The Lindenwood Men’s NCAA hockey team made program history on Friday night at Centene Community Ice Center in St. Charles when they stunned fifth-ranked Denver in a thrilling 4-3 win. The Lions battled hard to secure the first win against Denver in program history showing how far the program has come. Although the Lions dropped Saturday’s game 4-0, the weekend split proved they can go toe-to-toe with the nations best talling their second win against a ranked team.
Friday’s game had everything, intensity, momentum, and a fired up home crowd. After a scoreless first period, it was not long before Olivier Houde got the Lions on the board at 7:47 into the second finishing a set up from Giovanni Morneau and Jake Southgate. Denver quickly responded back with two goals at 11:03 and 11:47 but Lindenwood did not back down. Just over a minute later, Ty Hipkin buried one at 13:03, assisted by Brady Yakesh and Connor Gengle tying the game up heading into the third period.
In the final period, the Lions showed immense composure. With three minutes left, Jacob Fletcher made a huge unassisted play at 17:23 into the period giving Lindenwood the 3-2 lead. Adam Raesler sealed the win for the Lions with an empty net goal at 18:34 assisted by Ethan Elias before Denver tacked on late at 19:06.
Lindenwood’s Head Coach Keith Fisher could not have been prouder after the game stating ” The guys stuck with their game for 60 minutes.” He stated “We fell behind 2-1, and then the next shift tied it up 2-2. Thats a big shift, and unbelievable play by Fletcher to put us up late.”
Fisher said the win came down to belief and teamwork. “They’re starting to believe in what we’re doing and believe in eachother,” he said. “I told them last weekend, you’re a good team if you play together and they’re starting to see success in that.”
In goal, Klayton Knapp was rock solid, making several key saves to keep Lindenwood in it. Fisher praised his poise, noting, “He gave us a chance to win tonight and made key saves at key times.”
Saturday’s game was a different story, as Denver came out determined to respond to the prior nights game. The Pioneers scored just 76 seconds into the game and never looked back. They added goals from Jake Fisher, Sam Harris, and Samu Salminen to take a 4-0 win. Even with the loss, the Lions battled hard, blocking shots and creating chanced that showed they’re not backing down from anyone.
Friday’s upset over Denver was more than just a win – it was a statement. The Lions proved they belong on the big stage, and Coach Fisher’s group looks ready to keep building on that momentum.
