After trailing midway through the second period, men's ACHA DII ice hockey edged the University of Tampa 6-5 in their final game of the Lake Placid Fall Faceoff Invitational Sunday afternoon at USA Rink in Lake Placid, New York.

The Lions jumped in front early in the contest when Brock Hart hit the back of the net on a play set up by Ethan Christofferson and Logan Millhausen at 3:41, but roughing and slashing calls on Lindenwood at 5:05 gave the Spartans a five-on-three power play. Moments later, a Tampa penalty made it a four-on-three man-advantage chance, but the Spartans still capitalized at the seven-minute mark to tie the game 1-1. Hart struck again at 11:22 with help from Gavin Delfosse and Zac Maupin. Both teams had 10 shots on goal, but the Lions held a 2-1 lead at the first intermission.

The Spartans turned the tide in the first half of the second with two scores to take the lead. After Lindenwood went on the power play after a high sticking call against Tampa at 6:29, the Spartans stole the puck and scored an unassisted short-handed goal at 6:44. Just under three minutes later, they added an even-strength effort at 9:28 and led 3-2.

That lead was short-lived as Tampa gave the Lions a five-on-three power play just 30-seconds later. Lindenwood took advantage at 11:18 off the blade of Brandon Catalano, assisted by Hart and Nick Jones. Just over six-minutes later, Jones and Nick Puricelli set up Catalano for his second in a row to make it 4-3 Lions at 17:21. Lindenwood extended that advantage to 5-3 when Millhausen sounded the horn at 17:57, assisted by Finnigan Greeley and Easton Portner. It looked like the Lions had a comfortable lead, but a hooking penalty with 20-seconds remaining gave the Spartans a power play.

Time ran out in the second so that man-advantage carried into the third and Tampa scored just 44-seconds into the period to make it 5-4. With momentum clearly on the other side of the ice, matching minor and game misconduct calls set up a four-on-four scenario and the Spartans were ready. They scored at 3:42 and just like that, it was a 5-5 tie.

After shots on net were even in the opening frame, Tampa outshot Lindenwood 18-11 in the second and 13-8 in the third, but penalties and man-advantage chances ultimately made the difference. After the Spartans were called for tripping at 5:56, Hart completed his hat trick on the power play at 7:29 with help from Jones and Maupin, giving the Lions a 6-5 lead.
Tampa outshot Lindenwood overall 41-29, but Ethan Jourden stopped 36 of those 41 shots to earn the victory in goal.

With the win, the Lions swept all three games at the ACHA Lake Placid Fall Faceoff Invitational and have started the 2026-27 campaign with a 3-0 record. Lindenwood gets just four days off before hosting the University of Missouri in a two-game series September 25-26. The opening faceoff is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. Friday night and at 8:05 p.m. Saturday night at the Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, Missouri.