MEQUON, Wis. – The Concordia University Wisconsin men's ACHA DII ice hockey team kicked off their 2025-26 campaign with a, 5-4, win over Wisconsin-Madison. This is the second straight year that the Falcons have started their season off with a won.
 
Neither team wasted time finding the net, the first period ended with the Falcons leading, 3-2. Wisconsin kicked off the goal party early with two goals in the first eight minutes of the contest. The CUW responded with three unanswered goals to end the period. Sophomore Dominic Murano (Milwaukee, Wis.) earned the Falcons first goal of the season with help from graduate student Andrew Malek (Milwaukee, Wis.) and sophomore Nolan O'Malley (Chicago, Ill.). This was the first goal by Murano in a Falcons sweater.
 
Graduate student Garrett Wilderman (Waukesha, Wis.) netted the last two goals of the period. Wilderman was assisted by freshman Dante Desidero (Pilwaukee, Wis.) and McCarthy Clark (Chicago, Ill.) for the first goal and was unassisted for goal two.
 
Clark scored his first goal with the Falcons in the beginning of the second period. Clark, who transferred from Concordia University Ann Arbor, was assisted by junior Chuck Emme (Glenview, Ill.) and Wilderman. The last CUW goal came during a Falcons' power play with Andrew Malek shooting the puck past the goal-line. Malek was assisted by junior Owen Almburg (Glenville, Ill.).
 
Senior transfer Austin Bartell (New Berlin, Wis.) protected the CUW net. Despite letting four goals in, Bartell collected 43 saves off of 47 shots faced.
 
The Badgers had the edge over the Falcons in faceoffs with 57 wins to the visitors and 26 to the home team. Sophomore Tommy Cassel (Grafton, Wis.) was the leader for CUW collected 12 wins. The Falcons completed the game with 44 shots, leading the way was Wilderman with five.
 
Concordia will travel to Madison, Wis. tomorrow to play Wisconsin. Puck drop is slated for 10:00 a.m. at Sub-Zero Ice Center.