In what may have been the best 27 hours of hockey in the history of the program, Braden Husby's goal just 25 seconds into overtime gave the Grand Canyon University Men's Hockey team a thrilling 5-4 victory over No. 9 University of Jamestown Wednesday at AZ Ice Arcadia in Phoenix. The Lopes then followed that up with another extra-time affair just one night later: a 3-2 loss to No. 15 University of Arizona that stayed knotted up throughout overtime and to the final round of shootout shots before the Wildcats prevailed. The split upped the Lopes' record to 5-11-1.

H2: Wednesday: GCU 5, Jamestown 4 (F/OT)

During the first five minutes of play, the Jimmies' advantage was number of shots on goal.

The Lopes' advantage was accuracy.

Two of the Lopes' first three shots found the back of the Jamestown net, beginning with GCU defenseman Nate Mohr, who stole a pass near the opponents' blue line two minute into the game, and slapped the puck past UJ goalie Tyson Brower for a 1-0 lead. The GCU offense gave the Lopes insurance just three minutes later, when Braeden Wimmer and Dylan Dent found Jacob Cummings in a good spot to find the net for a 2-0 lead.

The Lopes built a 3-1 lead midway through the 2^nd period before the Jimmies woke up to fire three goals past Lopes' goalie Scott Kasaboski in the final 6 minutes of the frame to take a 4-3 lead into the intermission. The Lopes took advantage of a UJ penalty early in the 3^rd period to tie it up on Mason Kruse's shot with just over 17 minutes left. That was one of just three Lopes' shots on goal in the period as the pace slowed for both sides, sending the game to overtime at 4-4. The suspense built, then ended quickly as Husby broke free on the Lopes' first push of the extra period for the gamewinner to bring the capacity crowd to their feet.

"In a three-on-three overtime situation, it's man-on-man coverage, so you know that if you beat your guy, you're going to have an opportunity," said Lopes' Head Coach Danny Roy. "It was just individual passion to have the patience to take the ice they were giving us, and just skate it around until he finally found a lane to take it to the net."

Cummings led the Lopes' offense with two goals and an assist, while Kasaboski stopped 37 of Jamestown's 41 shots.

H2: Thursday: Arizona 3, GCU 2 (F/OT/SO)

Even 65 minutes wasn't enough. Then it felt like the shootout went on forever.

The renewed confidence from the Jamestown win carried over into Thursday as the Lopes got on the scoreboard first with a Matt Mezik-to-Callum Tomlin combination that gave the Lopes a 1-0 edge midway through the 1^st period. Penalties helped get the Wildcats even when nine seconds into a UA power play late in the first, Arizona's Brody Selman shot one past Kasaboski to tie it at 1-1 after the first period. The Lopes had numerous power-play chances of their own in the second period, but fell behind, 2-1, when Ryan Fischer assisted on Selman's second goal of the game. The Lopes trailed until five minutes into the 3^rd period, when Mohr found Jake McNeil on the run, and McNeil got the best of UA netminder Anthony Ciurro to end the regulation scoring.

The Wildcats peppered Kasaboski throughout overtime, yet the senior goalie wouldn't flinch, keeping the teams knotted at 2-2 at the end of OT, and sending the teams to their second shootout in four matchups this season.
Mezik began the shootout with a goal to put the Lopes up by one, but Ciurro stiffened after that, allowing UA's Matthew Hohl to tie it after the second round, and the last shot went to John Shively, who got it past Kasaboski for the win.

While the win gave the Wildcats a 3-1 edge in the season series, Roy marveled at the progress of the team, since the 6-4 win in mid-October was GCU's first-ever over the Wildcats, and the other three games were all decided by one goal.

"Our four-game series with these guys all year long has been the best four we've played," said Roy. "It shows the growth of where we were, and where we're going. It tells us it's there for us. We know the process, and now, it's just committing to it."

The Lopes go from one intense rivalry to another as they'll continue this homestand next weekend, squaring off against Arizona State University Friday and Saturday, January 21 and 22 at AZ Ice Arcadia. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:30 pm both nights.