After splitting the series inn Los Angeles two weeks ago, the Lions headed up to Flagstaff AZ for two games against NAU.
On Friday, the Lions would score first, as freshman Riley Watters would get his first collegiate goal. Thats how the period would end, but the second would see all the goals. NAU scored early in the second to tie the game. Brian Clem would score quickly after, on a tip in front of the net to regain the lead, 2-1. Later in the second, Manzer would score again, bringing him to 5 goals in the last 3 games, and giving the Lions a 3-1 lead. And on the very next shift, captain Billings would score to give the Lions a 4-1 lead after 2. The third saw a big push from NAU, but after a few costly penalties to the Ice Jacks, the Lions would slow their push and hold on for the 4-1 victory.
On Saturday the pace of the game started slower, with no scoring in the first. The second period the pace picked up, and the Lions were able to score, as Junior Chris Manzer found the back of the net. The rest of the period would be played with a 1-0 lead, until NAU scored twice in the final 2 minutes to take a 2-1 lead to the 2nd intermission. In the third Austin Billings would score a power play goal with 7 minutes to play. The rest of the game went back and forth, as both teams tried to score to win the game. NAU had pressure in the LMU end for the final minute, but Ryan Hirai was able to tip the puck past the NAU defender, skate it the length of the ice and score from the left wing with only three seconds left to win the game for the Lions.
The Lions moved to 7-1-1 on the season, and took 3/4 from NAU this year, after only having beaten NAU twice before in team history. Graduate student Jason Footlick picked up both wins in net, and moved into first place in all time wins in team history, with 26.