FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The Aquinas Saints were on the verge of a hard-fought playoff victory, but a furious third-period comeback by Cleary forced overtime, where the Cougars sealed a 4-3 win to end AQ's season in dramatic fashion.

The Saints led 3-0 early in the third period, but Cleary mounted a late rally, scoring three goals in the final nine minutes—two on the power play—to force overtime. Collin Kerchoff then netted the game-winner at 3:42 of sudden death, completing a stunning comeback and bringing the Saints' season to a close.

Cleary 4, Aquinas 3 (OT)

For the first two periods, Aquinas controlled the game, outshooting Cleary 35-27 and taking a 2-0 lead into the third.

• First Period: Chase DiTullio opened the scoring at 9:55, finishing a setup from Christian Look to put AQ ahead 1-0.
• Second Period: Zach Burns extended the lead to 2-0 at 2:25, capitalizing on a pass from Xavier Erickson.
• Third Period: Nick Dashner struck just 2:49 into the final frame, pushing the Saints' lead to 3-0 and putting them in what seemed like complete control.

However, Cleary turned the tide late, with three goals in the final nine minutes to erase the deficit:

• Brett Woolcott (11:18, PP goal) cut the lead to 3-1.
• Collin Kerchoff (12:14) struck just 56 seconds later to make it a one-goal game.
• Dylan Tammadge (17:40, PP goal) delivered the equalizer, forcing sudden-death overtime.

In OT, Cleary completed the comeback when Kerchoff buried the game-winner at 3:42, dashing AQ's hopes of advancing.

Coach Rozema reflects on the Season

Despite the disappointment of the loss, Head Coach Brandon Rozema remains optimistic about the program's future, "The future of Aquinas hockey is so bright. We battled and competed hard. The players leaving us have laid a great foundation to build off of, and our large group of returning players will be relied on heavily next season. We brought in 16 new players this year, and they worked hard in both practice and games. We needed to experience this—an overtime playoff game that could have gone either way. The pain of losing like this will be motivating for our group heading into the offseason."

By the Numbers

• Power Plays: Aquinas 0-for-4, Cleary 2-for-4
• Shots on Goal: Aquinas 41, Cleary 47
• Saves: Randon Striplin: 43 saves on 47 shots
• Penalty Minutes: Aquinas 8, Cleary 22
• AQ Goal Scorers: Chase DiTullio, Zach Burns, & Nick Dashner

Looking Ahead

The loss marks the end of the 2024-25 season for AQ Men's Hockey, but Coach Rozema and his staff are already preparing for an exciting year ahead. The strong core of returning players and the lessons learned from this hard-fought playoff battle will fuel the team as they look to take the next step.

A huge thank you to all fans, families, and supporters for standing behind the Saints this season.