ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University men's ACHA D2 hockey team will enjoy a week off during the final portion of the regular season, as they wait for the final regional rankings that will determine their postseason future.
The Thunder have been ranked between second and fourth in the region during the season so far. Head Coach Kyle Williams and the team are hoping to remain third or fourth in the region. Either rank would earn them a bye in the upcoming regional tournament which is scheduled to run from Thursday, February 23 through Sunday, February 26.
Trine started the season off strong with a crucial victory over Lindenwood University, the first win for the program over the perennial national contender. Shortly after the win, the team traveled the Liberty University Showcase where they went 2-1, with the one loss coming in overtime. The Thunder defeated the hosts from Liberty and Rider before falling to University of Massachusetts-Amherst 5-4 in overtime.
The team returned home and got back on track with a pair of wins over their rivals from Central Michigan and Adrian College. They continued the momentum through the end of the semester going five and one before the holiday break. All told the Thunder finished the first half of their season with a 13-3 record against ACHA D2 opponents, with all three losses coming to top-three teams in their respective regions. The record earned Trine the third spot in the regional rankings and sixth nationally.
The Thunder faced stiff competition right out of the break, traveling to the Lindenwood University Showcase to start the second semester. After a 6-1 win over Davenport to start the event, the team lost their next two in close contests. The hosts from Lindenwood held a 2-1 lead on Trine going into the final seconds, and sealed the game with an empty net goal to hand the team their first loss of 2023. Following a quick turnaround, the Thunder fell behind to North Carolina State early before staging a two-goal comeback to force overtime. A breakaway goal ended up being the deciding factor giving Trine their second loss of the weekend.
The team finished off the regular season going 3-3 in January and early February to finish the season 18-10 overall. Currently the team is in the middle of a two-week break period as they prepare for the postseason and a hopeful run to the national tournament.
The Thunder will travel to the regional tournament which will take place in St. Louis, Mo. at the end of February. If they finish as one of the two final teams at the event they will advance to the national tournament. It would be the fourth time the team reached the ACHA D2 National Championships in just the sixth year of hockey at Trine. That tournament is set to be held in Boston, Mass. Beginning on Friday, March 17.