The Aurora University men's hockey team was victorious in the 2025-2026 NCAA Tournament quarterfinal round, defeating Endicott College 3-2 in a fierce double-OT battle. With the win the Spartans head to the Frozen Four for the first time is program history. The Spartans scored midway through the third period to tie the game at two goals a piece. It took two overtime periods, but Spartan Andrew Schultz scored the golden goal to send AU to the Frozen Four. 
 

FINAL SCORE: #4 Aurora University 3, #3 Endicott College 2 - 2 overtimes
LOCATION: Beverly, Massachusetts
RECORDS: #4 Aurora University 25-5-1 overall , Endicott University 21-4-3 overall


- Matt O'Donnell recorded 56 saves to earn the win for the Spartans. Those saves over five periods were a career high.
- AU improved their record to 25-5-1 with the victory, breaking the program record for wins in a season.
- The Spartans advancing to the Frozen Four for the first time in program history.


- AU came out in the first period ready for the fight.
- At 3:33 into the game, Jakson Kirk put the Spartans on the board with help from Chayce Schmidt.
- That was Kirk's 23rd goal of the year and 49th of his career as he continues to build on the already AU single-season and career records.
- Responding quickly, just two minutes late, were the Gulls with a goal at 5:14 in the first.
- Both teams would go shot-for-shot for the remainder of the period, ultimately coming up empty.
- No power-play opportunities in the first period for either team would then give way to a second period full of power-plays throughout.
- Just 2:44 into the second, a Spartan penalty put Endicott on the power-play.
- With only 24 seconds left on the penalty kill, the Gulls used their advantage to go up 2-1 over AU.
- Even with a combined three more penalties, neither team could score with Spartan goalie Matt O'Donnell collecting his 16 of his 34 saves thus far.
- Endicott would enter the third period leading 2-1.
- Back and forth action continued to start the final period of regulation.
- Then at 8:13 into the period, Jaden Davis scored a huge goal to tie the game at two goals a piece. He was assisted by Hassan Akl and Ryder Many Grey Horses.
- The goalies for both squads put in the work tonight as each team continued to take shot after shot with no success.
- The first three periods of regulation weren't enough, as time expired with the score tied 2-2.
- O'Donnell would enter the first overtime period with 46 saves, already a career high for the Spartan junior.
- The first period of overtime again gave way to either team, but with 1:06 left on the clock, a delay of game penalty was handed to the Gulls.
- AU wasn't able to use that minute in the first period of overtime, so now, we head to a second overtime, the fifth period of the day.
- Both squads clearly showing their fatigue going into this fifth period, this now the longest game in AU program history.
- AU entered this fifth period with 54 seconds still on the power-play.
- That did not as in the third minute of the period, everything changed.
- Andrew Shultz scored the golden goal to send the Spartans to the Frozen Four in the NCAA Division III Men's Hockey Tournament. 
- Shultz was assisted by Kirk and Lukas Sedlacek on this historic goal. 
- The Spartans won 3-2 over Endicott in double overtime, sending them to Utica, New York for the Frozen Four.


POINTS: Jakson Kirk (2)
GOALS: Jaden Davis, Jakson Kirk, and Andrew Schultz (1)
ASSISTS: Jakson Kirk, Ryder Many Grey Horses, Chayce Schmidt, Lukas Sedlacek, and Hassan Akl (1)
SAVES: Matt O'Donnell (56)


Next action for the Spartan men's hockey team comes on Friday, March 27 when they travel for the Frozen Four of the NCAA Division III Men's Hockey Tournament. AU is set to take on Hamilton College for a 3:00 p.m. (est) / 2:00 p.m. (cst) puck drop in Utica, New York.