It was the biggest game of the year, as the Lions hosted long time rival in the 2022 Teddy Bear Toss. The rink was packed with over 300 people in attendance. The game started quickly and had back and forth action early on. CSUN was able to score seven minutes into the game to take a 1-0 lead. With 6 minutes to go in the first, Kaczmarek found the puck and streaked down the ice to score on the breakaway. The Bears started flying over the glass, and took 10 minutes to clean up, setting a new record for stuffed animals collected at the annual event at 556. This collection completely dwarfed the previous high of 301.
CSUN would score again in the first, and led 1-0 after the first. The Lions came out flying in the second, when Kaczmarek knotted his second of the game, sliding it past the goalie. Just one minute later Nishino was able to score on the back door, giving the Lions a 3-2 lead. CSUN was able to tie it up with a shot sneaking over Profaci’s shoulder. The Lions fired right back, as Rodriguez was able to score on a cross ice pass, giving the Lions a 4-3 lead. Martin scored with 3 minutes to go, and with a minute left in the first, Kaczmarek was able to finish off his hat-trick scoring on a 2 on 1, and the Lions led 6-3 after 2.
In the third CSUN scored twice on the power-play, and the Lions found themselves in constant penalty trouble. Leading by one, Chris Manzer fired the puck in on an LMU Powerplay, shooting back across the ice picking the far top corner. The Lions led 7-5, with that late goal. CSUN pulled the goalie with 3 minutes to play, and the Lions couldn’t find the back of the net, even with good rushes up the ice. The game time ticked down, and CSUN was able to score with the empty net, with only 10 seconds left, bringing the game to within 1. The Lions were able to win the face-off and fire the puck down the ice, sealing the 7-6 victory. John Profaci stood tall in net, stopping 36 of 42 shots in a wild, back and forth game.
The Lions finished this semester with the win, and come back in January for a quick stretch of mostly home games.