Byron Center, Mich. — The Aquinas College men's hockey team staged a thrilling comeback to secure a 4-3 overtime victory over Cleary in tonight's (Jan. 25) match-up. The Saints netted three goals in the third period to force overtime before sealing the win.

Aquinas 4, Cleary 3

The Cougars took control early, opening the scoring at 14:43 in the first period and added another goal five minutes before the intermission to build a 2-0 lead. Both teams showcased strong defensive efforts in the second period, keeping the scoreboard unchanged.

The third period marked the turning point for the Saints as Matt Denhartigh broke the scoring drought with a goal assisted by Brody Traxler, cutting the deficit to one. Just five minutes later, Alex Johnson leveled the game 2-2, thanks to a setup from Gavin Rozema and Christian Look. However, Cleary quickly responded with a goal of their own to regain the lead.

Refusing to back down, Aquinas found their equalizer with just 2:52 remaining in regulation as Zachary Burns buried a clutch goal, assisted by Denhartigh, to force overtime at 3-3.

The Saints capitalized quickly in overtime, with Brendan Bourne scoring the game-winning goal just 42 seconds in, assisted by Rozema, his second assist of the night.

By the Numbers:

• Randon Striplin: 42 saves on 45 shots, save percentage of .933

• Shots on goal: Aquinas 49, Cleary 45

• Rozema led in assists claiming two

Up Next:

The Saints will look to build off this win as they prepare for another home game to take on Rochester Christian January 31st at 7:40 p.m.