(LEBANON, Ill., Feb. 22)—The McKendree University hockey team wrapped up its second consecutive Mid-America College Hockey Association (MACHA) Silver Division Tournament championship on Sunday with a 6-3 victory over Northwestern University at the U.S. Ice Sports Complex in Fairview Heights.

Senior center Scott Roberts (Philadelphia, Pa./Bensalem) (Philadelphia, Pa./Bensalem) scored two goals, while junior center Charlie Donze (Fairview Heights, Ill./Althoff Catholic) (Fairview Heights, Ill./Althoff Catholic) added a goal and three assists as the Bearcats notched their fifth straight win. McKendree's season record improves to 19-5 overall.

Junior goalie Mike Stier (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West) (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West) was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Stier had 35 saves in Sunday's championship contest, and 68 of 74 shots in the Bearcats' two tournament victories on the weekend.

McKendree jumped out to a 3-0 lead against Northwestern. Junior wing Nick Smothers (Waterloo, Ill./Waterloo) opened the scoring at the 14:07 mark of the first period with a power-play goal. Roberts had the Bearcats' only other goal in the first period, scoring with just over five minutes left in the stanza.

Freshman wing David Coleman (Greenville, Ill./Fort Zumwalt West) helped McKendree to a three-goal advantage with an unassisted, short-handed goal in the first 90 seconds of the second period. After the Wildcats closed to within 4-2, senior wing Nick Dreyer (Waterloo, Ill./Waterloo) (Waterloo, Ill./Waterloo) netted the Bearcats' second power-play goal of the contest to extend the lead back to 5-2.

Roberts registered the final goal of the match with another power-play goal off a pass from Donze.

McKendree won the 2008 MACHA Silver Division Tournament title with a 6-5 overtime victory over Missouri State University.

-McK-