The Hope College men's hockey team poses with the 2025 ACHA national championship trophy. Robyn Schut/Hope College
In stunning fashion, the Hope College men’s hockey team made its final American Collegiate Hockey Association game at the Division 3 level un-four-gettable.
The Flying Dutchmen stunned top-ranked Air Force Academy with five third-period goals on Saturday in St. Louis, Missouri, skating away with the program’s fourth and final ACHA Division 3 national championship.
Hope, which previously won national titles in 2022, 2021 and 2018, finished this season with a 35-4-1 record. The Flying Dutchmen are moving up to the ACHA Division 1 level for the 2025-26 season.
After a successful penalty kill early in the third period, Hope cut the Air Force lead to 3-2 on the first three goals from senior defenseman Nolan Holtrop (Walker, Michigan / Kenowa Hills HS) at the 6:04 mark. Freshman right wing Brady Kingsbury (Saginaw, Michigan / Michigan International Prep) and senior defenseman Casen Faustyn (Okemos, Michigan / Okemos) were credited with assists.
Kingsbury delivered the equalizer 6 ½ minutes later on assists from freshman left wing Cade Pratt (Byron Center, Michigan / Byron Center) and junior center Jake Onstott (Zeeland, Michigan / Grand Rapids Catholic Central).
Hope then had Air Force scrambling and trailing, 5-3, with two goals in 31 seconds.
At the 13:28 mark, sophomore right wing Griffin Riemersma (Grand Haven, Michigan / Grand Haven) netted the game-winner off assists from sophomore center Jake Nanna (Muskegon, Michigan / Mona Shores) and junior forward Brenden Tarpening (Fenton, Michigan / Flint Powers Catholic).
At the 13:59 mark, Holtrop made it a two-goal game off assists from Pratt and sophomore defenseman Collin Peal (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Grand Rapids Christian).
Holtrop iced the victory with an empty-goal goal at the 17:41 mark.
The Flying Dutchmen outshot Air Force by a 38-30 margin, including a 17-9 edge during the third period.
Senior goalie Maclane Schick (Kohler, Wisconsin / Kohler) stopped 27 shots.
The title game appearance was Hope’s fourth in five years and eighth since 2010. The Flying Dutchmen finished national runner-up four times in that stretch and five times overall.
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