Luc Salem had two assists going into the overtime period and capped off his three-point night with a game-winning overtime goal to give the St. Lawrence University men's hockey team a 4-3 win over Niagara on Saturday night at Appleton Arena.

Salem was not alone as Tyler Cristall, and Cameron Buhl each provided multi-point nights as well. Cristall dialed up three assists, including one on the game-winner, while Buhl had a goal and had a hand in the overtime goal.

St. Lawrence evened their record at 10-10 with the win, while Niagara fell to 11-7-2 on the season.

"That's a big deal win for our team!" Said Charles W. Appleton II. Head Coach Brent Brekke "The guys battles with each momentum swing. After we scored on the power play and they answered quickly with a goal, that game can get away from you as a team. Our guys stayed focused and poised to push it to overtime. Zets made a huge save and we answered too with a great play from Buhl to find Salem and finish a fantastic shot bar down. What a game!"

The game got off to a lightning-fast start as the Skating Saints funneled shot after shot onto Chad Veltri keeping the Purple Eagles out of the shot column until 5:37 into the period.

Niagara turned the momentum as the first 20 minutes went along and with just under four minutes left in the period, they took the lead when Olivier Gauthier squeezed a shot through the armpit of Emil Zetterquist.

It took over 20 minutes of gametime, but the Scarlet and Brown finally tied the game late in the second period. On the power play, Mason Waite controlled the puck at the blueline and fired a shot that ricocheted off Cristall in front of the Niagara net. The loose puck bounced around until Buhl scooped it up and ushered it around the leg of Veltri to knot the game at 1-1.

However, the Purple Eagles responded immediately as Albin Nilsson was able to sneak a puck in 22 seconds later to make it 2-1 at the intermission.



The Saints came out firing again in the third and once again tied the game. At the 3:04 mark of the third, Salem climbed down the wall for a loose puck and skipped it up to Cristall, who put a shot on goal. Will Arquiett was crashing the net hard and tipped the puck through the five-hole of Veltri to tie the game at two apiece.

Near the midway mark of the frame Niagara was assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct putting St. Lawrence on the attack for the next five minutes. The Scarlet and Brown would capitalize and score their second power play goal of the night.

Once again, Salem jumpstarted the play by making a good pass over to Philippe Chapleau. The sophomore defender climbed down the left side of the zone before skipping a pass over to Tomáš Mazura, who was waiting at the faceoff dot and one-timed the puck home to give St. Lawrence their first lead of the game.

The Saints remained on the power play but got burnt just minutes after the Mazura tally as Jason Pineo was able to get a shorthanded goal for the Purple Eagles and make the score 3-3.

The game would go to a 3-on-3 overtime where each team battled for possession as they looked for the win. Zetterquist came up big in the early minutes making two huge saves for the Saints.

In the final minute of overtime, with tired legs, Cristall gave the puck off to Salem, who found Buhl as they entered the offensive zone. Buhl, sensing the double team, sent a pass back to Salem, who stepped into the slot, toe dragged, and roofed home the game-winning goal for the Saints.

The goal was the sixth for the junior defender, who now leads the team in goals. He also has seven assists for a team-best 13 points.

Zetterquist stopped 19 shots in the St. Lawrence goal, while Veltri stopped 32 of the 36 shots that came his way.

St. Lawrence went 2-for-5 on the man-advantage, while Niagara was not afforded a power play. The Saints also outshot the Purple Eagles 36-22.

With the non-conference games in the rearview mirror, the Skating Saints will start their stretch-run of 14 ECAC contests to end the season with a trip to Hanover, N.H. and Cambridge, Mass. to take on Dartmouth and Harvard. St. Lawrence will take on the Big Green on January 13 at 7:00 p.m., then the Crimson the following night at 7:00 p.m. as well.