ADRIAN, Mich. -- The Trine University men's hockey team took a lead into the third period, but two goals from nationally-ranked Adrian College handed the team a 4-3 loss in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) Harris Cup Semifinal.
The top-seeded Bulldogs opened the scoring in the tenth minute of the first period with a goal from sophomore Sam Ruffin.
The Thunder silenced the crowd just over a minute later with their first goal. Freshman Frank Trazzera (Keller, Texas) started the play by passing the puck up the ice to classmate Justin Meers (St. Charles, Mo.) who took full advantage of the open ice for the goal.
Adrian started the second period on the power play and made quick work converting it into a goal to take back the lead at 2-1.
Just before the four-minute mark of the second period, the Thunder found themselves with a power-play opportunity of their own. Sophomore Garrett Hallford (McKinney, Texas) won the faceoff with a pass to freshman Brendan Prappas (West Bloomfield, Mich.) who bobbled the puck under pressure but then regained possession near the faceoff dot. He then fired a pass across the front of the net to Hallford who finished off the play with the goal.
In the 12th minute of the period, on the penalty kill, Trine came up with a steal near the point in their defensive zone. Prappas skated the puck out of the zone and down the ice beating the lone Bulldog defender to fire a shot on net. The Adrian goalie turned it aside but junior Carmine Taffo (Staten Island, N.Y.) pushed the rebound into the net for the shorthanded goal.
The 3-2 lead was the first lead the Thunder have held over the Bulldogs this season and it would last through the second intermission.
Trine came out in the second looking ready to hold the lead for the rest of the game, but the Bulldogs scored in the sixth minute and the tenth minute to take back the lead at 4-3.
The Thunder had one last chance when they had a power-play opportunity for the final two minutes of the contest. Trine pulled their goalie to skate with a two-man advantage but they were unable to come up with a goal.
In net for Trine senior Brett Young (Livonia, Mich.) came up with 45 saves and a strong performance despite recording the loss.
The Thunder finish the season at 13-12-3 after a historic run in the Harris Cup Playoffs.