by Alan Babbitt
The Hope College ice hockey team continued its pursuit of back-to-back ACHA Division 3 national champoinships on Saturday night in St. Louis, Missouri.
Junior Mason Weiss, pictured, scored 1 minute, 14 seconds into overtime to lift the top-ranked Flying Dutchmen to a 2-1 victory against Central Michigan University in the final pool play game.
With a 3-0 record in pool play, Hope (32-1) advanced to the Monday, March 14, national semifinals to play an Arkansas at 2:15 p.m. Central. It is a rematch of the 2021 national championship game that the Flying Dutchmen won.
Against CMU, Hope needed a win or a tie to move on to the semifinals.
The game-winner from Weiss was his first of the national tournament and his 14th of the season. Juniors Colin Stecco and Gabe Gunneson registered assists.
The score was tied at 1-1 for much of the second and third periods.
CMU tied the score 3:17 into the second period on a goal from Jay Naidu.
Hope grabbed a 1-0 lead with 4:43 left in the first period on Gunneson's second goal of the national tournament and his 20th of the season. Weiss had the assist.
Goalie Maclane Schick turned away 19 of Central Michigan's 20 shots.
