JACKSONVILLE, FL – Following yesterday's heartbreaking 3–2 loss to the University of Maine, one of the top-seeded programs in the nation, the Redeemer Royals men's hockey team returned to the ice Saturday determined to respond in round two of the AAU College Hockey National Tournament. Redeemer faced familiar conference opponent the Niagara University men's hockey team, a fellow member of the UNYCHL, in Jacksonville.
Niagara opened the scoring late in the first period when Ryan McMann (#13) capitalized on an opportunity at 17:57 to give the Purple Eagles an early 1–0 advantage.
Redeemer responded on the power play midway through the opening period following a strong offensive-zone faceoff. With the draw to the left of the Niagara goaltender, the Royals won the puck cleanly back to the point where Dawson Abrahams (#4) stepped into a shot from the top of the blue line. The puck beat the Niagara netminder high on the blocker side at 12:15 to tie the game 1–1. Asher Cabral (#22) recorded the assist on the play.
In goal, Eoghan Atkinson (#72) handled the opening frame for Redeemer, turning aside 10 of 11 shots in the first period to keep the Royals level heading into the break.
The second period proved to be fast-paced and highly physical, with both teams trading chances and momentum. Redeemer regained the lead at 11:11 when Hudson Kosloski (#2) finished a play set up by Jax Ackland (#14) to make it 2–1 Royals.
Niagara answered shortly after at 9:54, when Luke Guagliano (#27) scored for the Purple Eagles with assists from Connor Sempert (#73).
Midway through the period, play was briefly halted as officials conducted a referee review on a potential Niagara goal, adding further intensity to an already physical contest between the conference rivals.
Shortly after the restart following the officials' review that confirmed no goal for Niagara, Redeemer reclaimed the lead at 7:34 when Tucker Copeland (#15) found a small opening above the Niagara goaltender's blocker side. Copeland launched a precise shot that slipped past the Niagara netminder to restore the Royals' advantage at 3–2. Ethan Smith (#7) and Hudson Kosloski (#2) were credited with assists on the play.
Early in the third period, Niagara came out with urgency and quickly evened the game when Justin Bull (#7) scored at 19:19 with assists from Adam Brown (#98) and Owen Kiesman (#3) to tie the contest 3–3.
Redeemer responded almost immediately with a strong end-to-end rush. After a well-placed dump-in created space behind the Niagara defense, the Royals broke free on a clean breakaway where Hayden Fernhout (#21) finished the play with a composed shot over the goaltender's right pad at 18:16, restoring the Redeemer lead. Jake Voskamp (#19) recorded the assist.
Midway through the third period, Niagara took a tripping penalty that sent Redeemer to the power play. After a quick breakout and slick passing sequence, Ethan Smith (#7) drove in from the left side, pulling the puck to his right before snapping a shot into the side of the net at 12:18 to extend the Royals lead to 5–3. Tucker Copeland (#15) and goaltender Eoghan Atkinson (#72) were credited with assists on the play.
Late in the period Niagara pulled its goaltender for an extra attacker in an attempt to close the gap. Redeemer stayed composed defensively and capitalized when Ty Storie (#11) collected the puck near center ice and fired it down the rink into the empty net at 0:58, sealing the 6–3 victory.
Redeemer finished the game with a 37–28 advantage in shots, while Atkinson turned aside 25 of 28 shots in the victory to earn the win in goal.
Following the game, the Royals head coach praised the team's response after the narrow loss in the tournament opener.
"Yesterday's game against Maine was tough. We competed hard against one of the top teams in the country, and those games can either discourage you or motivate you. I thought our group chose the second option today," he said.
"Niagara is a team we know well from the UNYCHL and those games are always intense. I was proud of how our players stayed disciplined, trusted our structure, and continued to push the pace even when momentum shifted."
After the game, Ty Storie spoke with the AAU+ broadcast network, reflecting on the team's unity and purpose.
"We're a really tight group. The guys are close and we've built an awesome family environment on this team. At the end of the day it's about giving everything we have and saying to God be the glory," Storie said.
He also highlighted the significance of the tournament schedule and the respect shown by the AAU organization.
"One thing I really wanted the AAU+ network to hear is how thankful we are. We're the only team here not playing on Sunday because we will be resting and going to church together as a team. The AAU respected our university's stance on Sunday participation, and not only respected it but honored it and adjusted parts of the national schedule to accommodate that.
"That says a lot about the AAU and the foundation this great country was built on. We love our neighbors to the south and we're so appreciative of the way they honor God before sport, even at a national tournament like this."
Royals General Manager David Scholman reflected on the significance of the win for the program.
"This was a statement win and the first-ever Nationals victory for Redeemer University at the AAU National Championships. It was a complete team effort and another opportunity for us to showcase how special Royals Hockey truly is," Scholman said.
"The picture at the end of the game says it all. We played tough hockey, but in the end hockey is more than a game. It's a platform to showcase the Lord's gifting through our athletes. We have tremendous respect for Niagara University—they played hard—but the respect between our teams was clear. When we had the chance to pray together at center ice after the game and the entire rink went quiet, it was a powerful witness to why we do what we do. Royals Hockey is about sharing the Vertical Purpose."
The Royals return to the ice later tonight as tournament play continues with a match-up against Massachusetts Maritime Academy at 9:15 PM in Jacksonville, Florida. The game can be watched live on AAU+: https://www.aauplus.org/browse.
