(EAST ALTON, Ill., Feb. 16)—The McKendree University hockey team will play for the Mid-America Collegiate Hockey Association (MACHA) Silver Division Tournament championship following its 7-4 victory Saturday afternoon over Bradley University at the East Alton Ice Arena.

 

Senior wing Nick Dreyer (Waterloo, Ill./Waterloo) (Waterloo, Ill./Waterloo), junior center Charlie Donze (Fairview Heights, Ill./Althoff Catholic) (Fairview Heights, Ill./Althoff Catholic) and junior wing Zach Evans (Columbia, Ill./Columbia) each scored a pair of goals in the victory, which gives the Bearcats a 21-6 record on the season. Senior wing Kyle Ilges (Highland, Ill./Highland) (Highland, Ill./Highland), senior center Scott Roberts (Philadelphia, Pa./Bensalem) (Philadelphia, Pa./Bensalem) and junior David Klueskens (Granite City, Ill./Granite City) (Granite City, Ill./Granite City) each had two assists in the win for McKendree.

 

The top-seeded Bearcats will meet No. 3 seed Missouri State University in the MACHA Silver Division championship game Sunday at 10 a.m., in East Alton. McKendree and Missouri State split their regular season series as the Bearcats won the first game on Jan. 18, 7-3, before the Bears knocked off McKendree one night later, 7-6. Both games were played in Springfield, Mo.

 

In Saturday’s game, Bradley jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one period before McKendree rallied to take the lead. Donze scored early in the second period to cut the deficit to one goal before Evans notched the first of his two tallies on the night. With 11 minutes remaining in the second period, Dreyer gave the Bearcats a 3-2 lead with a power-play goal on assists from Roberts and Donze.

 

Roberts scored three minutes later to extend the margin to 4-2. The Bearcats took that lead into the third period when Bradley scored twice in the early stages of the period to even the contest at 4-4.

 

Evans put McKendree in front to stay off a pass from junior wing Zach Crawford (Springfield, Ill./Pleasant Plains) (Springfield, Ill./Pleasant Plains). Donze and Dreyer added insurance goals to help preserve the victory for the Bearcats.

 

Sophomore John Stier (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West) made 19 saves to grab his ninth victory of the season in goal for McKendree.