From Lindenwood Athletics
Men’s ACHA Division II ice hockey fell to Utah State in a shootout 5-4 Sunday afternoon at the Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, Missouri. With the loss, Lindenwood split with the Aggies after taking the first game of the series 6-1 Saturday night.
The Lions are sure to be frustrated with the result on Sunday as they built two-goal leads in the first period and the second period, but in both cases, they couldn’t hold it, resulting in a 4-4 tie after regulation.
Neither team scored in the five-minute overtime session, so the contest was decided by a shootout. Utah State netted its first shot of the three, but Stanley Lucas responded to match the effort. The Aggies connected on their second shot, but Zac Maupin missed for Lindenwood. After Utah State failed on the third attempt, Sean McMahon was sent over the boards to try to tie the shootout at 2-2, but it was not to be, giving the Aggies the 5-4 victory.
The game started in promising fashion when Maupin sounded the horn on a power play at the 15:06 mark of the first, assisted by Nolan Kahl and Mason Kruger. Ryan Granville extended that margin to 2-0 at 17:51 on a play set up by Steve Avalone and Austin Meers. It appeared that the Lions were in control as time ticked down in the period, but tempers flared with 15-seconds remaining. The result was matching double-minors for roughing and 10-minute game misconduct penalties for Michael Mullen and Brett Robinson as well as two Utah State players.
The Aggies were clearly motivated at the beginning of the second as they scored twice in the first 3:14 to tie the game 2-2. The Lions settled down and quickly regained a two-goal advantage after Gage Vierzba split the pipes at 5:22 with help from Avalone and Ryan Granville, then Granville scored his third of the season off a feed from Adam Rischbieter at 10:29.
Lindenwood continued to pepper the Utah State goaltender with shots for the remainer of the game, but he stood tall. Meanwhile, the Aggies mounted their comeback with a goal at 13:39 of the second and they tied it at 5:49 of the third to set up the overtime and shootout.
The Lions outshot Utah State 57-16 overall, including 6-2 in the overtime. Dylan Bak stopped 11 of the 15 shots he faced in regulation and the extra session before suffering the shootout loss. Lindenwood scored once on three official power play chances while holding the Aggies scoreless on their three opportunities.
Just like the game on Sunday, the Lions pummeled the Utah State goaltender with pucks, outshooting the Aggies 51-13 overall and by a 26-3 margin in the second, a period during which Lindenwood pulled away with three goals leading to the eventual 6-1 victory.
Kahl opened scoring for the Lions late in the opening frame with a power play goal, set up by Kruger and Robinson at 19:12. Vierzba gave Lindenwood a 2-0 lead early in the second for his eighth of the season, assisted by Meers and Maupin at 2:49. Kruger made it 3-0 at 4:21 on a play set up by Bryce Leger and Eli Roofe at 4:21, and then Mullen connected for his ninth of the season at 14:52. Vierzba and Trent Sylvester earned the assists on the goal that increased the margin to 4-0.
Utah State broke the shutout at the 5:06 mark of the third after capitalizing on a Lions holding penalty, but Lindenwood finished with two more goals to seal the win. Kahl scored his 13th of the season off a feed from Granville at 7:15, then Lucas netted his ninth with help from Mullen and Tinsley at 8:43.
Ethan Paulin-Hatch stopped 12 of the 13 pucks he faced to earn the win in goal. The Lions went 1/2 on the power play while holding the Aggies to a goal on three chances.
With the series split, Lindenwood is now 16-5 on the season. The Lions wrap up their fall campaign with a two-game series against the University of St. Thomas December 8-9 at home. The opening faceoff is scheduled for 7:50 p.m. Friday night and at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night at the Centene Community Ice Center.
(Originally published at https://lindenwoodlions.com/news/2023/12/3/mens-ice-hockey-acha-dii-mens-acha-d2-hockey-loses-in-shootout-thriller-for-series-split.aspx)
