Men’s Hockey Stuns No. 4 St. Norbert with Historic Road Victory

DE PERE, Wis. – The Concordia University Wisconsin men's ice hockey team continued its historic run on Friday night, extending its program-best winning streak to seven games with a thrilling 2-1 victory over the nationally-ranked Green Knights of St. Norbert College. Entering the matchup, St. Norbert was ranked No. 4 in the nation by the United States College Hockey Online (USCHO).

This win marked the Falcons' first victory over a ranked opponent since the 2019-20 season, when they defeated No. 9 Lake Forest 3-2. 

With the victory, CUW improved to 10-6-0 overall and 5-4-0 in Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) play. It also marked the Falcons' first double-digit win season since 2019-20.

St. Norbert struck first near the midway point of the first period, taking a 1-0 lead. However, junior goaltender Gabe Rosek (East Lansing, Mich.) was stellar, stopping 22 shots in the opening frame to keep the Falcons in the game. 

The second period was a tense, scoreless affair, with both teams unable to break through. St. Norbert held its 1-0 lead as the game entered the final 20 minutes.

The Falcons did not waste any time in the third. Early in the period, sophomore Logan Kroyman (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) capitalized on a faceoff win by St. Norbert, gathering the loose puck and quickly advancing it up the ice. Kroyman fed junior Ben Pizzimenti (Iowa City, Iowa) on a two-on-one rush, and Pizzimenti fired home his first goal of the season to tie the game 1-1 with 15:30 remaining. Kroyman registered his second assist of the year on the play.

Just minutes later, CUW took the lead. After Pizzimenti's shot was saved, freshman Jack Guvenal (Georgetown, Ont.) corralled the rebound behind the net and found junior Noah Roitman (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.). Roitman then maneuvered around a pair of defenders and fired a shot from the top of the left circle, beating the St. Norbert goalie to give CUW a 2-1 lead with 11:18 to go.

The Falcons' defense and goaltending held firm in the final 11 minutes, preserving the 2-1 lead and securing a historic win.

In net, Rosek turned in a sensational performance, finishing with a season-high 48 saves and a .980 save percentage. Defensively, Kroyman led the team with three blocked shots, while Roitman and sophomore Matt Koepke (Vernon Hills, Ill.) each added two.

In the faceoff circle, freshmen Levi Carter (Keremeos, B.C.) and Connor Van Weelie (Mississauga, Ont.), along with sophomore Alex Ochitwa (Prince George, B.C.), all contributed key faceoff wins.

Offensively, several Falcons stood out, including sophomore Sawyer Wirsing (Arundel, Maine), Roitman, Pizzimenti, and junior Dain Sardelli (Hebron, N.D.), who all recorded three shots on goal.

The Falcons will look to complete the series sweep against St. Norbert tomorrow at the Ozaukee Ice Center. In honor of Concordia hockey's annual Mental Health Awareness Weekend, CUW will wear special green jerseys for the contest.