The Niagara Purple Eagles defeated the Binghamton Bearcats, 5-1, to open pool play.
Niagara, courtesy of Sean Walsh, opened the scoring less than five minutes into the first period to take an early lead. At 7:31, Brett Strick netted another goal to double the Purple Eagles’ lead heading into the middle frame.
The lone goal of the second period came off the stick of Matthew Usinski, who got the Bearcats on the board just 5:10 into the frame. Alas, Usinski’s tally would be Binghamton’s only goal of the contest.
Niagara collected three more goals in the third period — two on the power play — to ensure its win: one from Derwin Hauser, one from Angelo Donzella, and one from Jacob Przystal.
Niagara will play Sacred Heart at 11 a.m. tomorrow for its second pool-play matchup, while Binghamton will face Georgia at 8:15 p.m.
Niagara 5
Binghamton 1
The Georgia Ice Dawgs opened their pool play slate with a bang, shutting out the Sacred Heart Pioneers 5-0.
Neither team found the back of the net in the first period, but Georgia’s Evan Parente opened the scoring — in what would ultimately be a four-goal period for the Ice Dawgs — just 20 seconds into the second, with help from Declan Conway and Lleyton Poole. Conway collected two goals of his own to follow: one just over a minute later and the other while on the power play at 13:32. Brandon Ng netted the Ice Dawgs’ fourth and final goal of the second period with 7:21 on the clock.
In the third, Georgia’s Zachary Noll punctuated his team’s 5-0 win with 14 seconds remaining. Isaac Haugen stoned 20/20 shots from the Pioneers for the shutout.
Sacred Heart will look to bounce back against Niagara at 11 a.m. tomorrow, while Georgia hopes to remain undefeated in pool play against Binghamton in its second game at 8:15 p.m.
Georgia 5
Sacred Heart 0
– Kelly Kaelblein, AAU Hockey Reporter
Fairfield and St. Bonaventure took to the ice in an early morning matchup, with both squads looking to win early in their pool. The Bonnies got off to a hot start, scoring the first goal with Carson Schlager finding the back of the net on a 2-on-1. Aidan Blake battled back, tying the game at one, taking advantage of a neutral zone turnover shorthanded. Tyler Kelley took the puck away in the Stag’s zone, immediately finding the back of the net, giving the Bonnies a 2-1 lead at the end of the first period.
Both sides adjusted defensively. The second period was scoreless for the first 16 minutes before the Bonnies scored as Michael Clouden fired a one-timer pass to Eric Dillner. The Stags could not find the net in the second period, and they had a two-goal deficit heading into the final period.
Fairfield University was down but not out, as they roared back in the third period. Christopher Cummings started the scoring for the Stags with an excellent pass from Aidan Barzel. The powerplay found life late in the game for Fairfield as Chase Mckenna and Aidan Brazel found the back of the net, capping off a three-goal period and securing the 4-3 win late.
Fairfield 4
St. Bonaventure 3
That wasn’t all the action as the tournament’s second seed, the University of Tampa, battled 15th seed Auburn University in one of the final games of the day. Both teams opened up the game with a defensive first period. Auburn University got the scoring started as Alex Duchemin fired one home off an excellent cross-ice pass from Callen Daily.
Unfortunately for Auburn, penalty trouble allowed the Spartans to return the favor with a 5-on-3 powerplay goal. Both teams would head into the third period, tied at two. The teams would battle back and forth, but Tampa broke the tie with four minutes left in regulation to avoid the upset with a 2-1 win.
Tampa 2
Auburn 1
Auburn University faces off against St. Bonaventure University at 11:15 a.m., and Fairfield University clashes with the University of Tampa at 8 p.m. to close out the second day of AAU Nationals.
– Gavin Coker, AAU Hockey Reporter
The Farmingdale State University Rams kicked off their nationals run with a crushing 6-1 victory over the University of Delaware Blue Hens.
The first period started relatively uneventful on the scoring side, with just one goal from Farmingdale’s Thomas Iversi. However, the opposite was true regarding penalties, with six penalties between both teams.
The Rams began asserting dominance in the second with an early goal from leading scorer Thomas Konkowski. Delaware answered with its only goal of the game, scored by Henry Long. The period was closed with Tim Duffy and Joseph Lachase scoring two Rams goals.
The third period began with a 4-1 score. Farmingdale continued to shut out Delaware for the remainder of the game. Lachase scored his second goal the day before Luciano Signoretti brought the final score to 6-1.
Farmingdale State 5
Delaware 1
The reigning national champions came out strong for their first appearance of the 2025 AAU National Tournament.
Sevario Marcella opened the period with a Carolina goal, which went unanswered for the remainder. The only penalty of the period was a 2 min roughing call on Alabama.
It was another low-scoring period, with just one goal from each team (Colin Reid, USC and Brendan Riley, Alabama). The score remained 2-1 for the remainder of the game.
While there were no scores in the third, it was quiet in the penalty box. A total of 29 minutes was spent in the box between the Frozen Tide and the Gamecocks. Both teams earned themselves a 5-minute major for fighting with two seconds left on the clock.
South Carolina 2
Alabama 1
– Caroline Delaney, AAU Hockey Reporter
The AAU Hockey Nationals kicked off dramatically on Wednesday with two exciting matchups that showcased both dominant performances and upsets. The Buffalo Bulls wasted no time asserting dominance, cruising to a 4-0 victory over the Quinnipiac Brave. From the opening faceoff, the Bulls exhibited a relentless offensive attack by scoring three goals in the first period, keeping the Brave on their heels throughout the game.
The Bulls’ defense was equally impressive, stifling any attempts from the Braves to gain momentum. The Bulls kept their defensive rhythm and added one more goal in the third period to ultimately claim a shutout win.
Buffalo 4
Quinnipiac 0
In the afternoon, the Florida Gators pulled off one of the day’s biggest surprises, upsetting the Tennessee Volunteers 6-4 in a thrilling contest. The game was in the Volunteers’ favor for the first period, as they finished the period up 3-0 and looking poised for a victory early on. However, the Gators refused to back down as they cut into the lead and made it a one-goal game by the end of the second period, 3-2. In the third period, the Gators’ power play was on point, as they capitalized on critical opportunities to take the lead and ultimately beat the Volunteers 6-4.
Both games on Day One of the AAU Hockey Nationals demonstrated the intensity and unpredictability of the tournament. The Bulls are now looking to carry their dominance into Thursday. Meanwhile, the Gators’ upset comeback over the Volunteers has injected new energy into the competition, signaling that anything can happen at this year’s nationals.
Florida 6
Tennessee 4
– Jyesha Nance, AAU Hockey Reporter
