LOCKPORT — It looked like Niagara Wheatfield boys hockey might end with another tie. Then Anthony Delisanti came through in crunch time.

The Valparaiso University golf commit has been hot on the ice in his senior year, and his game-winning goal with 2:10 to play lifted the Falcons to a 3-2 win over Iroquois/Alden on Wednesday at Cornerstone CFCU Arena.

"It was a great forecheck by Kev (Doyle). He actually just said he was thinking about going to change," said Delisanti, who leads NW with eight goals scored this season. "But he kept his feet moving and he did all the work. I just had to finish it."

The Falcons (5-1-1, 4-1 D-3) were pitted in a battle with one of the top teams in Division 4, and the Chiefs (7-3, 6-2 D-4) posed a challenge all evening. NW went up early, as freshman Robert Wegrzyn scored on a filthy breakaway goal at the 10:29 mark in the first period.

The Falcons built a 2-0 lead from there, as Ryan Devald celebrated his 17th birthday in style, scoring off of assists from Doyle and Noah Conte.

But I/A responded seemingly in no time. Less than a minute later, Quinn Stoltman took a feed from Ty Moran and Sam Staerker to cut the' deficit in half. Then to knot things at two, Moran would send another helper, as he and Jordan Stec combined to set up Mitchell Carlson's goal just 19 seconds after Stoltman's.

The second period was a defensive battle, as both teams were held scoreless. It was a great display from both goalies, with NW's Joshua Gleason (24 total saves) and I/A's Derek Hirsch (33 total saves) stopping a bevy of shots.

That carried over into the third, as both goaltenders combined without allowing a goal for roughly 20 straight minutes of action prior to Delisanti's winning score.

For Delisanti, he knows how lucky his team is to even have a chance at playing this season. Look no further than NW's squad to see how quickly things can be taken away, as the Falcons missed two weeks on a COVID pause.

NW head coach Rick Wrazin has not had a problem with the Falcons' effort all season; it's just been more about getting into the team's system with the limited offseason and rapid pace of the schedule.

"These guys have been working hard all year and today, obviously, they had to because they knew who we were playing," Wrazin said. "It was a great team win and a great effort."

Wrazin tipped his cap to the 2021 season Delisanti has put together, calling him a leader of the team. He noted how well the senior's line handled the puck on the possession of his game-winner.

The Falcons head man also credited his freshman sensation Wegrzyn, saying how his score was a "skilled goal" and "pretty to watch."

"We have guys that can do that when they need to, and he's not a guy that tries to do it when he shouldn't," Wrazin said. "That was the perfect situation and he made the most of it."

Wegrzyn was thinking he'd just chip it in on his solo score, but with the I/A defender overcommitting, he made Hirsch look silly with a one-two-three deke to notch his sixth goal of the season. After tying for for second on the team with six goals and 10 points, the freshman reflected on what's allowed him to contribute so well to the team's success.

"Definitely the team. They really are welcoming ... all the upperclassmen, they're really just welcoming," said Wegrzyn, Section VI's point total leader amongst freshmen. "They really made it comfortable. ... I wasn't scared of anybody, you know usually there's that. But they're really good guys. They welcomed me to the team really good."

Being new to D-3, Wrazin was excited to get a tune-up game like this in, especially against a squad his team may see down the line. With three more regular season games to play against D-3 opponents, Wrazin believes a win like Wednesday's will be helpful once the Falcons get geared up for the postseason.

"It's nice to get a look at the other side a little bit, it's nice to see what we're gonna see in the playoffs," Wrazin said. " ... It's good to see the teams on the other side and that's a good hockey team we just played, so it's nice to get a look at them and know what to expect going in."

NW returns to the ice 5:30 p.m. Friday for a local battle against Lockport/Niagara Falls at Cornerstone CFCU Arena.