After beginning the weekend with a convincing 10-3 victory over Schoolcraft College on Friday, men's ACHA DII ice hockey was tested in the final two games but emerged with an 8-2 win over Denver on Saturday night and a 4-3 overtime win on Sunday against Ohio University Sunday afternoon at the Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, Missouri.

The weekend finale against the Bobcats had everything you could want in a competitive hockey game: two evenly matched teams, physical play, multiple comebacks, overtime, and a Lions victory.

Lindenwood took an early lead in the contest when Nick Jones scored his 15^th of the season off a nice pass from Chase McClellan at the 3:02 mark of the first. The Lions maintained the slim 1-0 lead through the rest of the period and halfway through the second when Ohio tied it on an even-strength play at 9:26. It remained knotted 1-1 until early in the third when Gavin Delfosse sounded the horn on a play set up by Zach Maupin and Finnigan Greeley at 2:29 to give Lindenwood a 2-1 advantage. If it hadn't been already, it really became an interesting and physical game from there.

After a 10-minute game misconduct penalty on the goal, the Bobcats were called for roughing at 3:52. It only took 11 seconds for Brock Hart to get the power play goal, assisted by Delfosse and Austin Meers for a 3-1 lead. Matching minors were called at 6:49, holding on Ohio and roughing on the Lions, to set up four-on-four play. The Bobcats took advantage and cut their deficit to 3-2 at 8:22. With Lindenwood defending the one-goal lead, tempers flared again, this time from the Lions coaching staff, resulting in a bench minor. That was just the opening that Ohio needed to tie the game 3-3 at 14:37.

Lindenwood pressured the Bobcats hard in the final moments but could not get the lead back despite outshooting Ohio 17-5 in the final 20 minutes of regulation, sending the game to overtime. More open ice benefitted the offenses but it was the Lions defense that turned the tide. Easton Portner stole the puck and raced in for an unassisted game-winner just 53 seconds into the extra session to give Lindenwood the 4-3 win.

The Lions outshot Ohio 31-23 overall and Justin Grenon stopped 20 of the 23 shots he faced to earn the victory in goal.  

Despite the lopsided final score, Lindenwood was pushed a bit on Saturday by the University of Denver. The Lions only managed a 2-1 lead through the first two periods before blowing things open in the third.

Delfosse opened scoring for Lindenwood at 14:25 of the first with help from Gage Vierzba and Jake Lange. The Lions were called for tripping early in the second and the Pioneers capitalized with a power play goal at 3:06. It remained 1-1 until McClellan split the pipes at 11:12 on a play set up by Hart and Robert Walby. Lindenwood took control from there.

A boarding penalty on Denver early in the third gave Meers a chance on the power play and he cashed it in, assisted by Jones and Hart at 2:47. Greeley set up Delfosse less than a minute later to make it 4-1 Lions. After the Pioneers scored their second of the contest at 5:21 to make it 4-2, Lindenwood posted four unanswered. Jones netted the first on the power play at 7:18, assisted by Louko, after a Denver slashing penalty. Jones struck again at even-strength at 11:39. Jake Lange and Corbin Rexroad earned the assists on the play to make it 6-2. McClellan fed Vierzba at 16:09 and then Jones completed his hat trick off a feed from Greeley at 17:57 to make it 8-2 which proved to be the final score.

The Lions outshot the Pioneers 51-14 and Jordan Behnen stopped 12 of the 14 pucks he faces to get the victory in goal.

With the three weekend wins, Lindenwood has started its season with 11 straight and now has an overall streak dating back to last season of 18 in a row.  The Lions will put that on the line when they play three games as part of the Lindenwood Showcase November 14-16. They will face Florida Gulf Coast at 1:45 p.m. Friday, Liberty University at 1 p.m. Saturday, and Montana State at 2:45 p.m. on Sunday. The Eagles gave Lindenwood one of its three losses last season in Florida, but the Lions won two-out-of-three meetings during the 2024-25 campaign overall, including a 5-1 win in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Men's DII National Championship semifinals. All Lindenwood Showcase games will be played at the Centene Community Ice Center.