(LEBANON, Ill., Feb. 10)—After having no shootout appearances in the first 23 games of its 2006-07 season, the McKendree College hockey team made up for lost time this weekend in Danville, Ill.
For the second time in less than 24 hours, the Bearcats needed a shootout to decide a contest against Eastern Illinois University. Friday, McKendree squeaked out an 8-7 win, and the Bearcats continued their winning ways on Saturday with a 12-11 decision over the Panthers.
Senior defenseman
Brent Grimm (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon) (O’Fallon, Ill./O’Fallon) was credited with the clinching goal in the shootout as McKendree won its fourth consecutive game. The Bearcats close out the regular season with a record of 16-9. McKendree finished third in the Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association (MACHA) standings with 16 points.
By taking third in the conference, McKendree has qualified for its second consecutive trip to the MACHA Tournament. The Bearcats will face No. 2 seed Illinois State University on Friday, Feb. 23 at 11:40 a.m. The four-team event will be held at the International Ice Center in Romeoville, Ill. A victory would propel the Bearcats into the MACHA Tournament championship, which is set for Feb. 24 at 9 a.m.
Junior center
Scott Roberts (Philadelphia, Pa./Bensalem) (Philadelphia, Pa./Bensalem), who scored five goals plus a tally in Friday’s shootout win, notched four goals and three assists in Saturday’s game with Eastern Illinois. Sophomore wing
Nick Dreyer (Waterloo, Ill./Waterloo) (Waterloo, Ill./Waterloo) added two goals and an assist, while junior wing
Kyle Ilges (Highland, Ill./Highland) (Highland, Ill./Highland) and sophomore center
Charlie Donze (Fairview Heights, Ill./Althoff Catholic) (Fairview Heights, Ill./Althoff Catholic) each chipped in with a goal and two assists.
McKendree trailed 4-1 in the early stages of the second period before four consecutive goals gave the Bearcats a 5-4 advantage in the final minute of the period. Eastern Illinois scored with 17 seconds left in the period to even the contest at 5-5 before the teams each tallied six times in the final 20 minutes of regulation. The Bearcats erupted for three goals in a three-minute span early in the third to take a 9-6 lead.
The Panthers battled back to tie the game with three straight goals. McKendree responded with a pair of goals for an 11-9 lead with just 2:43 left in regulation, but Eastern Illinois scored twice in the final 1:53 to force the shootout.
Freshman
Anthony Millatti (Columbia, Ill./Columbia) (Columbia, Ill./Columbia) made 26 saves in goal for McKendree.
-McK-
