(LEBANON, Ill., Jan. 26)—The McKendree College hockey team cruised to a 6-2 victory Friday night at home against the Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville silver team. The contest was played at the U.S. Ice Sports Complex in Fairview Heights.

 

Sophomore center Charlie Donze (Fairview Heights, Ill./Althoff Catholic) (Fairview Heights, Ill./Althoff Catholic) collected a goal and three assists, while junior center Scott Roberts (Philadelphia, Pa./Bensalem) (Philadelphia, Pa./Bensalem) scored twice as the Bearcats won their second consecutive match. McKendree is 13-9 overall and will host SIU-Edwardsville silver again Saturday at 3 p.m. The game marks the final regular-season home contest for the Bearcats in 2006-07.

 

Friday’s game was scoreless for more than 34 minutes before McKendree jumped out in front with two goals in a 17-second span. Junior wing Kyle Ilges (Highland, Ill./Highland) (Highland, Ill./Highland) netted the first goal of the game with an assist from Donze with 5:45 remaining in the second period. At the 5:28 mark, Donze found the back of the net off a pass from freshman center Ryan Schwer (St. Louis, Mo./DeSmet) (St. Louis, Mo./DeSmet).

 

Roberts made it 3-0 just three minutes later before SIU-Edwardsville scored in the closing moments of the second period and early in the third to cut the deficit to 3-2. The Bearcats put the game away with three goals in the final period. Roberts and junior wing Nick Dreyer (Waterloo, Ill./Waterloo) (Waterloo, Ill./Waterloo) each posted power-play goals, and senior wing Brian Neighbors (Belleville, Ill./Althoff Catholic) closed out the scoring with just under nine minutes to play.

 

Junior Ryan Ahlemeyer (Cahokia, Ill./Cahokia) (Cahokia, Ill./Cahokia) stopped 32 of 34 Cougar shots to earn the victory in goal for McKendree.