(LEBANON, Ill., Jan. 18)—The McKendree University hockey team closed out a two-game weekend sweep at the University of Illinois Saturday afternoon with a 5-3 victory.
 
Five different Bearcats scored in the win as McKendree reeled off four unanswered goals spanning the second and third periods. The Bearcats moves to 13-9 overall and will be head to Peoria, Ill., next weekend for games on Friday and Saturday against Robert Morris University-Peoria. Face-off for both contests will be at 7 p.m.
 
After a scoreless first period, Illinois jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a tally in the first 90 seconds in the second period. Defenseman Brendan Whitt (Granite City, IL/Granite City), who had four assists in Friday night's 6-3 win, knotted Saturday's contest at 1-1 off a pass from sophomore forward Jacob Young (Arnold, MO/Fox). Senior forward Jacob Schlote (House Springs, MO/Hillsboro) put the Bearcats in front to stay, 2-1, midway through the second period with the assist going to sophomore defenseman Steve Csanyi (Belleville, Ontario, Canada/Nicholson). Sophomore forward Ryan Sizer (Belleville, Ontario, Canada/Moira Secondary School) finished off the second-period scoring with just under five minutes remaining in the stanza as forward Dylan Mueth (Lebanon, IL/Wesclin ) collected the assist.
 
Sophomore forward Jason Beilke, Jr. (Romeoville, IL/Plainfield Central), finished off the Bearcats' run of four straight goals early in the third period before Illinois trimmed the margin to 4-3 with just under three minutes to play. Mueth added an insurance goal in the closing minutes with a power-play tally as Whitt was credited with the assist.
 
Freshman Jared Bradley (St. Peters, MO/St. Louis Frontenacs Juniors (MNJHL)) went the distance in goal to earn the victory for McKendree. He made 32 saves in the effort.