The women’s ACHA Hockey team traveled to Maryville University to take on the Saints in a two game series that started on Friday night. Coming into this series the Lions had a record of 8-10-1 on the season. The Lions would end game one in a tie and lose in a nail biting game two.
The opening period of this game was really tight checking with not a whole lot of scoring chances on either end of the ice. However, on one of the early scoring chances for Maryville they would score on a goal by Alycia Ross at 1:21. The score would remain 1-0 going into the second. The Saints outshot the Lions 8-7 in the period.
The second period was a complete 180 from the first period with a total of six goals being scored. Finding the back of the net first was Maryville at 3:02 with a goal by Colleen O’Leary to take a 2-0 lead. Then less than a minute later, the Lions would get on the board with a goal by Kenzie Cameron assisted by Hilary Pearce. The Saints would extend the lead at 8:06 with an unassisted effort by Brooklyn Gillings. Late in the second period the Lions power play would go to work, and not strike just once or twice, but three times. First at 14:38 Ardyn Hawryshko would score, assisted by Loki Antonio and Madison Teague. Then at 16:40 Ava Bilton would score, assisted by Antonio and Teague to tie the game. Then at 18:56 Antonio would give the Lions the lead assisted by Hawryshko and Bilton. The Lions would head into the third with the lead. The Saints outshot the Lions 13-11 in the second period.
The third period saw a lot of offensive zone pressure by the Saints looking for the game tying goal, and eventually they would get it. At 11:08 on the power play Sophie Brennan would score. The game would stay tied and it headed to overtime. The Saints outshot the Lions 18-4 in the third.
The overtime was completely dominated by the Lions but they could not find the back of the net, meaning the game ended in a 4-4 tie. In overtime the Lions outshot the Saints 7-0, However the Saints outshot the Lions 39-29 for the game. Lions goalie Erica Didocha played well stopping 35 of 39 shots that she faced in the tie.
The second game of the series on Sunday started out quick for the Lions. In her final game as a Lion, Antonio opened the scoring at 5:06 assisted by Teague and Hawryshko. The Saints would answer back quickly at 8:24 with a goal by Sydney Poisson. The game would stay tied at one heading into the second period. The Saints outshot the Lions 16-10 in the opening period.
Three minutes into the second period on the power play the Lions would take the lead back thanks to a goal by Cameron assisted by Kailey Keller and Devyn Doti. At 11:06 Maryville would tie it up again with a goal by Sarah Brooks. However, while shorthanded at 15:18 the Lions would get a goal by Teague unassisted. Then a minute later the back and fourth continued as the Saints would score a power play goal by Chloe Tenboer. The game would head to the third tied at three. The Saints outshot the Lions 14-5 in the second.
Around five minutes into the third period, the Saints would score to take the lead on another goal by brooks. The final goal of the game for Lions was scored by Antonio at 11:37 assisted by Cameron. The game-winning goal was scored by Maryville at 14:46 by Poisson. Both teams had 10 shots in the third period. The Lions would lose this game by a final of 5-4. Lions goalie Evi Allerding stopped 35 out of 40 shots in the loss.
This series was the last for star player Loki Antonio who amassed 25 goals and 17 assists this season for a total of 42 points in only 21 games for an average of two points a game. In her career as a Lion she ended with 51 goals and 56 assists for a total of 107 points in 75 games played.
The Lions now sit with a record of 8-11-1 on the season. The Lions get a nice holiday break and will return to action Jan. 18th and 19th when they take on Grand Canyon University at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights Missouri.
