ADRIAN, Mich. -- The Adrian College men's ACHA D2 hockey team hosted No. 10 Sault College on Friday and Saturday, delivering a statement weekend with 8–6 and 6–1 victories over the Cougars. Entering the series ranked No. 18, the Bulldogs strong performance is poised to push them higher in the national standings.
On Friday night, the Bulldogs struck first at 4:51 when John Carper buried a power-play goal off a feed from Gabe Arteaga. Sault answered at 9:47 to even the score, but Adrian closed the opening period with momentum after goals from Dylan Braun and Braeden McNamara, with Carper and Arteaga adding assists. Adrian extended its lead early in the second thanks to Greg Obrycki, set up by Logan Jent and Griffin Clark. The Cougars fought back with three straight goals to tie the game, but Bazl Cook restored the Bulldogs' advantage at 17:08, giving Adrian a 5–4 lead heading into the third. Sault tied it once more early in the final frame, but the Bulldogs took control from there. Clark delivered back-to-back goals — including a shorthanded tally — with Obrycki assisting on both. The Cougars added one more goal, but Cook's second of the night sealed an 8–6 Adrian victory. Goaltender Lorenzo Culasso finished with a strong performance, stopping 40 of 46 shots. The shot totals were nearly even, with Adrian holding a narrow 49–46 edge.
The Bulldogs came out firing on Saturday morning, striking for three quick goals to take control early. Shaun Potts opened the scoring at 2:10 on the power play, set up by Jackson Hildebrand and Tyler Hissong. Clark followed shortly after, finishing a feed from Obrycki, and Cook pushed the lead to 3–0 with assists from Brady Desmadryl and Hissong. Sault responded with its lone goal of the game soon after Cook's tally, but Adrian answered right back. Braeden McNamara restored the three-goal cushion, with Braun and Harry Demboweski picking up assists, sending the Bulldogs into the first intermission up 4–1. Adrian added to its advantage in the second period when Jack Kraemer buried a power-play goal at 7:25, assisted by Carper and Arteaga. The Bulldogs capped off their scoring in the third as Carper struck on the power play, with Potts collecting the helper. Goaltender Alex Herman was sharp throughout the morning matchup, turning aside 35 of the 36 shots he faced to secure the 6–1 win.
The MD2 Bulldogs now sit at a 9-5 overall record heading into the Thanksgiving Break. They will take this break off as they prepare for Saturday, December 6th and Sunday, December 7th as they face Trine University in a home-and-home series. They will head to Trine Saturday evening for a 6:30 PM puck drop and host Trine Sunday for a 1:00 PM puck drop.
