Grand Rapids, Mich. — The growth of the 2025–26 Aquinas Men's DI Hockey team continues to be evident, but the Saints are still searching for the final pieces that turn competitive performances into wins. In their second home-and-home series of the season against Hope, Aquinas showed long stretches of strong, disciplined hockey, but frequent trips to the penalty box proved costly, as the Dutch took full advantage of special-teams opportunities to sweep the weekend.

Friday at Hope

Hope 7, Aquinas 2

Friday night in Holland began as a tightly contested and physical game, with Aquinas matching Hope's intensity through the opening period. The Saints generated early offensive pressure, led by strong shifts from Xavier Erickson, Zachary Burns, and Gavin Rozema, but the game began to tilt as penalties mounted. Hope capitalized on those opportunities, scoring multiple times on the power play to seize momentum. Erickson briefly pulled Aquinas back into the game late in the second period, finishing an even-strength chance off a feed from Rozema. Despite continued effort, the Saints struggled to regain control as additional penalties extended Hope's zone time and scoring chances. Jean Berthaudin battled in goal while facing steady pressure, and the defensive group worked to limit damage, but Hope's depth eventually wore down Aquinas. Burns added a late goal in the third period, again assisted by Rozema, but by that point the outcome was largely decided as Hope pulled away for the 7–2 final.

Saturday at South Side Ice Arena

Hope 5, Aquinas 2

Saturday night at South Side Ice Arena saw Aquinas deliver one of its strongest starts of the season, jumping out to an early lead on an unassisted goal from Xavier Erickson late in the first period. Randon Striplin was sharp in net early, turning aside quality chances to keep the Saints in front. However, much like Friday, penalties began to shift the flow of the game, allowing Hope to take advantage on special teams during a pivotal second period. Brendan Bourne responded with a power-play goal, finishing a well-worked sequence set up by Gavin Rozema and Zachary Burns to keep Aquinas within reach. The Saints continued to compete physically, with contributions throughout the lineup, but repeated trips to the box limited their ability to establish sustained five-on-five pressure. A Hope goal early in the third period created separation, and despite continued pushback and solid goaltending from Striplin, Aquinas could not close the gap as Hope sealed the 5–2 decision.

Inside the Numbers (Both Games)

     • Aquinas went 2-for-9 on the power play across the two games.
     • Hope converted multiple times on the man advantage, directly impacting momentum.
     • Xavier Erickson scored goals in both games to lead the Saints offensively.
     • Gavin Rozema totaled three assists over the weekend.
     • Aquinas goalies combined for over 100 saves despite extended defensive-zone pressure.

Coach's Comments

"Effort and competitiveness aren't the issue — our guys battle every shift," said Head Coach Brandon Rozema. "But we have to stay out of the penalty box and make teams earn their chances at five-on-five. When we clean up those details and play more disciplined hockey, we'll start flipping these results."

Up Next

The Saints return to action this Friday as they begin a home-and-home series with Rochester Christian. Friday's match-up will be played at South Side Ice Arena, with Saturday's game set for February 7 in Rochester Hills, Mich. Friday night will be streamed live on the AQSaints YouTube Network, with Joey Sutherlin on the call. Stay tuned to AQSaints.com for full coverage, stats, and postgame recaps.