ADRIAN, Mich. – In a battle of nationally-ranked teams, the Trine University men's hockey team came up short of their hosts from Adrian College by the score of 6-2. The third-ranked Bulldogs added a pair of late empty net goals to send the fifteenth-ranked Thunder out of the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) Harris Cup Playoffs in the semifinal game.
Adrian scored the first goal of the game just over a minute into the contest. It ended up being the lone goal of the first period and the teams took the 1-0 score into the first intermission. The home team scored another quick goal to start the second, this time after just 25 seconds of play.
The 2-0 lead was short-lived with Trine finally cracking the scoreboard. In the second minute of the period, freshman Josh Wright picked up a lose puck in the defensive zone before passing it up the ice to Bobby Price. The sophomore carried the puck into the offensive zone before passing it back to senior Brendan Prappas who fired a shot from the high slot. The goalie made the save but the rebound went wide and Price was there to cash in, making the score 2-1.
In the eighth minute of the period, the Bulldogs took back the two-goal lead, scoring their third of the night. The final 13 minutes of the period went scoreless and the 3-1 score held for the second intermission.
Adrian scored again in the 12th minute of the third building the lead to 4-1. Trine, however, wasn't ready for their season to end, scoring a goal of their own 41 seconds later. After regaining the control of the puck in the defensive zone, Prappas and freshman Sean Henry carried the puck up the ice. Once in the offensive zone, Henry peeled off toward the far boards and passed the puck back to the point. From there junior Thad Marcola skated forward to the near circle before scoring the goal.
The score remained 4-2 with two minutes remaining in the contest, forcing the Thunder to pull their goalie in favor of the extra attacker. After a good defensive effort kept the Bulldogs from scoring one empty net goal, the home team fired a shot form their own blueline to add to their lead.
Still needing goals and trying to stave off elimination the Thunder pulled the goalie again, leading to another empty net goal for Adrian making the score 6-2 for the final.
After reaching their second straight, and third in the last four seasons, semifinal game, Trine finishes the season 18-9-1 overall. The team went 12-6 in NCHA play to earn the fourth spot in the playoffs.