Weekend Preview: Lindenwood Winter Classic

Out with 2022, in with 2023. The phrase “new year, new me” is used all too often this time of year, and is certainly an adage the Icepack aims to authenticate. While the holidays may have come to an end this weekend, the Ice Pack is still feeling the joy as they travel to St. Louis, Missouri to take part in the Lindenwood Winter Classic this weekend. Following a 6-11-1 overall record to start the season, the team seeks to right the ship in their final showcase of the season against strong ACHA Division II competition.

Game one this weekend comes on Thursday night against the team hosting the showcase, the Lindenwood Lions. The Icepack’s first game of the new year will be far from an easy one, as they boast an impressive 14-4-0 record this season, as well as a near perfect 11-1-0 record in home games. The Lions are also currently ranked first amongst all teams in the ACHA Division II Central Region, proving this will be a true challenge for the Icepack.

The second game of the weekend comes on Friday night against the Davenport Panthers. While Davenport’s 9-10-0 record doesn’t pop off the stat sheet, they will certainly come out ready to play for an ulterior motive: revenge. The Icepack defeated the Panthers in the 2021 ACHA Nationals by a score of 5-3 in pool play to eliminate them from moving onto the playoff stage, so they will without a doubt be hungry for vengeance going into Friday night. 

The Icepack wrap up their weekend trip to St. Louis with a Saturday afternoon tilt against the Trine Thunder. With a 14-5-0 record, the Thunder currently sit at third in the ACHA Division II Central Region, far from an easy game to end the showcase. Trine currently has a 6-2-0 record on the road, one of the best in their region, so the Thunder won’t be challenged by playing in foreign territory.
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Much of the early portion of the season was dedicated to growing and developing the young and inexperienced talent that the Icepack took in this off-season, and the team did just that. However, now it’s time for results, and the coming of a brand new year gives the Icepack an excellent opportunity to start fresh and build on the foundation they’ve created.