From Lindenwood University Athletics
Men’s ACHA Division II ice hockey completed a three-game sweep at the Lindenwood Showcase with a 7-3 win over Iowa Saturday night and a 9-2 victory against DePaul University Sunday afternoon at the Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, Missouri.
In the concluding contest against the Blue Demons, Brett Robinson put the Lions on the board first when he scored his fourth of the season on a play set up by Steve Avalone and Chase McClellan at 3:46 in the first, but DePaul answered just under two minutes later to tie things at 1-1.
Lindenwood controlled the period from there with three unanswered goals, the first coming off the blade of McClellan unassisted at 8:05. After a Blue Demons tripping penalty, Sam Watson capitalized with a power play goal, assisted by Avalone and Jacob Behnen at 14:46. Watson made it back-to-back scores when he split the pipes again with 52-seconds remaining with help from Michael Mullen and Behnen and it was 4-1 Lions heading to the second.
Lindenwood scored another power play goal midway through the period when Robinson netted his second of the contest at 9:49 to make it 5-1. Watson and Sean McMahon earned the assists. Zac Maupin then scored his seventh of the season on a play set up by Gage Vierzba and McClellan at 11:41 and the Lions carried a 6-1 lead into the final 20-minutes.
DePaul scored early in the third to cut the deficit to 6-2, but Lindenwood tacked on another three before the end of regulation. Maupin sounded the horn for his second of the game just 11-seconds later on a play set up by Austin Meers and Vierzba. As the game-clock was winding down, McClellan beat the goaltender at 17:07 to make it 8-2. Watson earned his 10th assist while Mullen picked up the secondary. The final goal came from Stanley Lucas off a feed from Anthony Tinsley at 18:27.
The Lions outshot the Blue Demons 59-31 and Justin Grenon stopped 29 of the 31 shots he faced to earn the win in goal. Lindenwood went 2/2 on the power play while holding DePaul scoreless on four man-advantage chances.
In the Saturday night game, the Hawkeyes jumped in front early, but the Lions countered with the equalizer midway through the opening period when Nolan Kahl split the pipes for his eighth of the season with help from Mullen and Kruger at 9:32. McClellan gave Lindenwood the lead for good at 17:04 on a play set up by Praveen Dhaliwal and Eli Roofe.
The Lions controlled the second period, outshooting Iowa 18-4 and scoring four-straight. The first came from Austin Meers at 5:14. Vierba and Brett Robinson accounted for the assists on the play. Vierba than turned goal-scorer at 9:45 off a pass from Robinson and it was 4-1 Lindenwood. Lucas then went back-to-back, netting the first on a power play at 17:29, set up by Mullen and Kruger. The second came at even strength with 11-seconds remaining on a play created by Kruger and McMahon and the Lions led 6-1.
Iowa outscored Lindenwood in the final frame, but there was still no doubt about the eventual outcome. McMahon made it 7-1 Lions with 13:17 left in regulation, assisted by Behnen and Kruger, and the Hawkeyes scored twice in the final 12-minutes, the first on a power play and the second at even strength.
Lindenwood outshot Iowa 49-26 and Ethan Paulin-Hatch stopped 23 of the 26 pucks he faced to get the victory in goal. The Lions went 1/4 on the power play and the Hawkeyes scored once on three man-advantage chances.
With the wins, Lindenwood improved to 10-1 on the season. The Lions host Miami (Ohio) University October 27-28. The opening faceoff is set for 8:10 p.m. Friday night and at 7:40 p.m. Saturday night at Centene Community Ice Center.
(Originally published at https://lindenwoodlions.com/news/2023/10/23/mens-ice-hockey-acha-dii-mens-acha-d2-hockey-sweeps-three-games-at-lindenwood-showcase.aspx)
