(LEBANON, Ill., Feb. 19)—For the first time in team history, the McKendree University hockey team has advanced to the American Collegiate Hockey Assocation (ACHA) Division 3 National Championships.
Sophomore wing Nic Rolla (O'Fallon, IL/O'Fallon) (O'Fallon, Ill.) and freshman wing Dylan Mueth (New Baden, IL/Belleville East) (New Baden, Ill./Belleville East) each recorded a hat trick, and junior wing David Coleman (Budapest, Hungary/Fort Zumwalt West) handed out four assists to lead the Bearcats past Iowa State University 7-3 in the second round of the ACHA Division 3 Pacific Regionals Saturday in Colorado Springs, Colo. The victory marked the second regional triumph in as many days for sixth-seeded McKendree, which was playing in the regional tournament for the first time.
The victory puts McKendree at 17-6-1 overall and propels the Bearcats into the 16-team field at the ACHA Division 3 National Championships, which will be held March 9-12 in Holland, Mich. McKendree is placed in Pool B of the Red Bracket, and is in a grouping with California University of Pennsylvania, Davenport University and Florida Gulf Coast University. Pairings and game times will be announced in the coming days.
Iowa State took a 1-0 lead after the first period before Mueth scored his first goal of the contest off a pass from Coleman less than two minutes into the second period. After the Cyclones regained a 2-1 advantage, Rolla tied the game at the 7:59 mark. Mueth's second goal, coming with just 1:44 left in the second period, pushed the Bearcats in front for the first time at 3-2. However, Iowa State answered just 23 seconds later to knot the game at 3-3.
Graduate defenseman Brooks Boeschen (Belleville, Ill./Belleville East) (Belleville, Ill./Belleville East) broke the deadlock with just 24 seconds remaining in the second period on a power-play goals with assists going to Rolla and senior wing Nick Smothers (Waterloo, Ill./Waterloo).
Nursing a 4-3 lead entering the third period, Mueth completed his hat trick with just over three minutes gone in the stanza, and Rolla netted his second of the game to push the Bearcats' lead to three goals. Rolla closed out his hat trick with the final goal of the day at the 2:19 mark.
Senior Mike Stier (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West) (Belleville, Ill./Belleville East) stopped 32 of 35 shots, including all 13 in the third period, to provide the victory in goal for McKendree.
