The Lindenwood women's ACHA division II ice hockey team returned to action Saturday night and secured a huge 2-0 victory over the Grand Valley State Lakers at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, Missouri. It was the first game the Lions played in over a month and with only a third of the schedule remaining, a win was just what the Lions needed to start the new year off on the right foot. The win was a momentum builder for the Lions as it snapped a four-game winless skid dating back to last November.

This game was one of the better performances put on by Lindenwood all season, and it started from the drop of the puck. The Lions dictated play right off the hop and were able to sustain offensive pressure for much of the first period. The first- and game-winning goal- came just 2:57 into the first period when Katelynn Weeks netted her first goal of the season thanks to feeds from Ava Bilton and Saskia Fuchs. The assist was Bilton's seventh and Fuchs' third of the year. Lindenwood continued to dominate most of the period, putting 14 shots on goal to the Lakers' mere five.

The two squads were more evenly matched in the second period. The Lakers outshot the Lions 16-15, but no goals were scored by either side. The score remained 1-0 going into the third.

With the score tight, the Lions needed some insurance. That is exactly what they got from Devyn Doti when she scored her second goal of the season while on the power play. Kailey Keller and Kenzie Cameron found Doti on a beautifully drawn set play, extending the Lindenwood lead to 2-0. For Keller, it was her fifth assist on the year and for Cameron, her third. The Lions were once again the better team for this period, outshooting the Lakers 13-7 and their two-goal lead held for the remainder of the contest.

Evi Allerding dazzled in net, making all 28 possible saves and earning the win. The Lions' intense offensive pressure was certainly a key to their success Saturday night. Lindenwood put 42 shots on net and dominated possession time for much of the game. With the victory, the Lions record improves to 9-11-2 and 8-7 at home. The Lions hope to replicate their success on Sunday afternoon when they do battle with the Lakers once again. Puckdrop is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Centene Community Ice Center.