Grand Rapids, MI — Early in the season, growing pains are inevitable. Coaches shuffle lines to find the right chemistry, players work to build stronger legs, and everyone adapts to a new rhythm and system. For Coach Brandon Rozema and his DI Aquinas Saints men's hockey team, the formula for success is clear: keep your head up, compete from the opening face-off to the final horn, and trust that the wins will come. For now, the focus remains on steady improvement with every shift.

GVSU 4, Aquinas 1

The Saints struck first, giving the traveling fans an early reason to cheer. Midway through the opening period, Ben Cesario buried his first goal of the season, set up by smart puck movement from Easton Pratt and Alex Johnson. The 1–0 advantage held through the first 20 minutes thanks to strong defensive work and several key stops by goaltender Jean Berthaudin.

In the second and third periods, however, Grand Valley's pressure mounted, and the Lakers capitalized with four unanswered goals. Still, Aquinas showed flashes of the skill and compete level that Rozema has been preaching. Johnson and Pratt each finished with an assist, while Berthaudin turned aside 40 shots in net to keep his team within striking distance. The Saints also saw grit from players like Gavin Rozema, Justin Lagrow, Zachary Burns, Nick Dashner, Alex Johnson, and Braylen Outwater, all of whom logged penalty-kill minutes against GVSU's power play.

Inside the Numbers (Weekend)

• Ben Cesario scored his first goal of the season, assisted by Easton Pratt and Alex Johnson.
• Goaltender Jean Berthaudin made 40 saves.
• Aquinas blocked several key shots and killed off multiple penalties, battling through 14 penalty minutes.
• The Saints are still searching for their first win but continue to improve shift by shift.

Coaches' Comments

Head Coach Brandon Rozema reflected on the performance:
"We saw some positive signs tonight, especially with the way we started the game and the energy our guys brought early. There are still areas where we need to be better — our discipline and special teams play, in particular. But I'm confident this group will keep improving, and I believe we'll be sharper when we hit the ice again tomorrow.  Jean Berthaudin was great for us tonight. Gave us a chance to win. We blew a 1-0 lead. Penalty kill is overworked but went 7 for 8 tonight."

Up Next

The Saints will conclude the home-and-home with GVSU when they host the Lakers Saturday night at 7:30 PM inside Southside Ice Arena. Joey Sutherlin will be on the call for the AQ Saints YouTube Network. Fans are also encouraged to stay connected with live stats, scores, and updates at aqsaints.com.