Focus: Future

With the second half of the 2019 season just 7 days away, the Niagara University Purple Eagles look to make a strong second-semester push. With so much riding on this year’s NECHL playoff tournament, the coaching staff understands just how important it is to get back in the driver’s seat and take control of their own destiny. Head Coach Larry Brzeczkowski had this to say about the significance of selling out in 2019 …

“With the change in playoff structure this year, I think it makes the build-up a little bit more exciting. That being said, we need to bare down and focus on playing our game as we let 3 league games slip away from us, last semester. We need to come back sharp, focused and disciplined. We’ve communicated the same message to our guys all season long: If we play our game and elevate our compete level, there’s nobody we feel we can’t take on in the NECHL. This a really exciting year, from a rivalry perspective. There are so many programs that have come into their own over the last 3 years and you’re starting to see that any team can win on any given night.

Coach Brzeczkowski feels that a combination of league / non-league opponents will help spark his squad as they look to redeem themselves from what he refers to as a “disappointing conclusion to last year’s season.”

“We tried to be a little bit more strategic with our scheduling this year. URI is a great program run by the most winningest coach in ACHA History [Joe Augustine]. Forcing our players to come back ready to battle with a top 25 team in the country is something that [Associate Head Coach Tom Mooradian] and I felt that we needed to get back to work with, early in the semester. It’s going to be a dog-fight for the playoff championship in 2019 and we have to make sure our guys are up for the challenge. A lot can happen between now and February as we have 7 league games along with URI (twice), Syracuse, Duquesne, and JCU in just 8 weeks. Hopefully, we can rise to the occasion and use this schedule as an opportunity to qualify for playoffs, hone our strategy against quality opponents and set ourselves up for success in the near-future.”

The Purps return to the ice on January 1st for their first organized team skate since closing out the fall semester at the Villanova Showcase, earlier this month. With their sights set on redemption, they’ll certainly be looking to improve their record and come into the new year with a purpose.