DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Concordia University Wisconsin men's ice hockey team completed a weekend sweep of conference rival Dubuque with a 3-1 victory on Saturday. With the win, the Falcons improved to 5-6-0 overall and 4-4-0 in Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) play.

The Spartans struck early, taking a 1-0 lead, but the Falcons responded midway through the first period. Junior Noah Roitman (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) intercepted a pass to ignite a fast break. He quickly found freshman Connor Van Weelie (Mississauga, Ont.) along the left side, and Van Weelie used his speed to carry the puck to the goal line before sliding it across to junior Derek Humphreys (Spokane, Wash.). Humphreys, positioned near the crease, tapped the puck into the net to even the score at 1-1 with 8:55 remaining in the opening frame.

Freshman goaltender Cameron Hrdlicka (Calgary, Alta.) stood tall in the first period, recording nine saves to keep the game tied.

In the second period, the Falcons took control. Just 6:58 into the frame, freshman Devon Savignac (Sudbury, Ont.) gave CUW their first lead of the game. After a poor pass by a Spartans' defender, freshman Jack Guvenal (Georgetown, Ont.) quickly capitalized on the turnover, finding Savignac on a breakaway. Savignac skated in one-on-one with the goaltender and ripped the puck past him to make it 2-1.

The Falcons extended their lead with 9:07 remaining in the period. Roitman once again caused a turnover and quickly fed Savignac, who then found freshman Levi Carter (Keremeos, B.C.) wide open in front of the net. Carter made no mistake, finishing the clean scoring opportunity to put Concordia up 3-1.

The Falcons' defense remained steadfast, holding the Spartans scoreless for the remainder of the contest. Despite several good opportunities, CUW did not add another goal but secured the 3-1 victory.

Hrdlicka earned the win, moving to 3-1-0 on the season with a 27-save performance. Once again, the Falcons were perfect on the penalty kill, shutting down all of Dubuque's power play chances.

Savignac and Roitman each recorded a game-high two points. Savignac also won a team-high nine faceoffs out of 15 opportunities and recorded his first game-winning goal of his collegiate career. 

The Falcons will look to extend their winning streak next weekend as they face the Golden Gusties of Gustavus Adolphus to close out the 2024 portion of their schedule.