Last week the Purdue Northwest D2 Hockey Team hosted conference opponent DePaul University for a two-game series in which the Pride would walk away with two big wins, taking game one 4-1 and game two 3-0.

The Basics

• Records: Purdue Northwest (6-2), DePaul University (6-4)
• Location: Hammond, Indiana
• Two Game Series

Game One
Inside the Numbers

• John Hughes (Noblesville, Ind./) played the full 60 minutes in net for Purdue Northwest, turning aside 15 of 16 shots faced in a strong outing.
• The Pride offense found its rhythm, tallying four goals on the night. Jacob Behnke (South Elgin, Ill./) led the way with two goals and one assist, while Fynn O'Neill (Calgary, Alberta, Canada/) and Jordan DeGouw (Calgary, Alberta/) each added a goal apiece.
• Collin Kozijn (Leduc, Alberta/) contributed two assists, and Zach Cestero (Estero, Fla./) and DeGouw also recorded assists to fuel the offensive surge.
• Discipline remained a factor as the Pride whistled for eight penalty minutes across four players.
• For DePaul, Jaeger Zimmerman scored the team's lone goal, assisted by Seth Platt.
• Maxwell Hetman went the distance in goal for the Blue Demons, making an impressive 61 saves on 65 shots despite the loss.

 The Breakdown

• Both teams traded chances early, but neither found the back of the net through the first period as goaltenders John Hughes (Noblesville, Ind./) and Maxwell Hetman held strong between the pipes.
• In the second period, DePaul University broke the deadlock when Jaeger Zimmerman scored on the power play at 8:48, assisted by Seth Platt, giving the Blue Demons a 1–0 lead. The advantage was short-lived, as Jacob Behnke (South Elgin, Ill./) evened the score just minutes later at 3:25, converting off a feed from Zach Cestero (Estero, Fla./).
• The Pride carried that momentum into the third period, where Behnke struck again only nine seconds in, burying the go-ahead — and eventual game-winning — goal assisted by Collin Kozijn (Leduc, Alberta/) and Jordan DeGouw (Calgary, Alberta/). DeGouw later extended the lead at 10:39 with help once again from Kozijn, and Fynn O'Neill (Calgary, Alberta, Canada/) sealed the 4–1 victory with a goal in the final seconds, assisted by Behnke.

Game Two
Inside the Numbers

• Luka Krstulovich (Frankfort, Ill./) earned the shutout victory for Purdue Northwest, stopping all 33 shots he faced in a flawless 60-minute performance.
• Offensively, Fynn O'Neill (Calgary, Alberta, Canada/) led the way with two goals, while Alex Moon (Wyandotte, Mich./Wyandotte) added another to round out the Pride's scoring.
• JT Verdino (Rutherford, N.J./), Nate Cheney (St. Michael, Minn./), and Nick LaFornara (Buffalo, N.Y./) each tallied assists as the Pride continued to generate balanced offensive production throughout the lineup.
• Discipline remained key, with Purdue Northwest whistled for eight penalty minutes across four players.
• For DePaul, goaltender Kyle Tyszkiewicz faced heavy pressure throughout the contest, making 49 saves on 52 shots despite the loss.
• The Blue Demons were assessed 22 penalty minutes, including a game-high 12 from Michael Fortune.

The Breakdown

• Purdue Northwest struck early to take control of the game. Alex Moon (Wyandotte, Mich./Wyandotte) opened the scoring at 5:19, burying a feed from Nate Cheney (St. Michael, Minn./) and JT Verdino (Rutherford, N.J./) for what would stand as the game-winning goal. Later in the period, Fynn O'Neill (Calgary, Alberta, Canada/) extended the Pride's lead with a power-play tally at 18:46, making it 2-0 heading into the intermission.
• The Pride added to their advantage when O'Neill netted his second of the night at 6:48, assisted by Nick LaFornara (Buffalo, N.Y./), pushing the score to 3-0.
• Neither team found the back of the net in the final frame, as goaltender Luka Krstulovich (Frankfort, Ill./) and the Purdue Northwest defense shut down any late DePaul pressure to secure the shutout victory.

Up Next:
The Purdue Northwest D2 Hockey team is set to return to the ice this Thursday October 23^rd, as they take on the Schoolcraft College Ocelots.