Mount Pleasant, PA – With blustery winds and snow flurries outside, Lindenwood and Michigan State played to a packed house of roughly 150 people. Lindenwood was first to strike. Jeff Hill buried a long Brandon Barnette pass in the back of the net for the early 1-0 lead. Goalie Dave Thomas’s nice save and Barnette clearing the rebound from in front of the net set up the play.

 

The lead was extended shortly later, when Alex Carroll found Michael Thiefault wide open just above the face-off circle for a quick shot that beat a moving Joe Wurst five hole.

 

Michigan State thought they had cut the lead in half with just over two minutes remaining, but it was ruled that the puck hit the ceiling before being slammed into the back of the net. Undeterred, Garrett Radford beat Thomas just moments after play resumed to cut the lead in half.

 

Travis Fudge almost gave the Lions a 3-1 lead with 45 seconds left in the game. Michigan State was penalized for closing their glove on the puck in the crease. On the ensuing penalty shot, Fudge beat Wurst with a nice move, but found iron, helping the Spartans hold the lead at 2-1 after the first period.

 

Lindenwood extended their lead to two goals with Michael Fenkell in the box for holding. Jeff Hill found Fudge who buried the power play tally for the 3-1 lead.

 

Barnette, Fudge and Jeff Hill worked the umbrella on the power play to push the Lindenwood lead to three goals. Fudge made a nice touch pass to Hill who was waiting on the face-off dot to bury the goal, giving Wurst almost no chance to react.

 

Jeff Hill recorded his fourth point of the game when he found Barnette streaking down the far side of the rink. Barnette barreled down on the goalie before roofing a shot just under the cross bar for a commanding 5-1 lead. With Michigan State down by two men, Kyle Gouge put the puck in the back of the net for a 6-1 Lions lead. Michael Thiefault and Michael Inouye capped off the scoring in the final minute for a 8-1 Lindenwood victory.