HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - University of North Dakota freshman forward Carter Rowney's first career goal held up as the winner and sophomore forwards Brett Hextall and Evan Trupp each added a goal and an assist as the Fighting Sioux toppled Niagara 3-1 this afternoon at the Shillelagah Tournament.
North Dakota will play for the tournament championship on Sunday against the winner of tonight's Notre Dame-Colgate game.
Rowney's milestone tally was one of two goals scored by the Sioux in a one-sided first period in which UND outshot the Purple Eagles 16-6. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound winger from Sexsmith, Alberta, caused a turnover with a hit at the Niagara half-wall, then beat NU goalie Chris Noonan five-hole from the bottom of the circle to put the Sioux up 2-0 with 6:10 left in the opening frame.
Hextall had staked the Sioux to a 1-0 lead just over four minutes earlier on the power-play when he one-timed a cross-ice Trupp pass and beat Noonan high short side from the left faceoff circle. It was the seventh goal of the season for Hextall, a native of Manhattan Beach, Calif.
UND's penalty killing was the difference in the second period.
The Sioux successfully killed all three Niagara power-plays in the middle frame, as well as the majority of a David Toews (So., Winnipeg, Manitoba) minor that was whistled with 1:44 left in the period. Niagara was able to manage just two shots in the second period with the man advantage and finished the night 0-for-5 on the power-play with four total shots.
Niagara finally solved UND netminder Brad Eidsness (So., Chestermere, Alberta) midway through the second period. NU's Ryan Olidis gathered a loose puck at the top of the slot and wristed a low shot through traffic for his team-leading 10th goal of the season.
The Purple Eagles pressed for the equalizer but the Sioux were able to put the game away with a fortunate bounce.
With just over three minutes remaining, Trupp led a rush up right the right wing boards and his centering pass from the corner deflected off the skate of a Niagara defender and past Noonan to put UND on top to stay at 3-1. The goal, Trupp's fifth of the season, came with 3:11 left in regulation.
With the win, UND improved to 10-6-3 overall and 4-0-1 in non-conference play.
Eidsness stopped 19 shots for the Sioux, while Noonan countered with 40.
UND went 1-for-3 on the power-play and killed all five Niagara opportunities.
The Sioux held a 43-20 edge in shots on goal.
The Sioux will play Notre Dame at 6:05 p.m. CT for the tournament championship.
Notes: Hextall has eight points (five goals, three assists) in his last seven games ... Trupp has taken over sole possession of the team scoring lead with 18 points ... Mario Lamoureux (So., Grand Forks) snapped a seven-game point skid with an assist on Rowney's goal ... Sophomore F Matt Frattin (Edmonton, Alberta) had five shots on goal and several scoring opportunities in his first game with the Sioux this season ... Sophomore F Jason Gregoire (Winnipeg, Manitoba) saw his UND season-long seven-game point streak come to an end.
- Go Sioux -
