Series Notes
- Lindenwood opens the 2013-14 season with a two-game home series against Bemidji State. The series will be taking place a new location as the two games will be played at the St. Peters Rec-Plex.
- The Lady Lions are beginning their third season of NCAA play, including their second with a full NCAA Division I schedule.
- Lindenwood is also in its second season as a member of College Hockey America. The Lady Lions were picked to finish fifth in the CHA preseason poll.
- Lindenwood returns 13 letterwinners from last season, including its starting goalie and nine of the ten players on its top two lines.
- The Lady Lions added 12 newcomers to the roster over the offseason, including 10 freshmen who are expected to see the ice this year.
- Lindenwood and Bemidji State have met just once before, with the Beavers winning by an 11-0 margin in 2011-12. The game was played at a neutral site as part of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Faceoff Classic.
- Lindenwood is 0-2-0 in its season openers. The Lady Lions will be opening at home for the first time during its NCAA era.
- Lindenwood is looking for its first win in program history over a member of the WCHA. The Lady Lions are 0-20-0 all-time against members of the top NCAA Division I conference.
- Bemidji State is 8-11-2 all-time against current CHA members.
A Look Back At 2012-13
- Lindenwood went 7-26-3 last season during its first year with a full NCAA Division I schedule.
- The Lady Lions finished fifth in the CHA with a 7-10-3 record and were just one game out of third place.
- Lindenwood was the fifth seed in the CHA Tournament and fell in the first round, best-of-three series against Robert Morris. The Lady Lions fell 2-1 in triple overtime in game one, and lost game two by a 2-0 margin.
- Lindenwood picked up at least one victory over every CHA team except for league champion Mercyhurst.
- The Lady Lions had a strong finish as they went 5-1-2 in the final month of the regular season.
- Two Lindenwood players earned all-CHA honors as forward
Alison Wickenheiser and goalie
Nicole Hensley were both second-team selections.
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Nicole Hensley was also named the CHA Rookie of the Year. She also was named to the CHA and National All-Rookie teams.
- Lindenwood had some late-game magic last year. In the final month of the season, it scored five goals in the final minute of regulation, and two more goals in overtime. Three of those goals were game-winners and two forced an overtime period.
Lindenwood Notes
- Lindenwood returns 75 percent of its scoring and over 80 percent of its points from last season. The Lady Lions return eight of their top nine offensive players from 2012-13.
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Alison Wickenheiser led the team with 12 goals, 12 assists, and 24 points. She was also first with three game-winning goals.
- Three other players,
Lyndsay Kirkham,
Alyssa West, and
Chelsea Witwicke, tied Wickenheiser with 12 assists.
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Lyndsay Kirkham,
Kendra Broad, and
Alyssa West all had a team-high four power-play goals.
Chelsea Witwicke led the team with eight power-play assists.
- Lindenwood returns its top five defensemen from last season in
Chelsea Witwicke,
Megan Cox,
Katie Erickson,
Brooke Peden, and
Rachel Weich.
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Nicole Hensley ranked second in the CHA last season in save percentage during conference games with a .939 mark. She went 7-4-3 in goal during CHA games.
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Nicole Hensley attended the Warren Strelow National Team Goaltending Camp over the offseason.
- Lindenwood's 2013 captain is
Alyssa West.It is her first time with the "C" after being an alternative captain last season. The alternative captains are
Chelsea Witwicke and
Kendra Broad.
- In Lindenwood's victories last season, it scored on 33.3 percent of its power-play opportunities. In its other games, the Lady Lions scored on just 8.5 percent of their power plays.
- The Lady Lions averaged 0.6 more goals a game and allowed 0.8 less goals a game on their home ice in 2012-13.
College Hockey America Notes
- One CHA team, Mercyhurst, is nationally-ranked. The Lakers are seventh in the USCHO.com poll and eighth in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll.
- Mercyhurst was selected first in the preseason CHA poll. It was followed by Syracuse, Robert Morris, RIT, Lindenwood, and Penn State.
- CHA has had a representative in the Frozen Four three times in its history, including one in the 2013 Frozen Four.
About The Beavers
- Bemidji State went 6-26-2 last season, including a 5-22-1 mark in WCHA action.
- Bemidji State returns 18 players from last year's squad, but it does lose four out of its top five scorers.
- Kaitlyn Tougas is the top returning offensive threat after having seven goals and seven assists last season.
- Jessica Havel was the team's top goalie last season. She had a 3.62 GAA and a .879 save percentage in 23 games.
- Bemidji State has a balanced squad by class, with 11 seniors and juniors, compared to 13 sophomores and freshmen.
- Head coach of Bemidji State is Steve Sertich. He is in his eighth season at Bemidji State.
Up Next
- Lindenwood goes on the road next week to face North Dakota. North Dakota opens the season ranked eighth in the USCHO.com national poll and fifth in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll.
- The Lady Lions return home on Oct. 11-12 for a two-game series against Minnesota State.
