The Lindenwood Lions men's ice hockey team represents the Lindenwood University in NCAADivision Iice hockey. The program had won four club National Championships prior to its promotion to varsity status.[2]
Lindenwood founded its men's program as a club team in 2003 in the American Collegiate Hockey Association. From its inception, the Lions performed well on the ice, winning 25 out of 29 games in their first year. As the team's schedule increased in difficulty, head coach Derek Schaub kept the program in good standing with a 30-win season and championship game appearance in 2008. The following year, Lindenwood was a juggernaut, going 42–4 and winning their first championship while outscoring opponents 313 to 77. After a second dominating championship in 2010, Schaub stepped down and turned the team over to assistant coach and former NHL player, Rick Zombo.[3] Under Zombo's leadership the Lions continued to be a national contender, reaching the championship in his first season and eventually winning their third title in 2016.[4]
Despite the men's team's achievements, they were overshadowed by the women's team, which had won three consecutive ACHA championships and had been promoted to Division I in 2011. In 2021, the school announced its plan to have the men's team finally follow the Lady Lions into the varsity ranks, and the program began to transition in that direction. While the school did not officially state that the team would be a Division I program in 2022, multiple news reports indicated the program was on track to secure the needed funding for this timeline.[5][6] The team's home, the Centene Community Ice Center, furthered the viability of a varsity program, as it held a seating capacity of 2,500 and was comparable to some other Division I arenas.[7] In the 2021 offseason, the team also began seeing its first transfers into the program from Division I schools, demonstrating confidence in Lindenwood's progress.[8] Lindenwood's promotion made the Lions the first Division I program in the St. Louis area since Saint Louis University discontinued their program in 1979.[9] On March 23, 2022, Lindenwood officially announced that its men's ice hockey team would join Division I in the fall.[10] The team finished its final club season with a 22–3 record and won their fourth ACHA National Championship.
NCAA Era
The Lions playing at the Centene Community Ice Center against Alaska during the 2024-25 season.
Lindenwood played their first NCAA hockey game, a 0–4 loss, against #2 Minnesota on October 1, 2022. The team's first varsity win would come two weeks later in the form of a 7–6 home win against Air Force. The Lions' first two seasons in Division I led to mixed results, as the team compiled a 13–40–5 record. Following the 2023–24 season, the university announced the firing of head coach Rick Zombo, ending his tenure at 14 seasons with the Lions as a head coach, between both ACHA and NCAA.[11]
On April 23, 2024, the university announced that they had hired Michigan associate head coach Bill Muckalt as the second head coach in team history.[12] The Lions' 2024–25 season immediately started on a high note, with the Lions earning a shocking 4–2 upset win at #9 Wisconsin in their first game. This was the Lions' first ever win over a ranked opponent.[13] After this victory, the Lions held a record of 1–0–0. To date, this is the only time the Lions have ever held a winning record at the varsity level. The Lions would finish the season with an 8–22–2 record, the most wins in team history. Following the season, Muckalt left the Lions to coach at Michigan Tech.[14] On June 7, 2025, former Penn State associate head coach, Keith Fisher, was named the third head coach in team history.[15]
Lindenwood will be eligible for postseason participation in 2026–27.[16]
Rick Zombo was retained as the team's head coach when it transitioned to Division I status in 2022.[18] After two seasons, it was announced that he would not return.[11]
GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
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