After seeing six games postponed or canceled in January and not playing at all in almost two months, the Lions were anything but rusty in a 9-0 shutout of Ohio University Friday evening in Central States Collegiate Hockey League (CSCHL) action at the Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, Missouri. 

Max Helgeson led the offense with his first Lindenwood hat trick and four points overall, and Zach Aughe scored his first collegiate goal for the Lions at the 7:17 mark of the opening period, assisted by Jackson Wosniak and Zach Martin, for the first score of the contest.  Helgeson started his great night at 9:02 when he netted a shot on a play set up by Caige Sterzer and Andy Willis.  Lindenwood increased its lead to 3-0 when Aiden Yakimchuk sounded the horn with help from Vegard Faret and Mitch Allard with just under five minutes remaining in the first.  It looked like that would be the score heading into the middle frame, but Kyle Jeffers had other ideas as he beat the clock with just two seconds remaining, assisted by Allard and Hayden Ursulak. 

The Lions increased their advantage to 5-0 when Sterzer and Willis again combined to set up Helgeson for his second of the game at the 7:58 mark of the second.  A goal from Faret came next with 8:18 remaining on a play set up by Allard and Blake Finley.  Ryan Finnegan and Jeffers worked the puck to David Gagnon with just over two minutes left and Lindenwood took a 7-0 lead to the third.

The Lions continued to find the back of the net, and the next came off the blade of Willis on a power play with help from Helgeson and Gagnon at the 3:02 mark.  The final Lindenwood goal of the game sealed the hat trick for Helgeson off a feed from Faret with 10:40 remaining in regulation. 

The Lions outshot the Bobcats 41-32 and Trent Burnham stopped all 32 pucks he faced to earn the win in goal.

With the victory, Lindenwood improved to 7-0-0 in the CSCHL and to 12-3-0 overall.  The Lions will go for the sweep when they host Ohio once again Saturday afternoon.  The puck drops at 3:10 p.m. at the Centene Community Ice Center.