Men's Hockey season comes to an end in Harris Cup Playoffs
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Concordia Wisconsin (8-19-0) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
|
Adrian (21-3-3) | 1 | 7 | 0 | 8 |
ADRIAN, Mich. – The fourth-ranked Adrian College Men's Hockey team erupted for seven second-period goals, defeating Concordia University Wisconsin 8-4 in a Harris Cup Playoff Quarterfinal game Saturday afternoon.
The loss ends the Falcons season in the quarterfinal round for the second season in a row. CUW posted an 8-19-0 mark in 2014-15.
The Falcons built a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes of play Saturday, thanks to first period goals by freshmen Braden Crone (Metiskow, Alberta) and Dillon Schwartzenberger (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan). Crone put CUW up 1-0 on a goal assisted by captain Buster Hebda (Firestone, Colo.) 1:29 into play, while Schwartzenberger struck unassisted 12:30 into the first period. In between the Falcons goals was a Bulldogs power play goal off the stick of Chris Leone (7:01).
The second period was all Adrian as the Bulldogs scored six unanswered, building a 7-2 lead at the 15:47 mark. Junior Devin Stuermer (Milwaukee, Wis.) ended the Adrian run with a power play score with 1:39 remaining in the second, but Michael Hoy of Adrian answered 30 seconds later, making the score 8-3 after 40 minutes. Stuermer's goal was marked his 27th point of the season, a new program record.
In the third period the Falcons gained a goal by freshman Brody Decker (Dousman, Wis.), making the final 8-4.
The shots favored the Bulldogs on Saturday, as Adrian had a 39-34 edge, including a 16-4 advantage in the second period. CUW came out firing, building a 17-8 edge in shots over the first 20 minutes. Jake Hebda (Firestone, Colo.) had 27 saves, while playing 54 minutes for the Falcons. Domingo Torrenueva (Oshawa, Ontario) had four saves in six minutes. Scott Shackell was the winning goalie for Adrian, making 24 saves in 50:45. James Hamby stopped all six shots he faced in relief for AC.
The Bulldogs power play unit was one of the differences in the game, as they scored four times on six chances. The Falcons finished the game 1-for-5 on the power play. CUW spent 15 minutes in the box on six infractions, while Adrian had seven penalties for 22 minutes.
CUW should bring back several familiar faces to the ice next season as the Falcons had just one senior, Matt Gates, on this year's roster. Gates had seven points this season, scoring twice and adding five assists.
