The DCB Lumberjacks Men's Hockey team split their opening games this past weekend at Waldorf University. Saturday night they dropped an overtime game 3-2 before winning in overtime the next day 6-5. That win was the 700th win for DCB hockey. An incredible feat for the ten time NJCAA National Champions.
On Saturday Waldorf got on the board first with a goal at the 13:14 mark of the opening stanza. A tight checking second period would produce no goals for either team. To this point DCB was outshooting Waldorf by a slim margin, 16-13. Waldorf scored their second early in the third period to put the home team up 2-0. DCB would get their first goal of the season just two minutes later on an unassisted counter by Geoffrey Dick. Ten minutes later at the 14:56 mark Chayse Haberman would tie it up at 2-2. When your on the road you are almost assured of having to face some adversity. In a 2-2 game late in the period the Jacks were assessed not one but two consecutive minor penalties, the last with just 25 seconds left in regulation meant Waldorf would have the man advantage in overtime. Just 25 seconds in Michael Heitkamp would send the home team to the dressing room celebrating a 3-2 win.
Sunday's rematch would see the Jacks hit the scoresheet first on a goal by Ryan Patterson. Patterson would go on to pick up 5 points this game, getting points on every DCB goal. Zane Macdonald picked up the lone assist. It was a busy 1st period with Waldorf counting three and DCB two. MacDonald scored the Jacks second goal, assisted by Patterson. Patterson would tie it in the second with assists to MacDonald and Riley Rybchinski. The final period the teams traded goals, Waldorf pulled ahead early setting the stage for the dramatic ending. With one second left Patterson scored from the slot, his third goal of the contest sending the game to overtime for a second straight night.
2:40 into extra time Ian Amsbaugh on a pass from Patterson gave the Jacks their first 21-22 season win and the program's 700th all-time.
Head Coach Travis Rybchinski assessed the weekend; "It was a good opening weekend where we played well enough to win both but took some bad penalties that cost us at times in the games. It showed great character to come back and tie it late and then win in OT."
The schedule doesn't get any easier with games this weekend at another Division I opponent, Jamestown. The team hits the ice Friday Oct. 22nd starting at 7:00pm in Jamestown with the following night's game also tabbed for 7:00pm.