As the NCHL heads into the winter break the top two teams in the conference standings have all but been set. Only two teams, #17 Aurora University and University of Wisconsin Oshkosh have the ability to pass #19 Marquette University for the second spot, but that will require each of them to win out and with Aurora and UWO yet to square off against one another it is unlikely to happen for one, if not both, of them. As a result, the final four tournament spots will be jockeyed about in the final weeks of the conference season, which starts back up in early January.

 

This past weekend #2 Marian bounced back from their winless weekend against #3 Grand Valley State University by sweeping UWO. The sweep allowed Marian to reclaim the top spot in the conference standings and continue their undefeated conference season. It also sets up a possible conference finals preview when Marian and Marquette meet the last weekend of January.

 

While UWO did not come away with any points they sit in fourth place in the conference standings, six points clear of seventh place, and in good shape to qualify for the conference tournament.

 

Aurora put on an offensive show against DePaul University at Johnny’s Ice House West. The ensuing sweep allowed Aurora to jump up into a tie for fifth in the conference standings and open the doors to the possibility of earning the number two seed in the conference tournament. While that will require them to win out, their remaining conference schedule is favorable, and Marquette to be swept by Marian, a chance is all that’s needed to help get the team focused and to peak at the right time.

 

With six games left DePaul sits in a precarious position, only two points above seventh place Lewis University. The last conference series for both DePaul and Lewis is against one another, so there is a good chance the winner of this series will decide who’s going to the conference tournament.

 

Lewis University was finally able to end their winless streak at six games against Robert Morris University – Maroon. However, their overtime victory momentum from Friday night did not carry over to Saturday for the series sweep. Now sitting in seventh place alone, Lewis has a lot of work to do over their final six games to get back to the conference tournament after missing out last season.

 

RMU bounced back from Friday’s OT defeat and took Saturday’s game, along with its two points, for a three point weekend, putting them one point ahead of UWO in the conference standings. With their final two conference series against two teams that are hot on their tail there is still much to do if they wish to make the conference tournament and have home ice advantage for the first round.

 

In non-conference action Concordia University WI was swept by #8 University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee (D3) and Northern Michigan University lost to #15 Finlandia University.

 

 

In game one at the 20th St. YMCA in Oshkosh, WI neither #2 Marian University or University of Wisconsin Oshkosh was able to get on the scoreboard during the first 13 minutes of play. Everything changed at the 13:02 mark when Kirill Proskurin, assisted by Tanner Duffney, kicked off the scoring, giving Marian the game’s first lead. Seventy-nine seconds later Marian went up by two off the stick of Brandon Mills, assisted by Tyren Boots and Colin Wilson. The lead became three for Marian with 50 seconds left in the period. Tallying Marian’s third goal of the game was Sheamus Stoyle, assisted by Jarod Lang and Connor Rosaasen. Marian was not finished as 10 seconds after Stoyle’s goal, Lang found the back of the net, credited with assists were Stoyle and Rosaasen. After the first period of play Marian was up 4-0.

 

A minute fifty into period two Duffney, assisted by Stoyle and Rosaasen, hit pay dirt, increasing Marian’s lead to five. UWO was finally able to solve Alex Kruger at the 6:32 mark. Scoring for UWO was Trent Bachman, assisted by Andrew Schulenberg. Marian got the goal right back at 7:28 when Kellen Crowther, assisted by Duffney and Will Newberry, lit the lamp. Nikita Sokov’s goal, assisted by Dan Liberko and Proskurin, at 14:15 put Marian up by six. Proskurin’s second goal of the game came 43 seconds after Sokov’s, making the score 8-1 in favor of Marian. UWO was able to trim the deficit back down to six with 1:48 remaining in the second. Putting the second puck in the net for UWO was Schulenberg, assisted by Bachman and Grebe. Jake Weldon kept up the Marian onslaught and at the 19:01 mark put Marian up 9-2, which is where the score stood after the conclusion of period two.

 

UWO got off to a fast start in period three, notching their third goal of the game 1:50 into the period. However, they were not able to sustain the momentum and were unable to score during the remainder of the game. Defensively they kept Marian off the scoreboard until a goal scored with 1:26 left in regulation by Mills, assisted by Boots, spoiled their defensive effort. When the final horn sounded Marian cruised to a 10-3 victory.

