Erie Hockey Headed to UNYHL Playoffs

Erie Hockey punched its ticket to the Upstate New York Hockey League (UNYHL) playoffs Monday night, edging SUNY Niagara 5–4 in a winner-advance showdown.

The victory served as redemption for the Kats, who had a chance to clinch a postseason berth when the teams met on January 29 but came up short in a 7–6 loss. This time, Erie finished the job in a back-and-forth battle.

Niagara grabbed a 2–1 lead after the first period, but Erie responded in the second. The Kats rallied to take a 3–2 advantage before Niagara scored at the buzzer to send the teams into the final period tied 3–3.

Erie regained control early in the third period when Max Dobucki scored a power-play goal to give the Kats a 4–3 lead. Later in the period, Adam Catlin found the back of the net at the 12:40 mark to extend the advantage to 5–3, a goal that proved to be the game-winner. Niagara continued to pressure and added a shorthanded goal with 9:54 remaining, but Erie held firm defensively to secure the 5–4 victory.

With the win, the Kats advance to the UNYHL playoffs and will host Hobart in the first round this coming weekend.