Roller hockey swept the best-of-three Midwest Collegiate Roller Hockey League (MCRHL) Championship Series with back-to-back victories over Bethel University (Tenn.) Saturday afternoon at Vetta 70 in St. Peters, Missouri. The Lions took the opening game over the Wildcats 6-3, then clinched the series with a 6-0 shutout in game two.

In a matchup that featured a similar number of scoring chances for each squad, Bethel scored first at 4:19 of the opening period, but Lindenwood responded with the next three. Clayton Liefeld sounded the horn at 6:47 off a feed from Jack Wedoski. Brycon Johnson then set up Brett Worster at 9:19, followed by a Nathan Durrans goal at 10:26, assisted by Worster. A Lions roughing penalty moments later gave the Wildcats a power play and they capitalized with nine seconds remaining for a 3-2 Lindenwood lead at the first intermission.

Defense was more the rule in the second period, but a Bethel hooking penalty at the seven-minute mark gave the Lions a man-advantage chance. Christian Acosta set up Connor Bradley for the score 34 seconds later. That goal proved to be the only one of the middle frame and Lindenwood led 4-2.

The Lions pulled away in the final period. Liefeld netted his second of the game off a pass from Eric Kurpiewski at the 4:39 mark. Bethel equaled the effort with a power play goal at 7:09, but the Wildcats could not get any closer. Nick DellaMorte sealed it at 9:30 with help from Acosta.

Bethel outshot Lindenwood 29-27, but Jacob Robinson was strong between the pipes, stopping 26 of the 29 shots he faced. Liefeld earned Star No. 1 honors with two goals, Worster was named Star No. 2 with a goal and assist, and Robinson received Star No. 3 recognition with his 26 saves and .897 save percentage.

Game two of the series started just three hours later and the Lions controlled it from the opening faceoff, quickly jumping to a 5-0 lead in the first period, the final four goals all coming in a two-minute span.

Liefeld netted the first on a pass from DellaMorte at 2:18. The late-period barrage started with a Connor Bradley shot from DellaMorte at 8:58. Worster then lit the lamp on back-to-back shots, the first at 9:36, assisted by Johnson, then with help from Durrans and Sean Maude 32-seconds later. Maude called his own number at 10:39 with another assist from Durrans.

Only one more goal was scored the rest of the game and it came off the blade of Liefeld for his fourth of the series, on a play set up by Kurpiewski and Acosta at 6:23 of the second.

Lindenwood outshot Bethel 38-17 and Marky Hager earned the shutout victory with 17 saves on as many shots faced. Liefeld earned his second Star No. 1 honor with two goals. Worster received Star No. 2 recognition also with two goals and Hager was named Star No. 3 with his 17 saves and shutout in the game.

With the two wins, the Lions improved to 16-1 overall and a perfect 11-0 mark in MCRHL play. Lindenwood will attempt to defend its title at the 23^rd National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association (NCRHA) Championships April 19-24 at the Rinks – Irvine Inline in Irvine, California.