by Mackenzie McMahon
The unbeaten ACHA Hope College men's hockey team emerged victorious from their rivalry weekend series against Calvin University, with 3-1 and 4-1 wins.
In Friday's home game, Calvin struck first but the Flying Dutchmen would net three unanswered goals for the first win at Griff's IceHouse West.
Three minutes following Calvin's only goal of the game, junior Mason Weiss (Flushing, Michigan / Michigan Connections Academy) fired home the tying goal with assists from Cole Stenstrom (Caledonia, Michigan / Grand Rapids Christian) and Gabe Gunneson (Rockford, Michigan / Forest Hills Northern) on the power play.
Freshman Nolan Holtrop (Walker, Michigan / Kenowa Hills) sent in the eventual game-winner for Hope with passes from Weiss and Gunneson with 10 minutes remaining in the second period.
Senior Allan Hirsch (River Woods, Illinois / Deerfield) would tally a short-handed goal just thirty seconds into the third period to solidify the win, as goaltender Maclane Schick, pictured left, and the Flying Dutchmen held off Calvin for the remainder of the game. Schick, a freshman from Kohler, Wisconsin (Kohler) stopped nine of 10 shots faced in Friday's game.
Saturday's away game was a 4-1 win. Stenstrom struck first for the orange and blue. Weiss and Gunneson added to their point tally for the weekend with the first of their two assists on the Stenstrom goal.
Junior Noah Christensen (Grand Rpids, Michigan / Forest Hills Northern) netted his first goal of the weekend. Junior Kevin Healy (Rockford, Michigan / Rockford) and junior Lucas Barber (Lake Orion, Michigan / Lake Orion) also scored.
Schick stopped 14 of 15 shots in net to help keep Hope College undefeated.
The Flying Dutchmen's next games are against the University of Notre Dame for a two-game AHCA home series Friday-Saturday, Dec. 3-4, at Griff's Icehouse West. Puck drops are set for 7:30 p.m. both Friday and Saturday.
