Stella Anderson Moye-

The Don Roberts Ice Rink was packed to the brim as Gustie students, family, and friends came together to cheer on and support the Gustavus Men’s Hockey team as they battled for the MIAC playoff title. Gustavus played against rival and reigning champions St. Olaf. The Gusties sought to bring home the title for the first time since 2012 and came out victorious after a close game. This marks the program’s 6th conference playoff title in history. The game ended with a 2-1 win over the Oles, advancing them to the NCAA tournament, and the celebration could be felt throughout campus and St. Peter. 

The first period was encompassed by a heated stalemate between the teams. Gustavus was relentless with seven shots on goal, but St. Olaf was unyielding to the pressure. The teams battled back and forth, with the roar of the crowd intensifying as every minute passed. The men held their ground and played with fiery enthusiasm. The first period closed with the teams tied at a score of 0-0.

Gustavus kept up the heat as the game entered the second period. The men came out blazing, with 3 shots on goal in the first 5 minutes. Shortly after, St. Olaf put up the first point on the board to take the lead. Gustavus held them close, however, determined not to let them get away. For the next 4 minutes, the teams swapped shots as the puck raced back and forth across the rink. Riku Brown, a sophomore, retaliated to Olaf with a scoring shot of his own, bringing the score to an even 1-1. Brown was aided with an assist from Landon Johnson, a fifth-year. After an error from Gustavus resulting in a penalty, St. Olaf had a power play but to no avail. The Gusties continued to build momentum, win face-off after face-off, and rack up shots on goal. At the end of the second period, the score remained tied at 1-1. 

In the final period, Gustavus came out strong and did not look back. 2 minutes into the period, Brown scored the second goal for the Gusties, with an assist from Sophomore Drew Holt. The rink erupted with cheers as the Gustavus Men’s hockey team took the lead for the first time in the game. Feeling the momentum from the goal and the crowd’s energy, the Gusties did not hold back. St. Olaf continued to try to claw their way back with weak shots on goal, but to no avail. The Gusties outskated them the entire way through to the end, with goalie Colin Androlewicz, a first-year, totaling 26 saves in this game alone, a save percentage of 96%. Time continued to run down on the clock, and the Gusties did not let up. Cries from fans shook the roof of the rink. The game ended with a decisive 2-1 win over St. Olaf, advancing Gustavus to the NCAA tournament.

The team has high hopes for the tournament.  Brown said this about the season so far and the outlook for the remainder: “We are super proud of our accomplishments this season and how we have come together as a group with our coaching and hard work. We have the group to do something special, and we are all excited that we get the opportunity to prove it every day. We want to keep it going as long as possible so we get to be with each other as much as we can. This is our motivation each and every day as we head towards the nationals and try to make a deep run!” The men will travel to St. Norbert College on Saturday to play in the first round. Good luck and go Gusties!