(Howell, MI) Concordia Cardinals Men's Hockey traveled to battle Cleary University in their first matchup of a home-and-home series versus the Cougars. Cleary stole the first meeting between the Cardinals with a final score of 5-3. The Cougars entered the game with a 5-5 overall record and 2-2 in WHAC play. The Cardinals entered at 2-8 overall and 0-4 in conference games.

It was a neck-and-neck battle through the first ten minutes, with the Cougars finding the net first with Dylan Tammadge's shot assisted by Bennett Sheppard and Steven Miller. CUAA knotted the game at one when Ethan Lindle found Carson Ediger high in the zone for his team-leading sixth goal of the year. There was silence in the period until the final six seconds with a frenzy out in front of the Cardinals net mouth ending with a Cougar goal, giving them a goal advantage after the first.

Kolton Horn kicked off the second period with his first Division One goal off a feed from McCarthy Clark. The rest of the second was a back-and-forth battle, including two goals for each side. The Cardinals struck on the powerplay; Ediger and Lindle assisted Nicholas Twombley. Tammadge recorded a hat trick with the period's final goal with three minutes remaining.

JC Garbacik had the dagger for the Cougars, intercepting a pass at center ice with six minutes left in the third period. Nolan Foster (0-4-0) started in goal for the Cardinals, making 25 saves.

The Cardinals are back in action on Saturday, October 26, on home ice at Arctic Edge Arena, Canton, versus Cleary with a 5:00 pm puck drop.