Hockey: Lindbergh Earns Tie With Last-Minute Goal

The Lindbergh Flyers hockey club scored two power-play goals late in the third period on Friday, making another improbable rally to earn a 5-5 tie on Senior Night against Southwest Division-leading Marquette.

“The only identity this team has is that we don’t quit, so regardless of what we’re down, we come back,” Lindbergh coach Greg Anderson said.

This has been a recurring theme for Lindbergh, having to play from behind and make a furious comeback. Lindbergh (3-5-2, 7-10-2 Southwest) is tied for fifth in the Southwest Division after winning it last season. The Flyers have totaled only 16 league points, putting them in danger of not reaching the Challenge Cup tournament.

“It seems like we’re always fighting uphill instead of coasting and having things under control,” Anderson said. “From a coaching standpoint it feels great to come back, but at the same time we need to get over that hill.”

The Flyers’ sophomore line of Cody Guidorzi, Kyle Meeh and Shawn Leslie helped Lindbergh roar back into the game. Guidorzi scored his team leading 16^th goal of the season on a 5-on-3 power play with just over one minute left in the third period. Meeh scored the tying goal, and his second goal of the game, with 45 seconds to play after Lindbergh pulled the goalie.

“Our sophomore line carries us offensively. When our big scoring line wants it they can usually go get it,” Anderson said.

“We just lacked concentration. We went out there thinking we already had it and didn’t finish strong,” Marquette senior captain Doug Thorson said.

Marquette (8-0-1, 14-2-2) will be one of the favorites in the Challenge Cup and remains the only team to knock off the CBC Cadets this season. The Mustangs have hit a two-game winless slide after also losing to Fort Zumwalt West, 2-1, on Jan. 17 and failing to hold the lead and settling for the tie against Lindbergh.

“When we work hard we win,” Thorson said. “We just got to pick it up and learn from our mistakes, and we’re confident that we can get back on track.”

Marquette coach Ryan Kane said, “A loss and a tie doesn’t define a season. We’re going to get motivated and focused again and key in on the details, and we’ll see what happens down the home stretch and in the playoffs.”

Thorson scored the first goal of the game for Marquette just 15 seconds into the first period. He scored his teams last goal with just over six minutes to play in the third period, putting the Mustangs up 5-3. The Mustangs’ captain leads the team in goals with 21.

Marquette started a four-game stretch over a span of just seven days on Friday. The Mustangs’ remaining three games are against division opponents and they hope to get back to basics, close out the division and finish the season strong in time for the postseason.

“This is an important stretch and we just need to get hungry again and get excited again,” Kane said.

Lindbergh's final game in its regular-season schedule is against Kirkwood at 9:30 p.m. Friday at Queeny Ice Arena.