The roller hockey Gold squad went 3-1 in four games played in Midwest Collegiate Roller Hockey League (MCRHL) action November 5-6 at the All-American Sports Mall in St. Louis, Missouri. The Lions swept three from the Bethel (Tenn.) University AA team and lost to the Wildcats D1 squad in a shootout.
In the first contest of the weekend on Saturday, the Gold team cruised to a 12-3 victory.
Bryce Pierce led the Lions with four goals and was given Star #1 honors while
Landon Kooker and
Cameron Green each netted the puck twice.
Matt Acosta tallied four points on a goal and three assists and earned Star #2 recognition.
Cameron Rodriguez duplicated that effort to earn Star #3 honors.
Andrew DeCiantis and
Kade Uetz each sounded the horn once to help the Lindenwood cause. The Lions outshot Bethel 30-15 and
Clayton Davis stopped 14 of the 15 shots he faced to earn the win in goal.
The two teams faced each other again just four hours later with the Lions emerging as 7-1 victors. Acosta scored once and added two assists to be named Star #1 in the
game. Green did the same for Star #2 recognition, and DeCiantis split the pipes twice and received Star #3 recognition. Rodriguez, Kooker, and
Andrew Zack accounted for the other three Lindenwood goals as the Lions outshot the Wildcats 35-10.
Chase Christopher stopped nine of the 10 pucks he faced as goaltender.
The most exciting game of the four came Saturday night when Lindenwood faced the Bethel D1 squad and fell 3-2 in a shootout. After a Wildcats goal at the 7:49 mark of the first, the Lions answered less than a minute later when
Dillon Dale found the back of the net to tie the contest at one. Bethel regained the lead early in the second and it looked like the period would end with Lindenwood trailing, but Green beat the clock with only four seconds remaining and it was a 2-2 tie. That's where the score remained through the entire third period and overtime session, making a shootout necessary to settle things. The Lions weren't able to beat the Wildcats goalie in that shootout, but Bethel managed the game-winner.
In the final contest of the weekend Sunday morning, the Gold squad outlasted the Wildcats AA team 7-6. After jumping out to a big 4-0 lead in the first, Bethel scored the next three, all on the power play. Lindenwood answered with the next two for a 6-3 advantage, but the Wildcats added another power play goal and an even strength effort to pull within one. The Lions scored midway through the third to lead by two and Lindenwood added one more, but that's as close as they would get.
Acosta led the Lindenwood offense with three goals and earned Star #1 recognition. DeCiantis scored twice for Star #3 honors. Green and Kooker accounted for the other two Lions goals. Bethel outshot the Lions 28-25, but Christopher stopped 22 of the 28 shots he faced to earn the victory in goal.
The Gold squad begins the 2022-23 campaign with a 3-1 mark. The Lions travel east for another MCRHL weekend November 19-20. Lindenwood is scheduled to face Ohio State AA at 11 a.m., Bethel AA at 5 p.m., and Michigan State D2 at 9 p.m. on Saturday, then face Michigan State AA at 9 a.m., and Henry Ford Community College at 12 p.m. on Sunday with all games taking place at the Bethel Wildcat Arena in Huntingdon, Tennessee.
