MEQUON, Wis. – The Concordia Wisconsin ACHA hockey team closed its Homecoming weekend series against Schoolcraft on Saturday afternoon at the Ozaukee Ice Center. The Falcons battled throughout the afternoon, but the Ocelots skated away with a 6-0 victory.
Senior goalkeeper Austin Bartell (New Berlin, Wis.) stood tall under heavy pressure throughout the contest, finishing the afternoon with a season-high 58 saves. Bartell turned away nine shots in the first period before piling up 24 saves in the second and another 25 in the third.
The Falcons kept Schoolcraft off the scoreboard for the opening 13 minutes behind Bartell and a strong defensive effort.
Schoolcraft finally broke through at the 13:10 mark when Bryce Scarlett scored off assists from Logan Tripp and Owen Hall. Concordia kept the deficit at 1-0 through the remainder of the opening period.
The Ocelots increased the lead to 2-0 at the 5:52 mark of the second period when Scarlett struck for the second time.
Concordia Wisconsin continued to battle despite Schoolcraft controlling possession for stretches of the period. Bartell was especially busy, making 24 saves in the second frame alone.
Schoolcraft capitalized on the power play late in the period, with Tyler Trealout scoring at the 16:11 mark to send the Ocelots into the second intermission with a 3-0 advantage.
The Falcons had opportunities to cut into the deficit throughout the afternoon, including six power-play chances, but were unable to solve Schoolcraft goalkeeper Jakob Van Zweden, who stopped all 11 CUW shots.
Junior Nolan O'Malley (Chicago, Ill.) and sophomore Dylan Pomillo (Oswego, Ill.) led the Concordia attack with two shots on goal apiece. Senior Rocco Cicirello (Mequon, Wis.) also contributed on both ends of the ice with a team-high three blocked shots.
Schoolcraft added three goals in the third period to pull away. Samuel Morra scored twice before Landon West closed the scoring at the 17:18 mark.
The Concordia defense finished with 11 blocked shots, while Bartell's 58 saves marked his fourth game this season with at least 40 saves. He has also surpassed 50 saves twice through the Falcons' first six contests.
The loss moves the Falcons to 0-6-0 on the season, while Schoolcraft improves to 4-2-0.
