal of the season off a feed from center Erich Jaeger at 1:58.
Stenlund, who figured in all three goals for the Purple Eagles (15-18-5), had his power-play shot redirected in by Eric Cooley with 6:17 to go in the period. It didn’t stay that way for long, however.
Both teams struck in the first two minutes of the second period.
Stenlund gathered a rebound of Kris Spriggs‘ shot that hit a pipe and beat Christopoulos (20 saves) just 58 seconds in. However, senior defenseman Dan Bailey knotted the score again at 1:48 on a wrister from the left circle after taking a feed from Evan Giesler. Bailey’s shot beat Brian Wilson (36 saves) under the glove.
The Falcons continued to generate chance after chance but could not solve Wilson again.
“If we can replicate this performance and bring it again on Saturday, I like our chances,” Serratore said. “We have to keep our heads up and come back strong tomorrow.”
Air Force’s three stars
- Dan Bailey. The senior’s goal tied the score, a status that stood for more than 45 minutes. He also had three shots.
- Pierce Pluemer. The junior’s first goal of the season got the Falcons off and rolling and was another reward for the workmanlike fourth line.
- Brady Tomlak. He had an assist and was 10 for 14 on the face-off dot.
Up next
Game 2 is Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. at Cadet Arena.
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