ST. PAUL, Minn. — Hamline (3-6-0) fell to No. 4 ranked Aurora University (9-2-0), 4-1, at home on Friday night. Despite the Pipers' third-period goal, Aurora secured the victory with three goals in the final period.
The opening period between Hamline and Aurora began with a faceoff win by
Will Matzke for the Pipers. Aurora's Matt O'Donnell and Hamline's
Keaton French were active in goal, with French making saves on attempts by Lukas Sedlacek and Landry Schmuck. Despite two power play opportunities, Hamline was unable to capitalize, as shots from
Kyle Mortenson and
Owen Van Tassel were turned aside by O'Donnell. Aurora also had a power play but could not break through, leaving the score tied at 0–0 at the end of the period.
Aurora took the lead in the second period with a goal by Jaden Davis at 5:24, assisted by Hassan Akl and Landry Schmuck. Hamline's defense, led by goaltender French, kept pressure from Aurora at bay with multiple saves throughout the period. Despite several shot attempts from the Pipers, including efforts by
AJ Carls and
Tyler Jordan, Aurora maintained their 1–0 advantage into the period's conclusion.
Aurora extended their lead early in the third period when Jaden Davis scored at 7:29, assisted by Hassan Akl and Blake Kondor, making it 2-0. Shortly after, Roc Truman added another for Aurora at 8:38 with help from Sebastien Brockman and Ryder Many Grey Horses. Hamline responded at 12:53 with a goal from
AJ Carls, assisted by
Brock Carls, narrowing the gap to 3-1. However, Truman struck again for Aurora at 17:19, securing a 4-1 victory for the visitors.
AJ Carls scored one goal, contributing to his team with three shots on goal.
Nikolai Dulak excelled at the faceoff circle, winning 80% of his draws. Charles Levis also impressed in faceoffs, securing 11 wins out of 17 attempts for a 64% success rate. French made 25 saves while allowing four goals, maintaining a strong presence in the net.
The Pipers will conclude the series against the Spartans with the 2:30 PM puck drop on Saturday, December 13 at TRIA Rink.
