(LEBANON, Ill., Dec. 4)—Senior wing Nick Smothers (Waterloo, Ill./Waterloo) scored the game-winning goal with 44 seconds remaining to lift the McKendree University hockey team to a 4-3 victory Saturday afternoon at home against Missouri State University. The contest was played at the U.S. Ice Sports Complex in Fairview Heights.

The win marked the fifth consecutive triumph for the Bearcats, who head into the holiday break with a record of 10-3-1. McKendree will return to action Jan. 14 with a home match against Northwestern University. Face-off is set for 7:30 p.m.

Four different players scored in Saturday's win for McKendree, which had to rally from a 3-2 third-period deficit. With just 2:01 on the clock, senior defenseman Alec Steiner (Swansea, Ill./Belleville East) (Swansea, Ill./Belleville East) tied the contest off a pass from Smothers. Senior goalie Mike Stier (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West) (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West) fed a pass to Smothers just over a minute later, who buried the game-winning goal into the back of the net moments later to help the Bearcats prevail.

Freshman wing Josh Hasamear (Collinsville, IL/Althoff Catholic) (Collinsville, Ill./Althoff Catholic) broke a scoreless tie midway through the second period thanks to an unassisted goal on the power play. Missouri State tied the game three minutes later before freshman Carlos Galvan (Mulvane, KS/Mulvane) (Mulvane, Kan.) pushed the Bearcats back out in front, 2-1, thanks to another power play goal with assists from Hasamear and freshman center Dylan Mueth (New Baden, IL/Belleville East) (New Baden, Ill./Belleville East).

The visiting Bears then tallied twice to grab a 3-2 lead before Steiner and Smothers provided their late-game heroics. Stier made 26 saves to earn the victory in goal for the Bearcats.