'Saders lacking spark; Niagara opens series with win.

AuthorSuhoski, Shaun
PositionSports

Byline: Shaun Suhoski

WORCESTER -- Despite outscoring Niagara by an average of three goals per game during four regular season meetings, Holy Cross couldn't find a consistent level of intensity in an Atlantic Hockey playoff opener as the Crusaders fell, 2-1, on Friday at the Hart Center.

With the game knotted, 1-1, midway through the third period, Niagara (6-25-4) took advantage of a fluky carom of the puck and turned it into a 3-on-2 advantage in its offensive zone.

Stephen Pietrobon (2 assists) found Luke Edwards down low behind the defense, where the freshman winger dangled his way across the crease before slipping a backhander behind a sprawling Matt Ginn (28 saves).

"When the playoffs start you throw the regular season records aside,'' said Holy Cross coach Dave Berard, whose team fell to 13-17-5. "They're trying to make up for a kind of disappointing season and they see it as an opportunity to come in here and start a new season.

"Our games with them were all really close going into the third period. We scored some power-play goals in the third that allowed us to pull away and make the score look uneven, but, if you were at the game you would realize that the games were pretty tight.''

The Crusaders had won all four regular season meetings between the clubs, outscoring the Purple Eagles, 19-7. However, Niagara finished the season on a 2-1-1 run that included a win over powerful Robert Morris on Feb. 27.

"They generated a lot of confidence at the end of the regular season and they have nothing to lose,'' Berard said. "They played with a lot of desperation, and they played with urgency, and I don't believe we matched their intensity.''

After over 30 minutes of hum-drum hockey, the Crusaders took advantage of a Niagara too many men on the ice penalty to open the scoring.

Mike Barrett slapped an odd-angle turnaround from below the left...

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