 

Alex Kruger earned the victory in game one, stopping 20 of the 23 shots he faced. In a losing effort Brandon Thomas turned back 41 of the 51 shots on net by Marian.

 

Marian University won Saturday night’s game 5-1. However, as of publication, the game sheet had not been posted for a more detailed account of the game.

 

The crowd for game one at Johnny’s Ice House West saw the visiting #17 Aurora Spartans strike first against host DePaul University. Scoring for Aurora was Dan Zielecki, with an assist going to Eric Norman. Aurora increased their lead to two 92 seconds later when Vincent Palermo, assisted by Jordan Holloway, found the back of the net. At 9:29 Thomas Feldman put DePaul on the board, cutting the Aurora lead in half. Then, just under three minutes later Brock Ash, assisted by Michael Helf and Feldman, netted the equalizer. As the horn sounded at the completion of period one Aurora and DePaul were tied 2-2.

 

Zielecki recorded his second goal of the night at 2:57 of the second period, credited with an assist was Holloway, putting Aurora back up by one. At 6:58 Zielecki completed the hat trick off an assist by Ricky Salinas. A minute and a half later Ian Sweeney, assisted by Zachary Tykocki, got in on the action, putting Aurora up 5-2. Only 31 seconds passed before Nick Mardirossian scored Aurora’s fourth unanswered goal, credited with assists were Holloway and Nicholas Desimone. The offensive onslaught continued at the 9:12 mark when Holloway, assisted by Palermo and Desimone, lit the lamp. Aurora’s sixth and final goal of the second period came at 17:50 and was scored by Tykocki, with an assist by Rudolfs Kalvitis. DePaul was held scoreless during the second 20 minutes of play, so at the end of two periods Aurora had raced out to an 8-2 lead.

 

As the third period started both team made goaltender changes, Cameron Orsborn replaced Brian Tempel for Aurora and John Schuler replaced Rudy Hodgson for DePaul. Aurora put up their seventh unanswered goal at 5:29 of the third when Christopher Laporte, assisted by Kalvitis and Patrick MacDonald, found the back of the net. DePaul was not going to throw in the towel and at the 12:43 mark finally put a third tally on the board. Scoring DePaul’s third goal was Jack Hemmingway, assisted by Jake Camp. Aurora’s Salinas, assisted by Zielecki and Samuel Weiss, answered back 27 seconds later. Nick Pietro’s goal, assisted by Feldman and Hemmingway, at 14:58 made the score 10-4 in favor of Aurora. The games final goal came at 18:01 and was scored by Salinas, his second of the period, with assists credited to Desimone and Zielecki. With the sound of the final horn Aurora came away with an 11-4 victory.

 

Earning the victory for Aurora was Brian Tempel and taking the defeat for DePaul was Rudy Hodgson.

 

Game two started off as an offensive struggle for both Aurora and DePaul. As a result, only one goal was scored, and it came off the stick of Samuel Weiss at 14:10.

 

While only one goal was scored during the first 20 minutes of play, the second period would see fivefold increase in the scoring department. Dan Zielecki, assisted by Ian Sweeney and Anders Lindgren, put home the first goal at 1:16. Aurora’s Christopher Laporte, assisted by Ricky Salinas, put Aurora up 3-0 at the 3:49 mark. Jake Camp’s goal, assisted by Josh Dolan and Nick Powers, pulled DePaul within two at 3-1. Aurora regained their three goal lead at 14:06 when Salinas, assisted by Sweeney, tickled the twine. The deficit became four for DePaul at 15:22. Scoring Aurora’s fifth goal was Patrick MacDonald. Heading to their respective locker rooms for the second intermission Aurora had built a 5-1 lead.

 

Aurora started fast in the third period, as they had in the second. Zachary Tykocki, assisted by Laporte, put one past Rudy Hodgson at the 2:01 mark. He would then record his second goal of the period at 6:15, making the score 7-1 in favor of Aurora. MacDonald scored two goals over the final 27 seconds of regulation for his hat trick. His first goal came at 19:33 and was assisted by Laporte and Salinas, while the second, unassisted, came with nine ticks left on the clock. At the end of regulation Aurora had completed the sweep with a 9-1 victory.

