(Canton, N.Y.)- Senior forward Rob Liggio (Canton, N.Y.) scored an unassisted goal with 2:17 left in overtime lifting the SUNY Canton men's ice hockey team past Niagara University 3-2 Friday night in Canton.

The Roos improved to 6-2 in the Eastern Collegiate Hockey League and 23-2-3 overall and inched closer to earning the second seed and a first-round bye in the league tournament at the end of the month in Canton.  Niagara's loss also allowed Mercyhurst University to clinch the regular season ECHL championship and an automatic berth in the ACHA national tournament.

The final outcome came right down to the wire as the Roos scored with just seconds left in regulation to force an extra session.  Trailing 2-1 with 1:06 on the clock, the Roos called timeout and pulled freshman goalie Morgan Barr (Almonte, Ontario) for an extra skater.  Freshman Thomas Freeman (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) had the first good chance to tie the game with 32 seconds left but his breakaway shot went right into the stomach of Niagara goalie Dane Wakefield.  The Roos kept pressuring with Barr still on the bench and then freshman defenseman J.R. Lafferty (Williamstown, N.J.) capitalized on a failed clear attempt by Niagara, gathered in a loose puck with the clock winding down and from the slot flicked a shot past Wakefield with 2.3 seconds left setting off a wild celebration by the large crowd on hand.  Junior forward Corey Frizell (Orleans, Ontario) and senior forward Dan Cibelli (Liverpool, N.Y.) assisted on the goal.

The Roos, who outshot Niagara 53-23, kept up the offensive pressure in the five-minute overtime and midway through Liggio pounced on a loose puck in the neutral zone, skated down the left wing and as he got past one defender, tucked a tough angle shot past Wakefield setting off another frenzied celebration by the Roos and their fans.

“I was proud of the way we continued to work hard tonight and kept driving the net and it paid off for us in the end,” said head coach Eric McCambly.  “Niagara is a great team and they always play us tough.”

Friday night's game was a fast-paced and clean contest as there were only four total penalties called, two on each team.  There were no penalties through the first 20 minutes and very few whistles as the stanza ended in a 0-0 draw. 

The Roos outshot the Purple Eagles 10-8 through the first 20 minutes but came out firing in the second period generating six shots in the first two minutes.  Wakefield, who finished with 50 saves, continued to stymy the Roos until senior forward Darren Camp (Canton, N.Y.) put one past him midway through the period.  At the 9:26 mark, Camp took two strides inside the blue line and blasted a rocket past the Purple Eagles goalie for a 1-0 lead.  Frizell and freshman forward Dave Schneider (Indianpolis, Ind.) picked up assists on the goal.

Niagara tied the game just 1:53 into the final period off a goal from Anthony Russell and then took their first lead of the night when Trevor Kenny scored at the 9:19 mark.

Barr stopped 21 of 23 shots for his team-leading 11th win of his rookie campaign improving to 11-1-2.

The two teams will square off again on Saturday starting at 1:30.