For the third straight year, Lindenwood was denied a national title in the finals by Farmingdale State College, this time losing to the Rams 7-3 in the National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association (NCRHA) D1 Championship Saturday night at Bill Gray's Iceplex in Rochester, New York.
After a solid run through the bracket at the 2019 event, the Lions found themselves behind by three goals on just six Farmingdale shots midway through the first period. The rapid onslaught and deficit forced starting Lindenwood goaltender
Paul Town out of the net, replaced by
Jacob Robinson, who settles things down a bit, but the Rams still carried a 4-0 lead into the second period.
The Farmingdale offense continued to hum with shots on goal, but Robinson kept the Lions in the game. As the final seconds of the period ticked down, Max Halvorsen broke towards the goal unimpeded for Farmingdale and
Cody Page tried to stop him. He succeeded, but was called for holding and Halvorsen was awarded a penalty shot, which he buried to make it 5-0.
Lindenwood did earn a power play from a scuffle that ensued at the end of the second, and
Joey Rosa needed only 13 seconds of the third to break the shutout off a pass from Brycon Haney-Johnson, but the Rams continued to thwart the Lions offense. Needing multiple goals to have a chance, Head Coach
Ron Beilsten pulled the goalie midway through the period. The strategy backfired initially with Farmingdale getting a quick score to make it 6-1, but the Lions scored the next two off the stick of Page, the first assisted by
Chris Visico and
Adam Swims at 7:35, and the second helped by Haney-Johnson at 9:04. That would be as close as Lindenwood would get. The Rams added an unassisted tally with just under two minutes remaining for the final margin and hoisted their third trophy in a row.
Farmingdale outshot the Lions 32-25 in the contest. Robinson stopped 22 of the 26 pucks he faced for Lindenwood in relief of Town, who made three saves on six shots.
The Lions advanced to the championship game with a 4-1 win over Bethel University (Tenn.) in the semifinals Saturday afternoon. After a tightly played first two periods that resulted in zero goals in the first period, and only one goal for each team in the second, a Lindenwood burst in the final 12 minutes broke things open.
Tyler Watson scored first for the Lions, and then Haney-Johnson, Rosa, and Page hit the back of the cage in the third.
The Lions outshot the Wildcats 24-11 and Robinson made 10 saves on 11 shots to earn the victory in goal. Watson earned Star #1 honors with a goal and assist, Swims was named Star #2 with two assists, and Haney-Johnson earned Star #3 honors with one goal.
Lindenwood began bracket play with a 6-0 shutout of Slippery Rock Friday evening.
Sam Koenig and Visico split the pipes in the opening period, followed by a goal from
Steve Farina and a short-handed effort by
Anthony Erace in the second. Farina and Haney-Johnson scored in the third as the Lions outshot the Pride 22-12. Town earned the shutout victory with 12 saves in as many chances.
Farina was named Star #1 with two goals, Page earned Star #2 honors with two assists, and
Joe Fordyce was named Star #3 with two assists as well.
Lindenwood went 2-1 in Pool B games played Thursday and Friday, beginning with a 10-0 defeat of Florida Gulf Coast. Haney-Johnson earned a hat trick,
Nick DellaMorte, Koenig, and Page each scored twice, and Romanowicz netted a single puck in the contest. Robinson stopped 25 of 25 shots in goal as the Lions outshot the Eagles 34-25. Page earned Star #1 honors with two goals and three assists, DellaMorte was named Star #2 with two goals and three assists, and Haney-Johnson earned Star #3 honors with three goals.
Lindenwood was upended by Farmingdale State College 3-2 in the second game of pool play Thursday night. In a closely played contest, each team scored once in the first and second periods with Rosa and Visico accounting for the Lions goals. The difference came late in the third period when the Rams capitalized on a power play after Lindenwood took a holding penalty.
Farmingdale outshot the Lions 19-18 and Robinson stopped 16 of the 19 pucks he faced for the loss in goal. Rosa was named Star #2 with a goal and assist.
Lindenwood finished pool play with a 4-0 shutout of Arizona State Friday morning. Despite 26 minutes of penalties being called, 16 of which against the Sun Devils, only one of the Lions goals came on the power play, and that was off the stick of Haney-Johnson in the first. The other three came from Swims, Watson, and Page. Lindenwood outshot Arizona State 32-25 and Robinson turned away all 25 shots he faced, to earn Star #1 honors. Haney-Johnson was named Star #2 with a goal and assist, and Visico earned Star #3 honors with two assists.
The Lions complete the 2018-19 campaign with an overall record of 20-4 and the fourth national runner-up finish in the last five years. Lindenwood claimed the regular season title in the Great Plains Collegiate Inline Hockey League with an 8-0 mark, but lost the conference playoff for the first time in program history.
