The Chesterfield Valley has a way of amplifying moments, and Sunday night at the Maryville Ice Center delivered another chapter in a rivalry that continues to define the standard of ACHA hockey in St. Louis. Entering the building unbeaten at 22-0-0 and riding a 29-game winning streak, the Lions knew exactly what waited for them against a Saints squad that handed them their last loss nearly a year ago. When the final horn sounded 60 minutes later, Lindenwood skated off the ice with a familiar feeling, but this time in dramatic fashion.
 
From the opening faceoff, the Lions dictated pace and possession, tilting the ice with speed through the neutral zone and sustained pressure in the Saints zone. Chances came early and often, but the scoreboard remained stubbornly blank. Maryville seized the first break of the night when a puck became tangled in the skates of Brock Hart. He couldn't recover quickly enough, springing a Saints two-on-one. The Saints converted on the rush at the 8:49 mark of the first period to grab a 1-0 lead.
 
Despite trailing, Lindenwood didn't blink. The Lions forecheck stayed heavy, their spacing clean, and the breakthrough came off a hard, honest drive to the blue paint. Freshman Alex Cameron, a mid-semester addition, drove the net and to get a stick on a feed from captain Chase McClellan. Carter Walby earned the secondary assist as Lindenwood tied the game 1-1 with 8:55 left in the opening frame. The period ended even on the scoreboard but lopsided for shots on goal, 13-7 in favor of the Lions.
 
The second period followed the same script, with different punctuation. After Lindenwood netminder Cole Wheaton made a highlight-reel save, Maryville struck first again at 2:33 after capitalizing on a second-chance opportunity to regain a 2-1 lead. Once again, the Lions answered almost immediately. Junior forward Austin Meers showed elite hand-eye coordination, batting a rebound out of mid-air past Kyle Spann to tie the game. Grant Fowlkes and Nick Jones picked up the assists on a goal that perfectly captured the Lions relentless net-front presence. At the second intermission, the score was knotted 2-2, with Lindenwood owning a commanding 38-17 edge in shots.
 
The third period brought chaos, tension, and ultimately, a payoff. A slow change led to a Saints breakaway and a 3-2 Maryville lead with 10:19 remaining, threatening to snap the Lions historic run. The response came from a familiar place and a meaningful one. Former Chesterfield Falcon Gage Vierzba, playing in the rink where he grew up, ripped a wrister bar-down from the slot to tie the game with 7:25 left, igniting the Lindenwood faithful.
 
The winner arrived in heart-stopping fashion. Meers drove the net and drew a trip, the puck worked loose behind the Saints cage, and Vierzba dug it free to find junior defenseman Brett Robinson crashing the net. Robinson snapped one low-glove past Spann with just 10.5 seconds remaining, sealing a 4-3 Lions victory.
 
With the victory, the Lions improved to 23-0-0 for the current season and extended their winning streak to 30 straight dating back to the end of last season. The Lions now turn their attention to the Miami (Ohio) University Showcase January 23-25. Lindenwood is scheduled to play Florida Gulf Coast at 7:40 EST on Friday and Liberty University at 5:40 EST on Saturday. The Lions will then play at 9 a.m. EST or 12 p.m. EST against either the host Redhawks, or the Flames, or the Eagles. All three games will be played at the Goggin Ice Center in Oxford, Ohio.