The #16 Purdue Northwest ACHA DI Hockey team battled through two tightly contested games but ultimately dropped both ends of a home-and-home series against #6 Adrian. Despite late pushes, strong special-teams moments, and standout goaltending, the Pride fell 2-1 on the road in Game 1 and 4-2 at home in Game 2.

The Basics

• Records: #16 Purdue Northwest (10-9-1,1-3), #6 Adrian (17-3-1)
• Location: Arrington Ice Arena – Adrian, Michigan and The Kube – Hammond, Indiana
• Attendance: 150 (Game 1), 650 (Game 2)

Game 1
Inside The Numbers

• PNW held Adrian scoreless in the first and third periods but gave up two goals late in the second that proved to be the difference.
• Sophomore Carson Finney (Holt, Mich./) scored the lone PNW goal midway through the third, cutting the deficit to one and giving the Pride life late.
• Freshman Brock Behrend (Luverne, Minn.) and sophomore Baden Powell (Calgary, Alberta, Canada/) picked up assists on the Finney marker, continuing their consistent offensive impact.
• Senior goaltender Cooper Olson (Maple Grove, Minn./) was excellent, stopping 33 of 35 shots and keeping PNW within striking distance throughout.
• PNW went 0-for-3 on the power play but killed off all three Adrian opportunities.
• The Pride generated 23 shots on goal but were outshot 35–23 overall.

The Breakdown

• After a scoreless and tight-checking first period, Adrian broke through with goals at 15:24 and 18:06 of the second to take a 2-0 lead.
• PNW responded with urgency in the third, converting at 7:21 when Finney buried a feed from Behrend and Powell.
• The Pride pushed late with sustained zone pressure but could not find the equalizer as the Bulldogs held on for the 2-1 finish.
• Strong defensive play and sturdy goaltending kept the Pride in the game, but the second-period swing proved too much to overcome.

Game 2
Inside The Numbers

• Adrian struck early and often in the opening frame, scoring three first-period goals to set the tone.
• PNW clawed back with power-play goals from Powell late in the first and junior Brodie McIntyre in the second, bringing the game to 4-2.
• Junior Benji Rutkai (San Pedro, Calif.) and sophomore Savva Verbetskii (Ekaterinburg, Russia) each added assists, while junior Bryce Jacobsen (DeForest, Wis./) recorded his third assist of the season on Powell's tally.
• Despite the score, Olson put together another strong outing with 43 saves on 47 shots in a high-volume night.
• The Pride finished 2-for-5 on the power play while holding Adrian to 0-for-2.
• A penalty-heavy game featured 56 combined minutes, including matching fighting majors at 2:38 of the third period.

The Breakdown

• Adrian built a 3-0 advantage by the 14-minute mark of the first period with quick-strike offense and extended zone time.
• Powell provided a crucial spark at 19:37, wiring home a power-play goal to send PNW to the locker room with momentum.
• Adrian extended the lead to 4-1 early in the second before McIntyre responded on the man advantage at 11:34, bringing the Pride back within two.
• The third period featured heavy physical play and limited scoring chances as PNW attempted to mount a late push but couldn't break through.
• Despite strong special-teams execution and another standout performance from Olson, the early deficit proved too much to overcome.

Up Next

• Purdue Northwest now gets a much needed break as they head into the holiday season. The Pride return to the ice for the second half of the season on Friday, January 29 when they take on #23 Grand Valley State. Puck drop is set for 7:30 PM CT at The Kube in Hammond, Indiana.