Falcons Soar Past Foresters in Overtime

LAKE FOREST, ILL. – The 2024 leg of the Concordia University Wisconsin men's hockey season kicked off with a thrilling matchup against Lake Forest College, culminating in a 7-6 overtime victory for the Falcons, propelling their record to 5-9-0 overall and 3-4-0 in Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) play.

The Falcons lit the lamp first on Friday, as freshman Sawyer Wirsing (Arundel, Maine) found fellow freshman Logan Kroyman (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) to take the 1-0 lead just 2:43 into the contest. 

A mere 37 seconds later, CUW extended their advantage to 2-0 as freshman Alex Ochitwa (Prince George, B.C.) found the back of the net. Assisting on the goal were freshman Riley Klugerman (Aurora, Ont.) and sophomore Dain Sardelli (Hebron, N.D.).

However, the Foresters would respond and level the game at 2-2 after one period of play.

The second period mirrored the first, with the Falcons striking first to secure a 3-2 lead with 15:57 remaining. On the goal was sophomore Noah Roitman (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.), who scored on a pass from junior Zach Brydges (Woodbury, Minn.).

Once again, Lake Forest would mount a response, rattling off three straight goals to take the 5-3 lead with 8:25 left in the second.  

Undeterred, the Falcons narrowed the gap to 5-4 with 5:31 remaining, courtesy of senior Nick Bowlin (Maplewood, Minn.) converting passes from sophomores Jaron Ketterman (Palmer, Alaska) and Amraj Gill (Surrey, B.C.).

Then, with 2:38 left in the second, sophomore Derek Humphreys (Spokane, Wash.), off passes from sophomore Collin Kerchoff (White Lake, Mich.) and freshman Mi-Kwan Tallman (Edmonton, Alta.) leveled the score at 5-5.

The score would remain 5-5 heading into the final intermission. 

The third period of play saw the Falcons score first to take the 6-5 lead just 1:34 into the period, as Collin Kerchoff scored on an assist from freshman Matt Koepke (Vernon Hills, Ill.). 

However, the Foresters countered with a power-play goal, leveling the score at 6-6 and forcing overtime.

In overtime, Mi-Kwan Tallman scooped up the loose puck and started the breakaway that concluded with Sawyer Wirsing scoring top-shelf with 48 seconds remaining to secure the 7-6 road victory. 

In the win, sophomore Gabe Rosek (East Lansing, Mich.) recorded 44 saves with a .880 save percentage. Notably, seven different Falcons contributed goals, with Dain Sardelli and Logan Kroyman leading the offensive charge with 10 shots each. Additionally, Derek Humphreys excelled in faceoffs, winning 14.

The Falcons will hit the ice again tomorrow at the Ozaukee Ice Center at 7 p.m., with a chance to take home the Border Battle Cup with a win or tie.