After an overtime victory the day before, men's ice hockey toppled number one seed Ohio 3-2 to win the Central States Collegiate Hockey League Playoffs Sunday afternoon in Urbana –Champaign, Ill.

Despite the outcome, it was the Bobcats that scored first when they took advantage of a Lindenwood penalty for a power play goal just 79 seconds into the game, but the Lions found an equalizer with 8:40 left in the first when Graham Zagrodney and Jake Fairchild set up Christoffer Lowenhielm for a shot that he buried in the back of the net.  Lindenwood took a lead just over four minutes later on an unassisted tally from Stephen Bopp and the team took a 2-1 lead into the second.

Ohio drew another penalty and once again capitalized on the power play at the six minute mark to tie the game at two, which is where the score stayed until late into the final period.  That's when the Lions found some heroics.  With 2:33 left in regulation, Jake Wynd and Kevin Walters found Cody Barra for what proved to be the game-winner. 

Lindenwood beat the odds to get the victory as they were outplayed on special teams and outshot in the game.  The Bobcats scored twice on three power play opportunities while the Lions only drew two penalties and went scoreless on both chances.  Ohio absolutely peppered Lindenwood net-minder Michael Hails, outshooting the Lions 42-25, but the freshman from Coldstream, British Columbia, Canada stood on his head, stopping 40 of the 42 pucks that came at him.  The combined effort against Ohio and Robert Morris the day before earned him tournament MVP honors.

With the conference playoff title in the trophy case, the Lions now focus on the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division I National Championship.   Lindenwood finished as the number nine team in the last ACHA Ranking, and will face the number eight ranked Adrian Bulldogs in the second round on March 7.  The puck will drop at 4 p.m. that Saturday afternoon in the OBM Arena in Strongsville, Ohio.  Last season, Lindenwood was knocked out of the national championship tournament in the first round by Rhode Island. 

2015 ACHA Division I National Championship Website