Well, well, well. Look who decided to show up and play hockey! Kutztown University, sitting at a brutal 4-11 record entering Friday night, just went ahead and pulled off one of the most shocking upsets of the ACHA season by taking down Drexel 2-1 at Exton Power Play Rinks. The Golden Bears, who’ve been getting their teeth kicked in all season, suddenly remembered they actually know how to put the puck in the net when it matters most.
The hero of the night? None other than Gaven Mollenkof, who’s been quietly having a solid season with 2 goals and 12 assists in 10 games coming into this one. The kid picked the perfect time to find the back of the net, potting what turned out to be the game-winner in this defensive slugfest. Mollenkof has been more of a playmaker this year, but sometimes you’ve got to take matters into your own hands, and that’s exactly what he did.
Braeden Janson also got in on the action for Kutztown, scoring his second goal of the season after coming into the game with just 1 goal and 4 assists in 5 games. For a team that’s struggled to find offensive consistency all year, getting production from multiple sources was absolutely crucial. The supporting cast did their job too, with Josh Bower, Chase Canestra, and Griffin Carpenter each picking up assists to round out a balanced offensive attack.
But let’s be real here – this game was won between the pipes. Caleb Dinsdale stood on his absolute head for Kutztown, turning away 35 of 38 shots for a stellar .921 save percentage. When you’re facing a higher-division opponent like Drexel, you need your goalie to steal you some points, and Dinsdale did exactly that. The kid was seeing pucks like beach balls and making saves that had no business being made.
What makes this win even sweeter for Kutztown is that they did it against a team they probably had no business beating on paper. At 4-11, the Golden Bears have been searching for any kind of momentum this season, and this upset victory could be exactly what they needed to turn things around. Sometimes all it takes is one big win to change the entire trajectory of a season.
The ECHC just got a whole lot more interesting, folks. If Kutztown can play with this kind of heart and determination moving forward, they might not be the easy two points everyone thought they were. Drexel learned that lesson the hard way on Friday night, and something tells me they won’t be the last team to underestimate these Golden Bears.