Lawrence hockey completes second straight sweep

Jon Mays

This past weekend was historic for the Lawrence men’s hockey team as the team swept Northland College, and in doing so, clinched the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Northern Division title.
With the sweep, the Vikings also tied the school record for wins in a season, eclipsing the mark set by last year’s squad. The Vikings even earned home-ice advantage in the first round of the MCHA playoffs later in February. Next weekend the Vikings host Finlandia University with a chance to stand alone in the record books.
In the first game of the series, Lawrence’s freshmen led the way, scoring all three goals for the Vikings. Sam Johnson and Jim Crowley both scored their first collegiate goals in the third period to put the game out of reach. Lawrence went on to win 3-0 with Jon Bellotti adding the other goal. Sophomore goaltender Evan Johnson stopped 16 shots and earned the shutout, his sixth of the season, which is best in the nation. Lawrence outshot Northland by a staggering margin of 46-16.
The Vikings (13-9-1, 13-4-1 MCHA) looked just as impressive in the second game, shutting out the Lumberjacks again, and outshooting them 40-9. Assistant Captain Marc Howe led the way for Lawrence, scoring two goals, including a short-handed goal that was the fifth of his career, setting the record for short-handed goals in a career. Josh DeSmit added a power-play goal, and Matt Hughes scored an even-strength goal, making the final score 4-0. The last regular-season games are Feb. 13 and 14 at the Appleton Ice Center against Finlandia University. Lawrence won both previous games against the Lions earlier this year.