GENEVA, Ill. -- The Lawrence University men's hockey team posted a landmark victory on Saturday with a 4-3 Northern Collegiate Hockey Association win over No. 2 Aurora University at Fox Valley Ice Arena.
    The victory matched the highest-ranked opponent Lawrence has beaten in program history. The Vikings knocked off second-ranked St. Norbert College 5-4, also on the road, back on December 7, 2013. 
    "It's a big win for the program and for the guys in the room," Lawrence coach Rylee Orr said. "When we play the right way we are a tough out for anyone."
    While the Vikings rallied for four goals in the third period to earn the win over St. Norbert more than a decade ago, it was Lawrence (3-9-0, 1-7-0 NCHA) which built a three-goal lead Saturday and then scored late to help seal the victory.
    Ethan Beaumont got the Vikings on the board at the 7:16 mark of the first period. Off assists from Ethan Johnson and Alexey Trischuk, Beaumont beat Aurora goaltender Bodee Weiss for a 1-0 lead.
    Lawrence rookie defenseman Kenny Sutton scored his first collegiate goal late in the first to give the Vikings a two-goal advantage. Sutton scored off assists from Tiziano Pauchard and Hayden Johnson with 2:56 remaining in the opening period for a 2-0 edge. 
    After Aurora's Chayce Schmidt got sent off for boarding early in the second period, the Vikings cashed in on the power play. Rookie forward Ethan Look scored his fourth goal of the season at the 6:58 mark for a 3-0 lead. Lawrence went 1-for-3 on the power play on Saturday. 
    The Spartans clawed back into the game when Schmidt scored at the 14:12 mark of the second on the power play. Aurora got another power-play goal just 59 seconds later from Jakson Kirk to trim the margin to 3-2.
    The score stayed that way deep into the third period thanks to a fine effort in net from Lawrence goaltender Nolan Mahaffey. He stopped 38 shots on the night, including 14 in the final period. Weiss finished with 26 saves for the Spartans (8-2-0, 6-2-0).
    While Aurora was pressuring the Vikings in the final period, the Spartans were whistled for a pair of penalties that slowed their momentum. Lawrence had multiple quality scoring chances but failed to expand the lead on those power plays. 
    It was just over a minute after the Spartans killed off that second penalty that the Vikings got what proved to be the game-winning goal. Jeb Dee moved the puck up the ice to Carter Cloutier, who connected with rookie Cade Dewolf on a centering pass. Dewolf slid the puck past Weiss with 2:27 left to put the Vikings up 4-2.
    Simon Diaz countered for Aurora with 1:15 remaining to cut the margin to one goal, and the Spartans then pulled Weiss for an extra attacker twice in the final minute. The Spartans managed just one shot during that stretch and it was wide of the mark as the Vikings cleared the puck repeatedly to help kill off the final seconds.
    This marks the fourth time in school history Lawrence has defeated a team ranked second in a national poll. Lawrence softball did it when the Vikings beat Chapman University in the 1998 NCAA Division III Tournament. Lawrence men's basketball also accomplished the feat with a win over UW-Oshkosh in November 2005.