MEQUON, Wis. – The Falcons capped off their regular season with a 5-3 victory over Marian, securing a spot in the Harris Cup Playoffs as the seventh seed. The win improved their record to 12-13-0 overall and 7-11-0 in Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) play, ending a four-game losing streak. This marks the most wins for CUW men's hockey since the 2019-20 season.
The Falcons wasted no time taking control of the game, with freshman Liam Lucas (Chateauguay, Que.) scoring just 19 seconds into the contest. Lucas' first collegiate goal came on a backhander past the Marian goaltender, with freshmen Jack Guvenal (Georgetown, Ont.) and Connor Van Weelie (Mississauga, Ont.) assisting on the play. Guvenal threaded the puck through traffic to Van Weelie, who then found Lucas streaking toward the net.
Later in the period, junior Mason Ausmus (Saline, Mich.) showcased his defensive prowess, carrying the puck the length of the ice before feeding senior Garrett McArthur (London, Ont.) for a goal at the 17:37 mark, putting the Falcons up 2-0.
Junior goaltender Gabe Rosek (East Lansing, Mich.) was solid in the opening frame, making nine saves to keep the Sabres off the scoreboard.
The second period saw no scoring, but Marian made their move early in the third. The Sabres struck just 50 seconds into the final frame, cutting CUW's lead to 2-1.
However, the Falcons quickly answered to restore their two-goal cushion. Freshman Devon Savignac (Sudbury, Ont.) netted his eighth goal of the season at 10:49, capitalizing on sharp passing from sophomore Riley Kulgerman (Aurora, Ont.) and freshman Levi Carter (Keremeos, B.C.). Carter's well-timed drop pass set up Savignac for the finish.
A few minutes later, the Falcons extended their lead to 4-1. Sophomore Sawyer Wirsing (Arundel, Maine) started the play deep in CUW's zone, sending the puck up ice to McArthur. McArthur passed to junior Grant Newcomer (McFarland, Wis.), who then circled behind the net and found Wirsing for the one-time finish.
Though Marian scored twice to make it a 4-3 game, the Falcons sealed the win with an empty-net goal from Savignac, assisted by Carter, to make it 5-3.
In net, Rosek stood strong, finishing with 44 saves to earn the win. Savignac had a standout performance, scoring twice and winning a team-high 10 faceoffs in 15 opportunities.
With the victory, the Falcons are headed to the Harris Cup Playoffs as the seventh seed, where they will face off against second-seeded St. Norbert Green Knights.
