Grand Rapids, Mich. – The first half of the Aquinas DI Men's Hockey season has been defined by growth through adversity. As the Saints continue to develop chemistry and identity, the journey has included its share of speed bumps. AQ opened the year with an 11-game skid, responded with an eight-game winning streak, and then dropped four straight, including the opening two contests of 2026.

With consistency as the message in practice all week, Head Coach Brandon Rozema challenged his group to execute with purpose, bring relentless effort, and elevate their play every time they hit the ice. That challenge neatly captured the spirit and performance of the Saints over the weekend in their home-and-home series with UM-Dearborn.

UM-Dearborn 4, Aquinas 1

(Friday, January 9 – Wyandotte, Mich.)

Friday night saw Aquinas strike first, but UM-Dearborn controlled the tempo as the game wore on. The Saints opened the scoring midway through the first period when Brendan Bourne buried an even-strength goal off assists from Easton Pratt and Gavin Rozema, giving AQ an early 1–0 advantage.

The lead was short-lived, as the Wolverines answered less than a minute later to even the contest. UM-Dearborn added two goals in the second period — including a power-play tally — to seize momentum and a 3–1 lead.

Despite steady offensive-zone pressure from Ben Cesario, Xavier Erickson, and Cooper Nienhuis, the Saints were unable to find the equalizer. UM-Dearborn tacked on an insurance goal late in the third period to seal the 4–1 decision.

Goaltender Simon Johnson made 33 saves in a strong effort between the pipes, while AQ blocked shots and competed physically throughout, refusing to let the contest unravel despite the scoreboard.

Aquinas 6, UM-Dearborn 4

(Saturday, January 10 – Byron Center, Mich.)

Saturday night was a completely different story, as Aquinas delivered its most resilient performance of the season in front of the home crowd. After falling behind 2–0 early in the opening period, the Saints responded with an even-strength goal from Xavier Erickson, assisted by Braylen Outwater, to cut the deficit in half.

UM-Dearborn pushed the lead to 3–1 early in the second period, but AQ flipped the momentum with relentless pressure and disciplined special-teams play. Cooper Nienhuis scored a short-handed goal to spark the comeback, and moments later Erickson struck again to tie the game at 3–3.

After the Wolverines briefly regained the lead at 4–3, the Saints answered emphatically. Ben Cesario netted two power-play goals just 59 seconds apart — both set up by Gavin Rozema and Easton Pratt — to give Aquinas its first lead of the night at 5–4.

AQ wasted no time extending the advantage in the third period, as Gavin Rozema scored just 11 seconds in, off a feed from Brendan Bourne, putting the finishing touches on a 6–4 victory. Goaltender Jean Berthaudin turned aside 42 shots in a gritty, composed performance as the Saints locked down defensively the rest of the way.

Inside the Numbers (Combined Two Games)

     • Aquinas scored seven goals across the weekend, including five unanswered goals during Saturday's comeback
     • AQ special teams went 2-for-2 on the power play Saturday and a perfect 100 percent on the penalty kill
     • Xavier Erickson led the Saints with three goals over the two games
     • Ben Cesario recorded two power-play goals in Saturday's win
     • Goaltenders Simon Johnson and Jean Berthaudin combined for 75 saves
     • With Saturday's win, AQ matched its win total from the 2024-25 season

Coach's Comments

After Saturday's win, Head Coach Brandon Rozema reflected on the two-game series:

"Resilient — that's the word that comes to mind when I think about today. After Friday's 4–1 loss, I challenged our team during the pregame meeting to play harder, tougher, and to do whatever it took to get the job done. Being down 3–1 and battling back shows there's no quit in this group. We could have folded and packed it in, but the fellas didn't let that happen.

What a group we have. It's special for me to be able to coach these guys. Our special teams were huge tonight — two power-play goals from Cesario, and the penalty kill was a perfect 100 percent.

We're also sending positive thoughts to Alex Johnson and Nick Dashner, who were injured tonight. We're hoping for a speedy recovery for both. They're both alternate captains for us and mean a great deal to this team."

Up Next

The Aquinas DI Men will be part of an AQ Hockey doubleheader on Friday, January 16, opening another WHAC home-and-home series against Lawrence Tech. Aquinas will host the Blue Devils on Friday night before the series shifts to Southfield, Mich., on Saturday, January 17, with puck drop scheduled for 9:00 p.m.

Friday night's DI Men's game will follow the AQ Women's contest versus Wyoming.
Visit AQSaints.com for streaming information, live stats, and complete post-game coverage.