Ethan Holdaway’s goal at 16:08 of the third period snapped a 2-2 tie and Trinity won the men’s Division III national championship with a 5-2 win over Wisconsin-Stevens Point Saturday night at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis.
It’s the first national title in the Bantams’ program’s history and the second season in a row that Stevens Point fell in the championship game.
“I can’t really put into words how this feels right now,” said Trinity coach Matt Greason on the school website. “It’s a special day. This group of young men is one of the best I’ve ever had the privilege of being around. You spend any time around them and you’ll see what truly unbelievable people they are. Each guy have their heart and soul to this program and I’m so proud of them.”
Trinity goalie Nathaniel Heilbron made 35 saves in the win.
“If you’re going to win a championship, you need that type of goaltending,” added Greason. “The guys and I have all the confidence in the world in him.”
“Obviously, it’s a tough one to swallow,” UWSP coach Chris Brooks said on the school website. “I’m not sure why we lost tonight, but one day, I’ll find out. Hats off to Trinity. They’re an excellent hockey team and are really well-coached.”
Sean Orlando opened the scoring for Trinity 3:38 into the first period before Kyle Brodie tied it on a UWSP power play at 15:16.
Trinity’s Michael Hawkrigg made it 2-1 just 1:52 into the second period and then Nick D’Avolio tied it again for the Pointers at 9:10 of the third period.
Greg Rooney and Conor Coveney added empty-netters 23 seconds apart in the final minute to seal the game for the Bantams.
“When I came here four years ago, I felt this program needed a change,” Greason concluded. “I didn’t recruit any of the seniors, but from day one, they were 100 percent committed to this program. This entire group of guys refuses to lose any battles. You know, I’m coming to the realization that next time we put a line chart together, Michael Flynn and the other seniors won’t be on it. It’s sad to see our seniors go, but we’ll enjoy this for some time.”
Stevens Point goaltender Brandon Jaeger stopped 19 shots between the pipes.
