Byron Center, Mich. -- Now that is a response! After two tough games against Hope to open the season, the Aquinas men's Division I hockey team reclaimed its swagger with a weekend that belonged to the Maroon and White. The Saints poured in 24 goals, posted consecutive shutouts and swept Oakland in a home-and-home series that showcased the strides head coach Brandon Rozema's group is making. From Friday's opening burst in Rochester to Saturday's commanding performance at Southside Ice Arena, AQ brought the scoring, the defensive support and plenty of reasons to be excited about what comes next.
Aquinas 13, Oakland 0 Â (Friday in Rochester, MI)
The Saints wasted little time setting the tone Friday, with Zachary Burns scoring an unassisted goal just 2:44 into the contest. Ben Cesario doubled the advantage at 15:45 remaining off an assist from Brendan Bourne. Gavin Rozema followed at 13:44, converting a feed from Luke McNabnay to make it 3–0. Three different scorers had already put their stamp on a game Aquinas was quickly taking over.
Evan Doan joined the scoring at 8:05 remaining, with Austin Waalkes supplying the assist. Bourne capped the five-goal opening period with just 28 seconds left, assisted by Cesario and Owen Gohm. The Saints headed into the first intermission with a 5–0 lead and their offense rolling. Behind that fast start, Simon Johnson kept Oakland off the scoreboard on his way to a 14-save shutout.
Zachary Burns added his second unassisted goal with 8:40 remaining in the second period. AQ carried a 6–0 advantage into the third, then found another gear entirely. Parker Burns scored just 55 seconds into the final frame, assisted by Gavin Rozema and Arseniy Malyutin. Only 29 seconds later, Gavin Rozema added his second goal off a feed from Zachary Burns.
Parker Burns struck again at 15:57 remaining, with Chase DiTullio and Gavin Rozema collecting assists. Cesario followed with his second goal, set up by Gohm and Bourne. Parker Burns completed his hat trick at 12:31 remaining, with Gavin Rozema earning his third assist of the night. Doan then scored off assists from Braylen Outwater and Waalkes before completing his own hat trick with an unassisted shorthanded goal in the final minute.
The seven-goal third period put an emphatic finish on Aquinas' first victory of the season. Doan and Parker Burns led the scoring with three goals apiece, while Gavin Rozema finished with two goals and three assists. Cesario and Zachary Burns each scored twice, and Bourne contributed a goal and two assists to an attack that generated 91 shots on goal. With Johnson securing the shutout and contributions coming throughout the lineup, the Saints headed home with momentum to match their offensive firepower.
Aquinas 11, Oakland 0 (Saturday in Byron Center, MI)
Back at Southside Ice Arena, the Saints picked up right where they left off. Outwater opened the scoring with 16:23 remaining in the first period, assisted by Doan. Waalkes made it 2–0 at 8:02, with Doan and Outwater supplying the helpers. Parker Burns added a power-play goal off a feed from Zachary Burns to give AQ a 3–0 lead at the first intermission.
The Saints needed just 25 seconds of the second period to strike again. Outwater scored his second goal, with Waalkes and Tyler Hilliker collecting assists. Parker Burns followed with a power-play finish at 15:36 remaining, assisted by Gavin Rozema and Zachary Burns. He completed his second hat trick of the weekend with another power-play goal at 14:01, again set up by Gavin Rozema.
Aquinas had turned its opportunities with the extra skater into three goals and a commanding 6–0 lead. Cesario kept the offense moving with a goal at 5:52 remaining off an assist from Gohm. Just 49 seconds later, Outwater completed his hat trick, with Waalkes and Logan Boettcher supplying the assists. Cesario added his second goal of the night at 2:02, again connecting with Gohm.
The six-goal second period sent the Saints into the final intermission ahead 9–0. Parker Burns added his fourth goal of the evening with 14:10 remaining in the third, assisted by Gavin Rozema. Gohm completed the scoring at 2:54, with Cesario and Boettcher collecting the helpers. Liam Donnelly handled all 11 Oakland shots to earn the shutout and complete a weekend in which neither AQ goaltender allowed a goal.
Parker Burns finished the series with seven goals, giving the Saints a major offensive spark in both victories. Outwater's three goals and one assist Saturday highlighted another productive night for an offense that received three-point contributions from Waalkes, Cesario, Gohm and Gavin Rozema. Aquinas finished the home contest with a 75–11 advantage in shots on goal. Two wins, two shutouts and a return to .500 gave the Maroon and White exactly the response it wanted after opening weekend.
Following the sweep, Aquinas stands at 2–2 overall, while Oakland is 2–4.
Saints Snapshots
- Swagger Restored: The Saints answered a difficult opening weekend with two commanding victories, bringing confidence and momentum back to the Maroon and White.
- Parker Burns Leads the Charge: A hat trick Friday and four goals Saturday made Burns a driving force in an Aquinas offense that kept coming.
- Two Creases, One Standard: Johnson and Donnelly each delivered a shutout, supported by an AQ group that limited Oakland to 25 shots across the series.
- An Attack With Plenty of Answers: Four hat tricks across two games showcased the Saints' scoring depth, with Doan, Parker Burns and Outwater all delivering big performances.
- Even Record, Eyes on the Climb: Rozema's squad heads into its next challenge with renewed belief and a weekend that demonstrated the team's growing potential.
Coach's Comments
Head coach Brandon Rozema welcomed the two victories as an important step for his group, while keeping the focus on carrying that momentum into another challenging series.
"It was great to get two wins under our belt and get back to .500," Rozema said. "Now we want to keep climbing. Saginaw Valley will be a tough test for our group, and we're looking forward to that challenge. We want to build on this weekend, carry that confidence into the next series and put ourselves in position to bring home two more wins."
Up Next
Aquinas faces Saginaw Valley in a home-and-home series next weekend, beginning Friday, Oct. 9, at 8 p.m. at Southside Ice Arena in Byron Center. The men's contest will be the second game of an AQ hockey doubleheader, following the women's 5 p.m. matchup against Saginaw Valley.
Friday's game will be streamed on the AQSaints YouTube Network, with Joey Sutherlin on the call.
Visit AQSaints.com for complete coverage of Aquinas men's hockey and all other Saints sports.
It's a great day to be a Saint.
Â
