Lindenwood’s Olivier Houde fights off a defender to score the first goal in the Lions’ win over No. 5 Denver on Saturday. (Photo courtesy: LU Athletics)

NCAA Men’s Hockey	1	2	3	Final
#5 Denver (1-1-1)	0	2	1	3
Lindenwood (3-2-0)	0	2	2	4

Team	Period	Time	Scored By	Assisted By	UD	LU
	2nd	07:47	Houde, Olivier	Morneau, Giovanni, Southgate, Jake	0	1
(PP)	2nd	11:03	Harris, Sam	Caswell, Clarke, Chyzowski, Kyle	1	1
	2nd	11:47	Burrows, Hagen	Salminen, Samu, Fisher, Jake	2	1
	2nd	13:03	Hipkin, Ty	Yakesh, Brady, Gengle, Connor	2	2
	3rd	17:23	Fletcher, Jacob	Unassisted	2	3
(EN)	3rd	18:34	Raesler, Adam	Elias, Ethan	2	4
	3rd	19:06.1	Burrows, Hagen	Milburn, Brady, Brown, Garrett	3	4

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, MO — The Lindenwood University men’s hockey team picked up its biggest win since becoming an NCAA Division I program on Saturday, when the Lions knocked off No. 5-ranked Denver, 4-3, in an early-season match at the Centene Community Ice Center.

Lindenwood (3-2-0) got goals from four different players, including an unassisted score from freshman Jacob Fletcher and an empty-net goal from fellow freshman Adam Raesler that turned a 2-2 tie into a 4-2 Lions lead late in the third period.

Denver scored a goal with 54 seconds left, but the Pioneers needed two and Lindenwood wouldn’t let them have it.

It was the Lions’ first win ever over a top five opponent and just the second win over a ranked NCAA Division I opponent ever.

“I’m just proud of the guys,” Lindenwood head coach Keith Fisher said. “They put a lot of work and effort into this, and we’ve been trying to get them to believe in what we’re doing and to believe in each other, and that’s what they’re doing. I told them last weekend, ‘You’re a good team if you play together a believe in each other’, and they’re starting to do that and starting to see success from that.”

(Photo courtesy: LU Athletics)

The Lions got the scoring going midway through the second period, when another freshman, Olivier Houde, received a strong centering pass from teammate Giovanni Morneau, then battled off a Denver defender and slipped the puck past Pioneers goalkeeper Paxton Geisel to make the score 1-0 Lindenwood.

Denver took the lead just a couple minutes later, when it scored two goals in a span of 44 seconds, to go ahead 2-1.

The Lions responded though, and tied the game about a minute later, when yet another pair of freshmen, Brady Yakesh and Ty Hipkin, hooked up for a score. Yakesh, a defenseman, launched a long pass towards Hipkin, who outraced two Denver defenders to the puck, then lifted a shot over Geisel’s shoulder for a goal that made the score 2-2.

The tense defensive matchup stayed that way until Fletcher made a highlight reel type play to give Lindenwood the lead.

Denver had possession of the puck for a particularly long stand, but Fletcher was able to steal the puck away and race towards the Pioneers’ net, with just one defender to beat.

Fletcher made a couple of nifty stickwork moves to give himself some room, which allowed him to get close to the Denver net and slip a shot past Geisel and into the net to give the Lions the lead with 2:37 left in the game.

Denver pulled its goalie and that allowed for Raesler’s empty-netter to put the game away.

(Photo courtesy: LU Athletics)

Lindenwood is now 3-2-0 on the season, while Denver suffered its first loss and is now 1-1-1.

UPDATE: Lindenwood and Denver played again on Saturday. Denver won 4-0.

Lindenwood is now 3-3-0 this year, and will host its next home series, next weekend against Miami of Ohio. Both contests at the Centene Community Ice Center are scheduled to begin at 7:10 p.m.