The Purdue Northwest ACHA D2 Men's Hockey Team opened the new season in impressive fashion, sweeping a two-game series against Concordia University Wisconsin. The Lions earned a dominant 6–2 road victory on Friday before returning home to The Kube on Saturday and completing the sweep with a hard-fought 3–2 win.

The Basics

• Records: Purdue Northwest (2-0), Concordia University Wisconsin (0-2)
• Locations: Wisconsin & The Kube, Hammond, Indiana
• Two-Game Series

Game One (W, 6-2)

Inside the Numbers

• Purdue Northwest senior goaltender Luka Krstulovich earned the win, stopping 24 of 26 shots in a full 60-minute performance.
• The Lions scored six goals from freshman Mason Geng, senior Jacob Behnke, junior Gabriel Santa Maria, senior JT Verdino, freshman Jimmy Pautschand senior RJ Swaw.
• Behnke led the Lions with two assists, while senior Adam Napravnik also added two helpers.
• Verdino, Patsch, Behnke, Beller, Napravnik and junior Collin Kozijn each recorded an assist.
• Purdue Northwest outshot Concordia 52–26 while holding the Falcons to just two goals.

The Breakdown

• Purdue Northwest wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, with Geng opening the scoring at 2:32 of the first period off an assist from Behnke.
• The Lions added two goals in a 36-second span late in the opening period. Behnke scored at 14:13 with assists from Beller and Verdino, before Santa Maria found the net at 14:49 on a setup from Napravnik.
• Concordia answered later in the first, but PNW carried a 3–1 advantage into the second intermission.
• The Lions continued their offensive push early in the second period. Just 33 seconds into the frame, Verdino scored his first goal of the season with assists from Behnke and Pautsch.
• Pautsch added another goal just 1:57 later, finishing a play set up by Napravnik and sophomore Brayden Mitchell to make it 5–1.
• Swaw capped the six-goal offensive performance at 12:20 of the second period, scoring off an assist from Kozijn.
• Concordia added a power-play goal early in the third, but Krstulovich and the Lions defense held firm the rest of the way to secure the 6–2 season-opening victory.

Game Two (W, 3-2)

Inside the Numbers

• Krstulovich earned his second win of the weekend, stopping 27 of 29 shots in another complete-game performance.
• The Lions received goals from junior Nate Cheney, Behnke and Pautsch.
• Assists were recorded by Mitchell, freshman Pellegrino Pescatore, Kozijn and junior Zach Cestero.
• Purdue Northwest held a commanding 58–29 advantage in shots on goal.
• The Lions converted once on three power-play opportunities, while Concordia went 2-for-7 with the man advantage.

The Breakdown

• Purdue Northwest opened the scoring at 13:08 of the first period when Nate Cheney scored his first goal of the season, assisted by Brayden Mitchell and Pellegrino Pescatore.
• The Lions carried the 1–0 lead into the second period before Jacob Behnke doubled the advantage with a power-play goal at 3:39.
• Concordia answered with two power-play goals later in the second period, leveling the game at 2–2 heading into the final frame.
• PNW responded with the game-winning goal at 6:42 of the third period when Jimmy Pautsch finished a play from Collin Kozijn and Zach Cestero.
• Krstulovich and the Lions defense protected the one-goal advantage through the remainder of the third period, securing the 3–2 victory and completing the season-opening sweep.

Up Next

• The Purdue Northwest ACHA D2 Men's Hockey Team now takes on Marian in a home-and-home series starting on Friday, September 25.