(LEBANON, Ill., Jan. 31)—A goal by junior wing Nick Smothers (Columbia, Ill./Columbia) with just 2:31 to play propelled the McKendree University hockey team to a 4-3 victory Saturday at home against Missouri State University.
Smothers' late goal, which was his second of the contest, gave the Bearcats a sweep of the two-game weekend series with the Ice Bears. McKendree pushes its record to 16-5 on the year and will close out the 2008-09 home portion of its schedule Friday at 8 p.m. against Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (Gold).
Junior center Charlie Donze (Fairview Heights, Ill./Althoff Catholic) (Fairview Heights, Ill./Althoff Catholic) also scored twice for McKendree, which built a 3-0 lead midway through the second period before Missouri State stormed back to tie the contest. That set the stage for Smothers' heroics.
Donze scored two of the Bearcats' first three goals, sandwiched around Smothers' first tally of the day, to give McKendree a 3-0 advantage with just under eight minutes left in the second period. Missouri State rallied with a goal late in the second period and two more in the third to even the contest.
Smothers scored the game-winner off a pass from senior wing Nick Dreyer (Waterloo, Ill./Waterloo) (Waterloo, Ill./Waterloo), who had two assists for McKendree. Freshman wing David Coleman (Greenville, Ill./Fort Zumwalt West) also assisted on a pair of goals for the Bearcats.
Junior Mike Stier (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West) (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West) collected his 13th victory of the season in goal for McKendree. Stier recorded 32 saves, including 18 in the opening period.
-McK-
