Week 12 –Brody Rosswurm and Drew Baumert battled in their creases to fend off the onslaught of pucks. The Lions got off to a lead that stood until the last three minutes of the third period and was forced to an eight-round shootout. 

First Period

Logan Ormsby and Michael Scully saw their first action of the Fort Wayne season since December 13th. Both seniors played with intensity and got shots off the net. Rosswurm made some big saves in the opening frame after being under duress. Nothing came up on the scoresheet until the latter half of the period. The Lions’ Caden Austin took his first penalty of the night when he was called for a trip at 3:57. Leo would get their first goal at 1:41 as Sam Schwartz got Johnny Lips’ rebound from off the end walls and shot it in behind Rosswurm. Dylan Parks would put the Vipers in the penalty box with 57.1 seconds to go for a rough. Shots at the end of the first narrowly favored the Lions at 9 to 8. 

Second Period

The only tallies in the second period would be two infractions committed by the Lions. Hudson Roth got a crosschecking call at 9 minutes. With 48.3 seconds left, Caden Austin would get another tripping call. Shots at the end of the second were 22 -20 in favor of the Vipers. 

Third Period

Simon Watson went off for a high stick at 11:21, putting the Vipers on the penalty kill. Leo scored right as the penalty expired. Brody Rosswurm had the initial saves, but Schwartz could tap in the rebound for his second of the night. Leo’s Riley Murphy would head off for a roughing call at 8:25. The action would stall until 3:48 in the third. Jackson Bertels would score his 8th of the season with an assist from Logan Ormsby. Michael Scully scored 44 seconds later at 3:03, and Ormsby added another assist. With the game tied, both squads took a roughing call (Bertels and Vance Knoblauch, respectively). Total shots at the end of regulation still favored the Vipers, 36 to 23. 

Overtime

Just as the end of the third had played out, there was a penalty apiece in Overtime. Jackson Bertels was called for a trip at 4:54. Sam Schwartz was called for a rough at 2:39. 

Shootout

It took eight rounds for a winner to be decided. Michael Scully, Sam Schwartz, Logan Ormsby, Alex Hendricks, Jackson Bertels, Colin Robison, Nick Vanryn, Colton Calhoun, Colton Franks, Jonah Haines, Cam Whisler, Tyson Finefrock, Grant Knudson, and Riley Murphy all came up short when scoring during the shootout. Evan Brenner potted the lone goal for the Vipers. Benny Meyer had the game on his stick to keep his Lions alive but could not bury it. 

Baumert made 39 saves, and Brody Rosswurm made 25. 

This article was written by Fiona Quinn (1/24/24)