After starting the season 0-4, women’s ACHA hockey earned its first win of the season on Friday against the University of Minnesota Gophers.
Late in the first period at 18:12, the Lions would get on the board first with a goal by Loki Antonio, good for her fourth of the season. Madison Teague and Ava Bilton were both credited with the assists.
Lindenwood got a late power play in the second period, and with just seven seconds left in the period, the Lions scored again. Teague found the back of the net, while Antonio and Ardyn Hawryshko earned the assists, making it 2-0 Lions.
The third period saw all of the pressure on the Lions and all of the momentum with the Gophers. At 6:36, the Gophers got a goal to make the score 2-1, but thanks to the Lions goalie Erica Didocha, that is where the score stayed.
The Gophers outshot the Lions 37-32 in the game and Didocha was magnificent in the win, stopping 36 of 37 Gopher shots.
Game two Between the Lions and the Gophers saw more offense for both teams. The Lions got a goal early on at 3:37 scored by Antonio, with Bilton and Saskia Fuchs with the assists on the goal. Then at 11:38, Lions freshman Graece Fowler scored her first collegiate goal, assisted by Ardyn Hawryshko and Hilary Pearce to make it 2-0. Then at 13:18, on the power play, Devyn Doti potted her first goal of the season, assisted by Kailey Keller and Fowler to make it 3-0.
Early in the second, the Gophers would answer within the first two minutes to make it 2-1. However, at 7:40, Antonio would score her second of the game to go back up by three goals. With under two minutes to play in the period, the Gophers would score to make it 4-2.
In the third period, the Lions made sure that the Gophers could not make a comeback. At 8:03 Teague would score an unassisted goal to make it 5-2. Then at 10:10, Fuchs would score her first of the season to make it 6-2. Then at 15:19, Antonio would score her third goal of the game and seventh of the season to make it 7-2. The Gophers would add a goal late, but the Lions won the game 7-3 and earn the sweep.
The Lions were outshot by the Gophers 39-38 despite the win. Lions goalie, Jordan Tung stopped 36 of 39 Gopher shots in the win.
The last game of the weekend saw Lindenwood face off against the University of Rhode Island. This was a power play goal feast for the Lions, and it started early on. At 5:53 on the power play, Ardyn Hawryshko netted a goal, assisted by both Fowler and Kenzie Cameron. Then again at 14:06, on the power play, Hawryshko scored again assisted by Teague and Antonio to make it 2-0 after the first period.
The second was much of the same for the Lions. Early on in the period, another power play goal was scored. This time it was Pearce, assisted by Teague and Antonio. Then two minutes later, at 5:09, the Lions scored their only even strength goal of the game. Hawryshko netted her third of the game giving her a hat trick, assisted by Teague and Pearce. Then with less than a minute left in the second, Antonio made it 5-0 with another power play goal, assisted by Teague and Pearce. The goal was Antonio’s eighth of the season.
Less than a minute into the third, the Lions would add yet another power play goal. Teague gets the goal to go with her big game, assisted by Antonio and Pearce to make it 6-0, and that is where it stayed.
The Lions outshot Rhode Island 59-19 in the dominating win. The Lions also got their first shutout of the season, with help from goalie Evi Allerding, stopping all 19 shots that she faced.
The team has now improved to 3-4 on the season. The Lions next games are Saturday Oct. 19th and Sunday Oct. 20th against the University of Michigan-Dearborn at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, Missouri.
