The Niagara Falls PowerHawks continued their dominance over the Roc City Royals this weekend as they followed up Saturday’s 8-1 victory with a 9-0 win Sunday afternoon at the Hyde Park Ice Arena. The lone game for the PowerHawks next weekend will be an away game against the Royals Saturday evening at 8:30pm.
Niagara Falls started early in the first period with a goal by Nathan Walerowicz only 51 seconds into the game. Evan Korpolinksi and Frankie Bodami provided the assists. The PowerHawks extended the lead at 9:23 off the stick of Matthew Minichiello, the first of his three goals on the day. The goal was unassisted.
Matthew Minichiello scored a second time to push the PowerHawk lead to 3-0 with a shorthanded marker at 12:52. His brother, Stephen, and Brandon Schweickert were credited with the assists. Andrew Logar made it 4-0 for Niagara Falls with 18 seconds left in the first period. Brandon Snyder and Stephen Minichiello assisted.
Stephen Minichiello scored the lone goal in the second period for the PowerHawks. Coming at 14:12, it extended the home team lead to 5-0. Schweickert provided the assist on the goal.
Niagara Falls struck for four more goals in the third period. Andrew Logar tallied his second of the contest at 4:16. Schweickert recorded his third assist of the game on Logar’s goal with Michael Olszewski on the secondary assist. Schweickert got a goal of his own at 7:17, unassisted.
Matthew Minichiello completed the hat trick with his third goal at 17:52. Logar and Walerowicz assisted. Brother, Stephen Minichiello, closed out the scoring for the PowerHawks with 57 seconds left in the game. Logar and Bodami assisted.
Kris Augustine, in his second start in as many days for the PowerHawks, was not tested much in his shutout bid. He turned away all 13 shots that he faced. For the Royals, Josh Martinez turned away 58 of 67 shots. Niagara Falls continued to show strength on the power play with two more goals with the extra man. At the start of Sunday’s game, the PowerHawks’ power play was ranked 5th in the NA3HL.
The next home games for the PowerHawks will be a trio of games October 13-15. On Friday the 13th, they will host the Southern Tier Xpress. Saturday and Sunday they will face off against the Oswego Stampede. All home games can be heard LIVE on niagaraswatercooler.com