 

Bradley Neal came away with the victory in game two, while Rudy Hodgson took the defeat for second night in a row.

 

The visiting Lewis University Flyers struck first in game one. Scoring the opening goal of the game was Christopher Estey, unassisted, at 6:32. David Picknell, assisted by Nicholas Madej and Dylan Parshall, put Lewis up by two at the 11:34 mark. After finding themselves down by two, on home ice, Ryan Marciniak found the back of the net for Robert Morris University – Maroon’s first goal of the game. Assisting on Marcininak’s goal were Nicholas Lupacchino and Motohiro Hobara. With 4:23 left in the first period Zac Carbine found the back of the net, pulling RMU even with Lewis. Neither team put another goal on the board during the remainder of the period, so they left the ice after 20 minutes tied at two.

 

Only one puck found its way over the goal line in period two and it came off the stick of Dillion George, assisted by Estey. As a result, Lewis regained their lead and after 40 minutes of play led 3-2.

 

A quick penalty on RMU during the opening minutes of the third period put Lewis on the power play. Lewis was able to take advantage and Joseph Fiandaca’s power play goal put Lewis back up by two, credited with an assist was Zachary Bishop. RMU cut the lead back down to one at 9:56 when Anthony Trankina, assisted by Ron Rentner, lit the lamp. Greg Sommesi, assisted by Rentner, scored a power play goal for RMU to make the score 4-4 with 7:59 left in regulation. Lewis pulled back in front at 15:58. Scoring their fifth goal of the game was David Pickell, assisted by Ernsting. The back and forth continued as RMU once again tied the game up, this time with 2:23 to go in the game. Netting the equalizer was Marciniak, off an assist by Graham Walsh. Sixty minutes was not enough to decide the outcome of game one, so they made their way to overtime tied 5-5. The first minute of overtime requires the utmost attention because a vast majority of games are won and lost during that opening minute. Game one was no exception as it took only 49 seconds before Ernsting fired home the game winner for Lewis.  

 

Libor Gallik secured the overtime win for Lewis, stopping 34 of the 39 shots he faced. In defeat, Michael Newberger turned back 41 of 47 shots on goal.

 

Lewis put the first goal up on the scoreboard in game two as well, scoring was Dillion George, assisted by Joseph Fiandaca, at 2:02. While in the midst of a 5-on-3, RMU’s Ryan Marciniak, assisted by Zac Carbine and Michael Newberger, scored a power play goal at 14:33 to knot the game at one apiece. Marciniak found the back of the net a second time at the 18:05 mark, credited with assists were Graham Walsh and Ron Rentner. With only one second left before the horn sounded ending period one, Marciniak scored his third goal in a row. Assisting on Marciniak’s goal was Drew Downey. The first 20 minutes of game one produced a 3-1 RMU lead.

 

Zachary Bishop’s power play goal, assisted by Justin Adams, at 4:39 of the second period cut RMU’s lead in half. AJ Kapcheck, assisted by Elliott Fafinski, answered Lewis’ goal and put RMU ahead 4-2 with 7:40 having elapsed in the second. Lewis pulled back within one with their second power play goal of the game. Scoring for Lewis was Justin Adams, with an assist by Fiandaca. After two periods of play RMU led 4-3.

 

RMU carried 1:34 of power play opportunity into the third period and only need 1:20 to notch their fifth goal of the night. Scoring the power play goal was Kapcheck, assisted by Sam Sereiko and Marciniak. An empty net goal by Nicholas Lupacchino, assisted by Walsh and Anthony Trankina, with 1:04 left in regulation sealed the 6-3 RMU victory.

 

Credited with the win was RMU’s Michael Newberger, stopping 40 of 43 Lewis shots on net. Absorbing the loss was Colton Edling in a 27 save effort.

 

Concordia University WI was swept by #8 University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee (D3), losing 5-1 on Friday and 5-2 on Saturday.

Northern Michigan University lost to #15 Finlandia University 10-1 on Friday and Saturday’s game was postponed.

 

#19 Marquette University