Dearborn, Mich. – The Saints played a 2023 WHAC quarterfinals rematch against Concordia this afternoon (Feb. 16) to kick off the 2024 men's hockey conference tournament. AQ swept the Cardinals in the regular season, winning all four matchups, and were the favorites in this game as the No. 4-seed. However, a three-goal third period from the No. 5-seed Cardinals pushed CUAA past Aquinas to advance to the semifinals for a date with top-ranked Indiana Tech.
For the second consecutive season, CUAA knocked Aquinas out in the opening round of the tournament.
Concordia 4, Aquinas 1
The game started fast-paced with both teams earning power play opportunities in the first period. The Saints had an early man-up advantage just two minutes into the game, but strong defense from CUAA kept Aquinas out of the net.
Momentum shifted a bit in the favor of Concordia, as the Cardinals were able to play a man up for nearly four consecutive minutes halfway through the first.
Michael Allman was tough in net, driving away a couple of shots to keep the score level.
The stalemate didn't break until 47 seconds into the second period when Kyle Hebner beat Allman to give CUAA an early advantage. However, just 19 seconds later,
Nicola Vogel netted his 12th goal of the season to tie up the contest.
Kirwin Johnson provided the helper on the goal.
Despite the score remaining tied at one, Aquinas had numerous opportunities in the second period. AQ put a shot off the post halfway through the period and then had a goal called off due to an offsides call.
Brandon Rozema nearly scored a goal to take the lead with a breakaway opportunity, but a strong save from Zach Janis kept the game level. Both teams entered the final intermission with the score still 1-1.
Concordia broke the tie in the third period after some Saints penalty trouble. With a man advantage, Zane Rydel beat Allman to give Concordia a 2-1 lead with about 13 minutes left to go. The underdogs then extended its lead to two with just over nine minutes to play.
Despite a handful of good looks, Aquinas wasn't able to find the back of the new and the Cardinals solidified their win with an empty net goal near the end of regulation.
By the Numbers
Concordia outshot AQ 42-31 today with more shots on target in all three periods. Allman played well in net, ending the day with 39 saves and a .929 save percentage.
The Cardinals also won a majority of the faceoffs throughout the game, leading 40-21 in that category.
Up Next
The Saints turn their attention to the 2024-25 season following this result. The Aquinas men's hockey landscape will look different next season as the Saints graduate several long-time starters out of the program.
