Adrian, MI – The Adrian College NCAA men’s hockey team returned to action on Sunday night as they hosted a non-conference contest with Aurora University. Adrian looked to avenge the last time Aurora came to town in mid-November and won two NCHA conference games. This time around, the No. 7 Bulldogs trailed early, but posted a five-goal second period to defeat the No. 5 Spartans, 6-4.
Aurora led 2-0 after the first period off the strength of goals by Lucas Sedlacek (from Chayce Schmidt) and Jacob Brockman (from Jakson Kirk and Simon Diaz). Landry Schmuck (from Hassan Akl and Jacob Brockman) scored 2:13 into the second period to expand the Spartans’ lead to 3-0.
Adrian’s Riley Murphy (from Frank Tafelski and Bradley Somers) answered on the power play to make it 3-1. Patrick Saini (from Ryan Pitoscia and Carter Real) netted a power play goal 5:25 into the second period. Ryan Vellucci (from Ben Loreto and Julien Jacob) scored shorthanded to tie the game 3-3.
Ryder Nienhuis (from Alec Lovisek and Matt Couto) scored his first as a Bulldog late in the second period to put his team in front. Adrian’s Frank Tafelski (from Riley Murphy and Ian Amsbaugh) scored on the power play to lead 5-3 with less than three minutes left in the second period.
Aurora’s Hassan Akl (from Simon Diaz and Chayce Schmidt) netted a power play goal in the middle of the third to pull back to within one, but Saini (from Bradley Somers and Conner May) netted his second of the game on an empty netter to lock up the win.
Bulldog goalie Dershahn Stewart finished the game with 34 saves in goal, including 12 saves in the first period and 13 in the second period. Adrian’s power play finished the game 3-for-5.
Adrian will have a day off before returning to action on Tuesday, December 31st when they will host the Polar Bears of Bowdoin College at 3:00 PM.