The University of Arizona men’s hockey team returned from a nearly one-month break with a series split against GCU in the Tucson Convention Center on Jan. 10 and 11.
Head Coach Chad Berman, as well as forwards Riley Ruh and Justin Hughes, will miss the first four games of the semester. Ruh and Hughes are the two leading goal scorers for the Wildcats. They are participating in the Winter World University Games in Italy from January 13 until the 23.
Game 1:
The Wildcats started game 1 of the series with Hadyn Gould in the net. Gould has been the primary goalie for the team this season, with a 7-6 record on the season going into this series.
With 18:46 left in the first period GCU was able to get on the board first with an early goal to go up 1-0. Both sides would be scoreless for the rest of the period, with GCU leading going into the second period.
The second period saw the newest Wildcat Wyatt Stefan tie the game at one with 8:20 left in the period. Stefan, an NCAA D1 Sacred Heart University commit for the 2025-2026 season, played the first half of his season for Rochester Jr. Americans in the NAHL before joining the Wildcats over the break. Stefan’s dad Patrick was the first pick in the 1999 NHL draft by the Atlanta Thrashers.
GCU was able to take a 2-1 lead into the third period, after scoring a goal off of a power play with 1:36 left.
No goals were scored in the third period as Arizona was unable to capitalize on a late power play and GCU won 2-1, to take game 1 of the series.
Game 2:
Gould started game 2 of the series as well, looking to get the team back on track.
Like the first matchup, GCU came out strong in the second meeting, scoring an early goal with 12:08 left in the first period. GCU was able to double their lead to 2-0 shortly after an Arizona penalty, giving them a power play.
Arizona was able to respond with a power-play goal by forward Jack Kurrle with 9:04 left in the period to make it 2-1, a score that would stand at the end of the period.
In the second period, GCU once again took a two-goal lead to go up 3-1. Just like in the first period, Kurrle was able to cut the lead back to one with just two minutes left in the period. This would be Kurrle’s second goal of the game and sixth on the season. GCU led 3-2 going into the third period.
With 13:59 left in the third period, Arizona defenseman Hunter Hodgson tied the game at 3 with his first goal of the season. Hodgson’s goal would be the kickstarter to a massive Arizona comeback.
After tying the score, the Wildcats were able to go onto a power play less than a minute later. Stefan came through in his second game as Wildcat with a go-ahead goal with 11:35 left in the game. It was a memorable first series for Stefan, with 2 goals and 3 assists in his first two games with the team. GCU tied the game at 4 with around four minutes remaining.
Forward Dylan Walker was able to break the tie with 29 seconds left on his seventh goal of the season to give Arizona a 5-4 lead. The Wildcats were able to hold off for the last seconds and took game 2 of the series 5-4.
Looking ahead:
Arizona will host a weekend series in the Tucson Convention Center on Jan. 17 and 18 against the University of Colorado. The team will be home for its next five games before traveling for a road series at San Diego State University at the beginning of February.
