Roller hockey won all four games played at the Eastern Collegiate Roller Hockey Association (ECRHA) Inter-Regional January 20-21 at Grove City YMCA in Grove City, Pennsylvania.
The Lions began the weekend with a 6-0 shutout of the Slippery Rock D2 squad Saturday morning. Lindenwood outshot the Rock 32-20 as the offense was led by
Nathan Durrans with two goals. After single tallies in each of the first two periods, the Lions pulled away with four in the third.
Durrans earned Star No. 1 honors with the two goals, and two assists, goaltender
Marky Hager was named Star No. 2 with 20 saves and a shutout, and
Connor Bradley received Star No. 3 honors with two assists. Other goals came from
Bryce Pierce,
Jack Wedoski,
Jackson Wozniak, and
Parker Winkelmann.
The second victory of the day came as an 18-0 shutout against Robert Morris University D2. Three Lindenwood players earned hat tricks in the game as the Lions scored twice in the first, eight times in the second, and eight times in the third, outshooting the Colonials 48-5.
Wozniak was named Star No. 1 with four goals and two assists, Winkelmann earned Star No. 2 honors with a goal and five assists, and
Landon Kooker received Star No. 3 recognition with four goals. Blake Bennett scored three times and added an assist, while
Bryce Pierce, Wedoski, and
Brett Worster each scored twice.
Chase Christopher stopped only five shots to earn the shutout win in goal.
Lindenwood wrapped up the day with a 9-1 victory over Farmingdale State College Saturday night. The Rams only goal came early in the final period while the Lions scored twice in the first, three times in the second, and four times in the third, outshooting FSC 40-6.
Wozniak received Star No. 1 recognition with a pair of goals and an assist, Worster was named Star No. 2 with a goal and two assists, and Durrans earned Star No. 3 honors with a goal and two assists. Winkelmann added two for Lindenwood, and Blake,
Christian Acosta,
Connor Bradley, and Worster each netted a single goal each. Hager stopped five of the six shots he faced in goal.
The final game of the weekend proved to be the biggest challenge for the Lions as they defeated Rowan University 8-4 Sunday morning. After taking a quick 1-0 lead on a Wedoski shot just 47-seconds into the contest, the Owls answered to make it 1-1. Winkelmann and Bradley added goals in the latter stages of the opening period and Lindenwood had a 3-1 advantage.
Wedoski netted his second of the game in the middle frame to make it 4-1, but Rowan stayed within striking distance with a power play goal at 8:35. Worster gave the Lions a three-goal advantage once again at 9:32, but the Owls took advantage of another power play at 11:40 and it was 5-3 Lindenwood.
The Lions finally pulled away in the third. After Wedoski completed his hat trick at 3:38, Wozniak sounded the horn on a power play to make it 7-3. Rowan scored another power play goal at 8:28, and Acosta added an empty-netter for Lindenwood in the final seconds.
The Lions outshot the Owls 32-14 and Christopher stopped 11 of the 14 pucks he faced in goal. Wedoski earned Star No. 1 honors with three goals, and Wozniak was named Star No. 3 with a goal and two assists.
With the four wins, roller hockey improved to 10-0 on the season. The Lions return to the rink for the Midwest Collegiate Roller Hockey League (MCRHL) Inter-Regional February 3-4. They're scheduled to face Slippery Rock D2, Bethel (Tenn.) D1, and Arizona State D1 on Saturday, and Henry Ford Junior College on Sunday with all games taking place at the Salt Creek Sports Center in Palatine, Illinois.
