The Lindenwood Lions will host their first home game as an NCAA Division I team, Friday night, against Air Force at the Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights. (Photo courtesy: Lindenwood Athletics)
Lindenwood Hockey – Gameday Info
Game No. 5 – Air Force Academy (0-1-1) at Lindenwood (0-4)
Date/Time – Game 1 – Friday, October 14 – 7:10 pm
Game 2 – Saturday, October 15 — 2:10 pm
Location – Centene Community Ice Center — Maryland Heights, MO
Broadcast – Lindenwood TV
Live Stats – Sidearm Stats
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
The Lindenwood University men’s hockey team will make its long-anticipated home debut on Friday, when it hosts Air Force Academy in a matchup at the Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights.
Lindenwood, which has had enjoyed nearly three decades of glorious success, including four national titles, at the ACHA level, will be playing its first home game as an NCAA Division I team.
The Lions will come into Friday’s contest with an 0-4 record this season, after beginning the year with losses in its first four games — a pair of two-game series against two of the best teams in the country in No. 2-ranked Minnesota and No. 7-ranked Michigan.
Despite not winning, Lindenwood played well in those matchups against the two Big 10 powers. The Lions were shut out in the season opener, but then were on the verge of pulling off a major upset in the second game against Minnesota, and led in the early going of both games at Michigan.
Now, LU is back home and looking to pick up a couple of wins in what will be a two-game series with Air Force.
Players to Watch: Lindenwood is led by a pair of dynamic forwards in senior Ryan Finnegan and sophomore Hunter Johannes. Both players have two goals already this season, which leads the Lions.
Finnegan scored in both series, while also adding an assist. And Johannes scored a couple of highlight reel-type goals in the games against Michigan. The first of which earned him a spot on ESPN Sportscenter’s Top Plays last Friday night.
LU’s top overall scorers, four games in, has been sophomores David Gagnon and Kyle Jeffers. Both players have a goal and three assists to start the year.
Air Force is 0-1-1 to begin the year, after losing its season opener two weeks ago to Maine, then earning a tie in its last game, last Saturday, against No. 9 Notre Dame.
The Falcons are the only team in the country to return 100 percent of its scoring from last season, with junior forward Will Gavin leading the way with 16 goals and 29 points last year.
Fellow junior Nate Horn was second on the team with 11 goals last season, and is already off to a hot start this year with two goals in the AFA’s first two games.
The Falcons have also been very good on special teams in the early going. They were three-for-three on the power play against Notre Dame, and are four-for-seven overall so far this year, while the AFA penalty kill has an 85.7 percent success rate, which ranks 16th-best in the entire NCAA.
LU and AFA played a pair of exhibition games last year, with the Falcons winning both by scores of 6-1 and 7-3, respectively.
Up Next: Lindenwood will be back on the road for a pair of games next weekend against American International. Those games will be played on October 22 and 23, and are both scheduled to begin at 6:05 p.m.
AFA will be back home next weekend to open its AHA conference season with a matchup against league preseason favorite, Rochester Institute of Technology.
| 2022-23 Lindenwood Lions Men’s Hockey Remaining Schedule |
| Fri., October 14 — vs. Air Force — 7:10 pm |
| Sat., October 15 — vs. Air Force — 2:10 pm |
| Sat., October 22 — at American International — 6:05 pm |
| Sun., October 23 — at American International — 6:05 pm |
| Fri., October 28 — at Bentley — 6:05 pm |
| Sat., October 29 — at Bentley — 3:05 pm |
| Fri., November 4 — at Army — 6 pm |
| Sat., November 5 — at Army — 3 pm |
| Fri., November 18 — at Wisconsin — TBA |
| Sat., November 19 — at Wisconsin — TBA |
| Fri., December 16 — at #1 Denver — 8 pm |
| Sat., December 17 — at #1 Denver — 7 pm |
| Fri., December 30 — at Vermont — 6 pm |
| Sat., December 31 — at Vermont — 3 pm |
| Fri., January 6 — at #4 North Dakota — 7:07 pm |
| Sat., January 7 — at #4 North Dakota — 6:07 pm |
| Fri., January 20 — at Long Island — 7 pm |
| Sat., January 21 — at Long Island — 2 pm |
| Fri., February 10 — vs. Stonehill — 7:10 pm |
| Sat., February 11 — vs. Stonehill — 2:10 pm |
| Fri., February 17 — at Arizona State — TBA |
| Sat., February 18 — at Arizona State — TBA |
| Fri., February 24 — at USA Development Team — TBA |
| Sat., February 25 — at USA Development Team — TBA |
| Fri., March 3 — at Alaska-Fairbanks — 10:07 pm |
| Sat., March 4 — at Alaska-Fairbanks — 7:07 pm |
| Fri., March 10 — at Alaska-Anchorage — 10:07 pm |
| Sat., March 11 — at Alaska-Anchorage — 9:07 pm |
| All Lindenwood home games will be played at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights. |