by Zein Jivani / The Daily

In what could be described as the toughest weekend of the season, the Sooner hockey club lost two out of three matches. All three contests in the grueling triple-header featured top-ten opponents, and Sunday’s dramatic shootout defeat wrapped up an intense weekend of play for the No. 4 Sooners.

OU lost 8-7 to rival No. 3 Lindenwood University in the final of the three-part series in a shootout that took 12 rounds to determine the victor. OU’s chances to extend the shootout to a 13th shooter ended when forward Justin King’s wrister nailed the top of the crossbar.

“It’s one of those games that could have gone either way, and it goes into a shootout,” center Owen Brewer said. “I think we played a solid game. We had them on the ropes, but they just kept coming back and scoring goals.”

The scoring frenzy began less than twenty seconds into the game when the Lions got onto the scoreboard first. Lindenwood added a second score before the Sooners made a dramatic first period comeback, scoring three unanswered goals, including a short-handed goal by forward Doug Gebbie. The lead was short lived, as the Lions poked one in with seconds left in the first period.

Following a fundamental second period in which each team added one goal to its tally, the pace really picked up in the third. The Sooners jumped ahead three times in the period, only to see their lead evaporate in less than two minutes each time.

The game then moved into a 4-on-4 overtime, in which the Sooners penalty killed in full force. But as time expired, Gebbie was called for a slashing penalty that kept the playmaker out of the shootout.

“I saw [a Lindenwood attacker] going to the net and felt that it was necessary for me to take a slash than him get a goal,” Gebbie, who finished the game with two goals, said. “I wish I was there to help my team in the shootout. I was disappointed in myself.”

Gebbie said he would make the same play again if necessary.

Lindenwood took the shootout 4-3, giving the Lions a 3-2 season series victory over OU.

“We are so evenly matched,” said Brewer, who finished the game with a goal and an assist. “Every game we played could have gone either way except for one. It’s just back and forth action. In the next game we would probably beat them.”

Brewer and the Sooners might not have to wait too long for that opportunity. Both OU and Lindenwood are expected to make the ACHA national tournament, as indicated by the current national standings.

The Sooners also got a taste of tournament action as they hosted No. 6 Liberty University Friday and Saturday at the Blazers-Ice Centre.

Liberty stole the first match 3-2 from OU, scoring three unanswered goals. The Sooners finished the job Saturday with a 6-2 beating.