ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University men's hockey team dropped a tight contest with fellow nationally ranked Aurora University by the score of 2-0, finishing the weekend series with a split.

The Thunder, who are currently ranked 12^th by both USCHO.com and DIII Hockey News, won last night's contest against the second ranked Spartans by the score of 4-2. That game ended with tensions rising on both sides of the ice, hinting at a rough contest for today.

The hints seemed misplaced in the first period, with both teams trading punches, but never finding the back of the net. Both goalies in the contest made their share of strong saves. Peyton Grainer made the start for the Thunder for the second night in a row. He finished with 23 crucial saves, while allowing just one goal.

The Spartans scored the first goal of the game in the 19^th minute of the second period, taking a 1-0 lead into the third. That score held into the final minute of play, when The Thunder pulled Grainer for the extra attacker. Aurora made a couple long range shots at the empty net, with the last one coming with 13 seconds remaining in the contest. The empty net goal gave them their final 2-0 lead.

Despite the loss there was good news for Trine following the contest. With weekend results from the conference slate, the team has secured a place in the final Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) Harris Cup Playoffs. 

The Thunder fall to 13-6-2 overall and 9-3-2 after the loss. They currently sit third in the NCHA standings and still have a chance to finish as high as first. Next week the team will host Marian University for a pair of games. The first is scheduled for Friday, February 6 at 7 p.m.