(LEBANON, Ill., Jan. 14)—The McKendree University hockey team raced to a 6-0 lead midway through the second period and never looked back in cruising to an 11-5 victory Friday night at home against Northwestern University.
Sophomore wing Nick Rolla (O'Fallon, Ill./SIU Edwardsville) registered a hat trick and added an assist as the Bearcats posted their sixth consecutive victory. McKendree is now 11-3-1 overall and will host Northwestern again Saturday at 3 p.m. in the final game of the weekend series at the U.S. Ice Sports Complex in Fairview Heights.
Freshman center Dylan Mueth (New Baden, IL/Belleville East) (New Baden, Ill./Belleville East), freshman wing Josh Hasamear (Collinsville, IL/Althoff Catholic) (Collinsville, Ill./Althoff Catholic) and Brandon Riley (Belleville, IL/Belleville West) each scored twice in the contest for McKendree, which matched a season-high in goals scored. Graduate defenseman Brooks Boeschen (Belleville, Ill./Belleville East) (Belleville, Ill./Belleville East) handed out a team-high four assists against the Wildcats.
McKendree scored four times in the opening period, then used goals by Rolla and Riley in the first eight minutes of the second period to build a 6-0 advantage. Northwestern eventually pulled within 7-3 after 40 minutes of play, but the Bearcats exploded for four more tallies in the third period to pull away for the win. Rolla finished off his hat trick with 3:47 left in the contest.
Senior Mike Stier (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West) (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West) stopped 29 shots to grab his 11th victory in goal for McKendree.
