DUBUQUE, Iowa — Lawrence University (6-16-1, 1-14-1) was defeated by the University of Dubuque (6-15-2, 3-11-2), 6-4, in a conference matchup on Sunday. The Vikings managed to score once on the power play and recorded 34 shots on goal, but the Spartans capitalized with four power-play goals to secure the victory.
The first period began with Lawrence asserting early control through faceoff wins, setting the tone for initial possession. At 13:32,
Ethan Johnson capitalized on this momentum, scoring the opening goal with assists from
Ethan Look and
Michael Valdez, giving the Vikings a 1–0 lead. Shortly after, Dubuque equalized with a goal from Zach Burfoot at 11:35. Lawrence faced pressure as the Spartans took the lead with a power-play goal by Nikita Borodaenko at 6:42. However, the Vikings responded strongly;
Vladimir Fadeev netted the tying goal at 2:43, assisted by
Robby Pustulka and
Jeb Dee. Despite a late power-play opportunity, the period ended in a 2–2 tie.
Lawrence started the second period maintaining their momentum, as
Josh Danis scored at 16:27 with assists from
Adam Brzezicki and Valdez, extending their lead to 3-2. However, the Spartans responded shortly after with a power-play goal by Borodaenko at 8:36, leveling the score at 3-3. Despite multiple attempts from the Vikings to regain the lead, including shots from
Alexey Trischuk and
Carter Cloutier, the period ended with the score tied, setting up a tense final period.
Lawrence entered the third period trailing by one goal. Despite an early power play opportunity for Dubuque, the Vikings' defense held firm until Borodaenko completed a hat trick on the power play, extending Dubuque's lead to 4-3. Lawrence remained resilient, with
Kenny Sutton narrowing the gap with a power-play goal assisted by Look and Johnson, bringing the score to 5-4 in favor of the Spartans. As the period progressed, Lawrence faced another setback when Zach Cline scored a power-play goal for Dubuque, pushing their lead to 5-3. The Vikings responded with increased offensive pressure, but Dubuque managed to secure the win with an empty-net goal by Cline, concluding the game with a final score of 6-4.
