MEQUON, Wis. – The Concordia Wisconsin men's ACHA DII hockey team defeated Trine, 6-4, in an intense match up. This was the first game of the CUW showcase, which features six games in three days. The other teams competing are Michigan State and Indiana.
 
The Falcons started off hot scoring 1:14 into the game. After a Thunder blocked shot, junior Chuck Emme (Glenview, Ill.) took the puck to the opposite end of the ice. Graduate student Tommy Cassel (Grafton, Wis.) was in position right in front of the net to receive Emme's pass and tipped the puck into the net.
 
Trine responded in the eight-minute mark but in the next five minutes, CUW responded with two goals of their own. Graduate student Garrett Wilderman (Waukesha, Wis.) was able to shot the puck with a pass from sophomore Nolan O'Malley (Chicago, Ill.) from behind the net.
 
The Falcons third goal of the night came from sophomore Dominic Murano (Milwaukee, Wis.). After an icing call against the Thunder, Murano took the face-off in their offensive zone. Murano won the face-off and after faking-out the Tine defender, he scored. The sophomore went on to score another goal in the period with 34 second left. He was assisted by Emme and Wilderman.
 
The Thunder responded with two more goals in the final three minutes of the first period. The visitors also found a way to tie the game in the second period.
 
With the game tied at four, the Falcons looked to take back the game in the third. Graduate student Andrew Malek (Milwaukee, Wis.) scored the game winning goal 3:12 into the final period, he was assisted by sophomore Rocco Cicirello (Mequon, Wis.) and Murano. This is the second straight game against the Thunder where Malek has scored the game winning goal. Last year, at the Miami (OH) Showcase, the graduate student score the game winner in the final minutes of the contest.
 
The final goal of the game came from Emme, his second of the game. The junior was assisted by Wilderman, also his second of the game. Emme's goal, which came at the five-minute mark in the third, was the insurance goal the Falcons needed to hold the Thunder back.
 
In goal for CUW was senior Austin Bartell (New Berlin, Wis.). Bartell grabbed 21 saves while facing 25 shots. In total the Falcons had 41 shots compared to the Thunder's 25. Leading the team in shots was Emme with 10. The Royal Blue and Grey also excelled in face-offs, winning, 51-23 (68.9%), Cicicrello led the team with 15 wins.
 
The squad returns to action tomorrow at 1 p.m. to face Indiana in their second game of the showcase.