Grand Rapids, Mich. — You need to have a short memory in the world of sports. If you dwell too long on the past (good or bad), you make it harder to move forward. That has been one of the defining themes from the AQ Men's Hockey coaching staff over the past several weeks. After an 0–11 start, the Saints have marched back near .500 thanks to a team-first mindset and a get-better-each-day mentality. Following a gritty victory at home the night before, the Saints knew they would have to be even sharper on the road if they wanted to extend their winning streak and continue their remarkable turnaround.

Aquinas 3, Western Michigan 2 OT (SO)

The opening period saw Aquinas withstand early Western Michigan pressure, with defensemen Logan Boettcher and Zachary Burns making key clears in front of goaltender Jean Berthaudin. The Saints nearly struck first on a transition rush from Alex Johnson, but the Broncos capitalized on a power play moments later to take a 1–0 lead. AQ answered with renewed energy in the second period, and the breakthrough came when Cooper Nienhuis finished a crisp passing sequence from Braylen Outwater and Nick Dashner to tie the game at 1–1. The momentum continued to tilt toward Aquinas as Gavin Rozema and Brody Traxler generated multiple scoring chances, forcing WMU back on its heels.

Early in the third, the Saints grabbed their first lead when freshman forward Ben Cesario buried a feed from Rozema and Burns, giving AQ a 2–1 advantage. Western Michigan responded less than a minute later to level the game at 2–2, but Aquinas refused to fold. Berthaudin delivered his sharpest stretch of the night, making several point-blank stops to keep the game tied as the intensity surged. In the final minutes, strong defensive shifts from Aiden Middendorf, Evan Doan, and Tyler Hilliker helped push the game into overtime.

The extra period featured end-to-end action, with both teams generating clean looks but neither able to find the decisive goal. Berthaudin made two highlight-reel stops late in OT to force a shootout, where the moment fell to veteran forward Alex Johnson. With the game on his stick, Johnson glided in with patience, froze WMU goaltender Gage Cercone, and buried the winning shot to seal the AQ victory—erupting the Saints bench and delivering their seventh straight win, the program's longest streak since 2019.

Inside the Numbers

     • Jean Berthaudin finished with 32 saves, anchoring the Saints through multiple high-pressure stretches.
     • Cooper Nienhuis and Ben Cesario both scored even-strength goals, with assists from Outwater, Dashner, Rozema, and Burns.
     • AQ special teams killed off five penalties in the second and third periods.
     • The OT/SO victory marks the first time since 2019 that AQ has recorded seven consecutive wins.

Coach's Comment

Following Saturday's exciting shootout winner, Head Coach Brandon Rozema discussed how this team continues to improve, and how they have been able to look past the challenges of the early season and continue to grow as a team:

"What you're seeing now is a group that believes in each other and shows up every day ready to work. Early in the year, we took our lumps, but the guys never splintered. They doubled down on the details, trusted the process, and now they're seeing the results. I'm proud of how far we've come, but even more excited about where we're headed."

Up Next

The Saints will have the Thanksgiving week off, allowing for some bumps and bruises to heal up before returning to action the first weekend of December. AQ will battle Cleary in a home-and-home with the Cougars. Be sure to check AQSaints.com throughout the break for full stats, notes, previews, and postgame recaps.