NCAA QUARTERFINALS: No. 4 Aurora Edges No. 3 Men’s Ice Hockey, 3-2 (2OT)

NCAA PRESS CONFERENCES: AURORA | ENDICOTT

BEVERLY, Mass. — The No. 3 Endicott men's ice hockey team lost to No. 4 Aurora University, 3-2 (2OT), in NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal round action on Saturday night at Raymond J. Bourque Arena.

Aurora sophomore defenseman Andrew Schultz (Dexter, Mich.) buried the double overtime game-winner 3:12 into the extra session off a rush with a low shot from the left faceoff dot.

Schultz's second career game-winner, in back-to-back games, no less, punched the Spartans' ticket to their first-ever NCAA Semifinal Round appearance.

In the first period, Aurora seized early momentum in the contest as Jakson Kirk (Alma, Ontario) potted his team-leading 23rd goal of the season just 3:33 into the quarterfinal matchup.

Jack Costanzo (Gloucester, Mass.) countered for the Gulls 1:41 later (5:14) with a great individual effort, fending off two defenders on a right wing rush before potting a 5-hole tally, unassisted, for his seventh of the season (14th career).

In the second stanza, Michael Casey (Media, Pa.) pushed the Gulls ahead, 2-1, on the power play at the 4:20 mark with a second-chance effort at the doorstep. Primo Self (Grand Rapids, Mich.) and Antti Autere (Philadelphia, Pa.) were credited with assists.

Aurora freshman forward Jaden Davis (Montreal, Quebec) found the equalizer for the visitors in the third period (8:13) with a silky deke move through traffic, setting the stage for Schultz.

Kirk also picked up his second point of the night with a secondary assist on Davis' 13th tally of the season. Teammates Chayce Schmidt (Lloydminster, Alberta), Hassan Akl (Chestermere, Alberta), Ryder Many Grey Horses (Strathmore, Alberta), and Lukas Sedlacek (Staten Island, N.Y.) all found their names in the assist column, too.

In goal, Endicott freshman netminder Peter Sterling (Manassas, Va.) made 47 saves in his NCAA Tournament debut.

Matt O'Donnell (Waterbury, Conn.) stopped a game-high/career-high 56 shots on the other end for the Spartans. 

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Tonight's matchup was the first-ever meeting between the programs.
• Longest game in Aurora men's ice hockey history. 
• The Spartans improved to 12-2-1 on the road this season.
• Endicott killed off a delay of game penalty late in the first overtime (18:54) that spilled into the second extra session
• The Gulls held Aurora to an 0-for-2 showing on the power play; the Spartans came into the game ranked No. 4 in Division III in power-play percentage (.276). 

WHAT'S NEXT

No. 4 Aurora (25-5-1) will play No. 6 Hamilton in the NCAA Semifinals on Friday, March 27, at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, New York (time TBD). 

No. 3 Endicott concludes its 2025-26 campaign at 21-4-3 overall. 

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(Photo Credit - Bradley Griffin '28)