DEARBORN, Mich. -- In a thrilling matchup on Friday (Jan. 17), the University of Michigan-Dearborn men's ice hockey team secured a hard-fought 4-2 victory over Aquinas College at the UM-Dearborn Ice Arena.

The game started with Aquinas striking first just as the clock started when Arseniy Malyutin found the back of the net with an assist from Brendan Bourne, putting the visitors up 1-0. The Wolverines responded in the second period with a strong offensive display, scoring three consecutive goals to take control of the game.

Matt Cunningham opened the scoring for Michigan-Dearborn at 6:06 of the second period, assisted by Ryan Teets. Just two minutes later, Bailey Byrd followed up with another goal, courtesy of Jake Emery, sending the home crowd into a frenzy as they took a 2-1 lead. With less than five minutes to go in the period, Max Hartwell extended that lead to 3-1 with a power play goal, assisted by Byrd and Connor Hasse.

Aquinas made a push to close the gap, with Alex Johnson netting his own goal at 5:05 in the second period, but the Wolverines held their composure and maintained their lead. In the closing moments of the game, Bailey Byrd sealed the victory with an empty-net goal at 19:23 of the third period, making it a final score of 4-2.

Michigan-Dearborn's offensive efforts were highlighted by a standout performance from Bailey Byrd, who scored two goals and tallied an assist. Matt Cunningham and Max Hartwell also contributed significantly, each scoring crucial goals. The Wolverines outshot Aquinas 44 to 32, showcasing their offensive dominance throughout the contest.

Wolverines' goalie Drew Adams held strong between the pipes, making 30 saves on 32 shots to earn the victory. On the other side, Aquinas' Randon Striplin recorded 40 saves but could not fend off the relentless Wolverines' attack. This victory improves Michigan-Dearborn's record to 12-13-0 overall and 10-6 in league play, while Aquinas falls to 6-17-3 overall and 5-7-3 in conference matchups.