(Fort Wayne, IN) - The Concordia Men's Hockey was back in Fort Wayne Sunday afternoon for the Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference Tournament Championship game against the 18th-ranked and 2-seed UM-Dearborn Wolverines. The contest was a close, back and forth battle, but the Wolverines would come out with the 4-1 victory and the tournament title. 

Zachary Janis made the start in net for Concordia, making 26 saves in the effort. 

The Cardinals put the pressure on early in the contest, firing 14 shots on target in the opening frame, but the Wolverines would get on the board first, scoring late in the frame to hold a 1-0 lead going into the first intermission. 

The second period would open up more back-and-forth play, as the Wolverines upped the pressure and recorded a powerplay goal to double their advantage with 6:20 to go in the middle frame. Concordia continued to push, but the score would remain stale at 2-0 going into the final break of regulation. 

UM-Dearborn would extend their advantage just over a minute into the final frame of play, making it a 3-0 lead. The Cards would not go away without a fight, however, as Hunter Kepple fired a shot through a screen on the powerplay past the Wolverine goalie to cut the deficit to 2 with 4:14 remaining (assist by Kyle Hebner). 

Concordia continued to press, pulling their goalie in an attempt to pick up another important goal, but the Wolverines would intercept a puck at the Cardinal offensive zone blue line and take it the distance, putting it into the empty net to solidify their 4-1 win and a WHAC Championship.

The Cardinals finished the season with a 19-15-4 record, picking up their most wins in a single season in program history and appeared in their first ever WHAC Tournament Championship game.