MIDDLETOWN, CT. – Scoring his first goals of the season to tie the game up in the final minutes of regulation, Andrew Haxton '28 led the Wesleyan men's ice hockey team to their first shootout of the season, ultimately falling to Salve Regina University. Tied 2-2 after overtime, Salve came up with two out of three goals in the shootout to walk away with the victory on Friday night from Spurrier-Snyder Arena.

Down two goals with two and a half minutes remaining in the final period, Haxton, with the help of a sixth skater as the Cardinals pulled goaltender Patrick McDevitt '28, cut the Seahawks' lead in half with his first goal of the season. With a scrum in front of McDevitt, Haxton batted a high-flying puck out of the air and over the shoulder of Cayden Bailey after the puck deflected off the stick of Ethan Davidson.

A minute later, Haxton tied the game with a short-handed goal as the Cardinals were a man down on a boarding call. Forcing a turnover in their own zone to clear, Daniel Lurie '26 cleared the puck out to the blue line where Owen Sweet '25 was waiting in the wings. With Haxton charging down the right wall, Sweet made the final pass as Haxton fired from the right faceoff circle, the puck sailing behind Bailey. Sweet also managed a touch on Haxton's first goal, marking a two-point night. Haxton nearly had a hattrick in the third period as the puck landed on the goal line but was knocked out by a Seahawk defender.

The Seahawks jumped early with an aggressive game despite the shooting edge the Cardinals held them to all night. The opening goal went to Jonathan Hammel less than five minutes into action, but the Seahawks would be held without a goal until the third period. Logan Calder gave the Seahawks a two-goal lead on the power play as the Cardinals were held for goaltender interference.

Tied up at the end of regulation time, both teams would remain without a game-winning goal through five minutes of overtime. For the first time this season the Cardinals entered the best of three shootout to decide their fate. Haxton scored on Bailey as the second skater, but the Seahawks would come away with the victory as both Hammel and Calder scored again for the 2-1 shootout final.

Hayden Hanes '27 and Tanner Kontir '27 both won 10 draws from the faceoff circle to lead the Cardinals in their first outing of 2025.

In goal, McDevitt finished the evening with 25 saves. Bailey earned the win with 30 saves.

The Cardinals return to action on Saturday, Jan. 4, when they host Plattsburgh State at 7 p.m.