The Lindenwood Lions pose for a team picture after winning the ACHA Division I Men’s hockey national championship, Tuesday night, at the Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights. (Photo: Lindenwood Athletics)

by Cedric Williams
Senior Editor

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, MO — A season that began with a No. 1 preseason ranking ended with a national championship celebration, Tuesday night at the Centene Community Ice Center, as the Lindenwood University men’s hockey team won the American College Hockey Association national championship game, 8-3, over Central Oklahoma.

The Lions, who finished the season with a 22-3 record, went undefeated against ACHA teams, and suffered its only losses this season against NCAA teams back in October, earned its fourth national championship in program history by scoring two goals in the first period, one goal in the second, and an exhilarating five goals in the third to pull away from the upstart Bronchos.

Central Oklahoma, which came into the tournament as the No. 6 seed, reached the championship game by No. 3 seed Iowa State in the quarterfinals and No. 4 seed in UNLV in the semis.

And UCO even looked paced to pull an upset on the No. 1 seed Lions, after it answered Lindenwood’s first two goals of the game, by scoring two straight goals of their own to end the first period tied 2-2.

Lindenwood’s Kyle Jeffers gave the Lions back the lead by scoring in the second period, then added another at the beginning of the third to give LU back its original two-goal lead.

Jeffers finished the night with two goals and an assist to earn title game MVP honors. Teammate Caleb Price had three assists, Ryan Finnegan had two assists, and Caige Sterzer and Vegard Faret both had a goal and an assist, as the Lions scored six goals or more for the 12th time this season.

Freshman goalkeeper Trent Burnham stopped 19 of the 22 shots he faced to make sure Central Oklahoma couldn’t pull off a miracle comeback in what proved to be Lindenwood’s first championship game win since 2016.