DOMINIC HOSCHER | Reporter
The Lindenwood men’s ice hockey team has gotten off to an electric start to the new season, winning their opening five games by a combined score of 34-7.
No team has come close to the Lions on the ice so far in 2018, including the previously undefeated Iowa State Cyclones, after falling to Lindenwood both Saturday and Sunday.
A multi-goal and assist day for forward Tommy Heinzman led the Lions to a 7-3 win over the Cyclones, wrapping up the sweep for Lindenwood.
Heinzman opened the scoring for the Lions, after receiving the pass from defender Austin Wilk. Lindenwood’s winger collected the puck to the left of the goal, and blasted his slap shot past the Cyclones’ goaltender Matt Goedeke. Doubling the Lions’ lead was forward Caleb Ernst, who received the puck in the neutral zone and drove the puck in between two opposing defenders and slotted his wrist shot into the back of the net.
Already with one assist of the day, Wilk passed it to defender Aapo Nurminen who carried the puck with him past one Cyclone down the left side of the ice, and fired his shot home despite facing a tough angle. From the top face-off circle, forward Alex Kalau was left alone and knocked in Lindenwood’s fourth goal of the day.
Off a favorable Lions bounce, forward Ryan Finnegan hit in the rebound after Goedeke’s save to give the hosts their fifth goal of the contest. Then, Heinzman got the puck on the blue line and was given plenty of space, which he used to his advantage, finding the back of the net for the second time in the game.
Their seventh and last goal came on a scramble in front of the net.
Against a strong program, Lindenwood won by a final of 7-3 to finish off the sweep of the Cyclones. They outscored the visitors 12-4 in the two games.
The Lions are now a perfect 6-0 on the season, and have another tough matchup on the schedule next weekend when they host the University of Oklahoma, who is currently #1 in the Western Collegiate Hockey League with a 7-0-1 record.
