Five-goal first powers Men's Hockey to third straight win

MEQUON, Wis. – A five-goal outburst in the first period was all the Concordia University Wisconsin Men's Hockey team would need as it rolled to a 6-2 NCHA win over Aurora Friday night. The Falcons were scoring early and often in the first en route to the teams third straight win and fifth win in its last six games.

THE BASICS
- Final Score: Concordia Wisconsin 6, Aurora 2
- Location: Fox Valley Ice Arena – Geneva, Ill.
- Records: Concordia Wisconsin 7-3-1, 4-1-2 NCHA; Aurora 1-7-1, 1-3-1 NCHA

HOW IT HAPPENED

- The Falcons scored three times within the first 7:29 of play to build a comfortable lead early. Starting the scoring for CUW was freshman Connor Hogg (London, Ontario). Hogg's goal was assisted by freshman Stefen Seel and sophomore Braden Crone, the Falcons most productive line to date this season.

- Sophomore Jared Pilet (Seattle, Wash.) made the score 2-0 with one of the Falcons two first-period power play goals. Freshmen Adam Fauchoux (Prince Albert, Saskatchewan) and Taylor Gauld (Whitby, Ontario) assisted on the play.

- Just 20 seconds later it was Seel (Invermere, British Columbia) making the score 3-0 with the first of his two opening period scores. Hogg and Crone (Metiskow, Alberta) assisted on the play. Seel would add a second goal with 17 seconds left in the first, making the score 5-0. Junior David Haaf (Medicine Hat, Alberta) and Crone assisted on Seel's second score.

- The Falcons fourth goal of the first 20 minutes was scored at the 14:06 mark by freshman Nick Erb (London, Ontario). Fauchoux and Gauld each picked up their second assists of the frame on the Erb score.

- The final CUW goal came late in the second off the stick of junior Tanner Bull (Brooklin, Ontario) with freshman Erik Therrien (Willow Bunch, Saskatchewan) picking up the assist. That goal made the score 6-1 as Aurora scored earlier in the stanza.

- The Spartans had the lone goal of the third period, coming from Ron Lingren with 10:06 left in regulation.

- Freshman Jack Romanuik (Melfort, Saskatchewan) played well once again for the Falcons in moving his record to 4-0-1 on the season. Romanuik stopped 25 shots in the win.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

- The five-goal first tied a Falcons record for most goals in a period, and also set a record for most goals in an opening stanza. CUW had twice scored five goals before, once in the second period of a December 7, 2013 matchup with Finlandia, and the other coming in the third of a December 13, 2008 game with Minnesota Crookston.

- Seel has shown incredible skill and production in his rookie season. The freshman now has 13 points, leading the team in that category, as well as in goals, with six.

- The Crone-Seel-Hogg line has been producing points at will for CUW. Seel has 13, while Crone has added 11 points (3 goals, 8 assists) and Hogg has eight points (4 goals, 4 assists).

- The Falcons have already matched their conference win total from a season ago. CUW went 4-14-0 in NCHA play last season, but is off to an impressive 4-2-1 league start in 2015-16.

UP NEXT

- These two will meet again tomorrow night, this time at the Ozaukee Ice Center at 7 p.m. The day, which is a doubleheader with the women's team (3 p.m.), is also Pink the Rink as CUW continues its partnership with Angel on my Shoulder in the fight against cancer.