FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The #14 ranked Indiana Tech Warriors Men's hockey team clinched back-to-back WHAC Tournament Championships this past weekend, winning 4-2 against Cleary University on Saturday in the semifinal, and 3-1 against Lawrence Tech on Sunday afternoon in the championship game. Indiana Tech hockey adds to their trophy cabinet after winning the double this season to make it five straight regular season championships, and back-to-back (and four of the last five) tournament championships. 

Tech would receive a first round bye in the WHAC Tournament after winning the regular season and would wind up playing the winner of the #4/5 game. After trailing 3-0 in the third period, #4 seed Cleary would come back to defeat #5 seed Aquinas in overtime 4-3. In the other first round games, #2 Michigan-Dearborn would defeat #7 Rochester Christian 12-1, and #3 Lawrence Tech would take down #6 Concordia 8-2, as all the top seeds advanced. 

In the Warriors first game of the tournament, coming in the semifinal round against #4 Cleary, the scoring opened early in the first period when Luke Anderson (01:57) capitalized on assists from Ryan Doucette and Mason Bazaluk, giving the Warriors the initial lead. Cleary responded in the second period, at 02:39 to even the score at 1-1. After fending off a flurry of Cleary chances, the Warriors would regain control, with Anderson striking again at 11:29, assisted by Pavel Svoboda and Aidan Dufort. Michael Dalaly extended the lead to 3-1 at 16:20, thanks to a feed from Brandon Plummer and Nikita Ivasenko. Cleary fought back in the third period, cutting the deficit to one with just over 15 minutes to play, setting up an intense finish to the game. However, Francesco Santaniello would seal the 4-2 win for the Warriors with an empty-net goal at 19:49, assisted by Bazaluk and Doucette to put them in the title game. Goaltender Gage Reimer played a total of 60 minutes and saved a total of 10 shots. 

In the other semifinal game, #3 seed Lawrence Tech would upset #2 seed Michigan-Dearborn 4-3 in overtime to set up a matchup with the Warriors in the title game. During the regular season, Indiana Tech went 23-1 in conference play with their only loss coming to the Blue Devils in the regular season finale at the SportONE/Parkview Icehouse, so the championship game would be an exact rematch of a game played just eight days prior.

In the championship game, the scoring opened late in the first period when Michael Dalaly (18:59) capitalized on a setup from Malik Ali and Kayne Gagner, giving the Warriors the early 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission. Lawrence Tech would bounce back in the second period, and at 08:55 tied it to make it a 1-1 game heading into the final frame. Indiana Tech took over in the third, breaking the tie at 11:10 when Ryan Doucette buried the go-ahead goal off assists from Jeremy Dunmore and Mason Bazaluk. They then sealed the victory on the power play, as Aidan Dufort struck the back of the net at 17:28, assisted by Doucette and Ali, securing the 3-1 win. Goaltender Gage Reimer played a total of 60 minutes and saved a total of 27 shots, on his way to WHAC Tournament MVP honors and helping the Warriors to a second straight WHAC Tournament Championship trophy.

The Warriors sit at 28-4-0 overall on the year and are currently ranked #14 in the national poll. They will await their fate for the ACHA National Tournament on March 13-18 in St. Louis, Missouri, with the first ever selection show scheduled for Tuesday, February 25th at 9PM EST.