It’s one thing to give up three-goal leads twice in the third period to a ninth-ranked Notre Dame team. It’s quite another to allow a first-year NCAA program to score the final five goals in a game and lose 7-6.

That’s exactly what happened to Air Force on Friday night in suburban St. Louis against Lindenwood, which won the first Division I game in the program’s history by taking over the game in the final 27 minutes.

Ryan Finnegan scored a rebound goal with 1:38 left to cap the comeback for the Lions (1-4-0). That was the second even-strength goal in the five-goal rally, which also included two power-play strikes and a shorthanded goal.

After the teams traded goals twice in the first period, Air Force (0-2-1) seemed to take control in the first 9:12 of the second period. Will Gavin scored twice, including on the power play, and top-line wings Willie Reim and Nate Horn also tallied. Horn’s goal was his third in the past two games. Austin Schwartz and Jacob Marti, playing in his first game of the season after recovering from an injury, also tallied for the Falcons.

The Falcons dominated in several statistical categories, holding a 45-22 shots-on-goal edge and an 83-46 total shots edge. But Lindenwood goalie Trent Burnham stopped 39 shots and made big saves when he needed to. Freshman Aaron Randazzo made 15 saves for Air Force, which won 29 of 51 face-offs (57 percent).

One strength of the Falcons coming into the game was their special teams, but that was not the case Friday. Three of Lindenwood’s goals came on their five power plays, and Hunter Johannes scored shorthanded just as an Air Force power play was about to expire with 7:06 to go in the third. That launched the Lions’ three-goal third, which included David Gagnon’s power-play goal 1:18 later to tie the score.

Gagnon also countered Schwartz’s goal with one of his own 8:30 into the game. Lindenwood took its first lead 1:29 later when Andy Willis struck, but Marti started a run of five consecutive Air Force goals with a breakaway with 6:15 to go in the first.

Notes: The teams have a quick turnaround, playing again at 1 p.m. Saturday. … Defenseman Luke Rowe had three assists and D partner Brandon Koch had two, as did fellow blue liner Sam Brennan and forward Brian Adams.

©First Line Editorial 2022