ADRIAN, Mich. – The Concordia Wisconsin men's hockey team earned a shutout victory over Hiram in a neutral-site contest Sunday afternoon, hosted by Adrian. The matchup marked the first-ever meeting between the Falcons and the Terriers, who are competing in their inaugural season as a program.
 
The shutout was CUW's first since its 1-0 upset win over St. Norbert on Jan. 16. Sophomore Cameron Hrdlicka (Calgary, Alta.) got the start and played the opening 8:55, making four saves. Junior Blake Hazelton (Lake Orion, Mich.) took over for the remaining 51:04, stopping all 22 shots he faced to earn the win in net. This is Hazeltons second shutout of the season and of his career.
 
The game remained scoreless through the first two periods as both teams battled defensively. Concordia Wisconsin generated consistent pressure, firing 18 shots over the opening 40 minutes, but strong goaltending from Hiram kept the Falcons off the scoreboard.
 
CUW finally broke through 9:43 into the third period. Sophomore Connor Van Weelie (Mississauga, Ont.) won a faceoff in the offensive zone, allowing freshman Pier-Olivier Allard (Quebec, Que.) to collect the puck and set up the play. Allard found junior Alex Ochitwa (Prince George, B.C.), who slid a pass back to Van Weelie. Van Weelie buried the puck past the Terriers' goaltender for what proved to be the game-winning goal.
 
The Falcons maintained control down the stretch. With under a minute remaining, Hiram pulled its goalie, but a miscommunication resulted in a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty—the first penalty of the game for either team—which helped CUW seal the victory.
 
Concordia Wisconsin finished the contest with 56 shots on goal, recording 20 shots in both the second and third periods. Junior Elowan Orme-Lynch (Paris, France) led the team with seven shots, while senior Nick Maksymiu (Chicago, Ill.) added six. Sophomore Levi Carter (Keremeos, B.C.) and senior Noah Roitman (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) each contributed five shots, with Roitman also blocking three shots as part of the Falcons' eight total blocks.
 
Van Weelie paced the Falcons at the faceoff dot with 12 wins, while junior Sawyer Wirsing (Arundel, Maine) added seven.
 
The Falcons return to NCHA play this weekend for their final series of the season, hosting Marian on Friday, Feb. 13, at the Ozaukee Ice Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.