(LEBANON, Ill., Jan. 30)—The McKendree University hockey team ran its win streak to five consecutive games with an 8-4 victory Friday night on the road against Northern Illinois University.
 
Forward Dylan Mueth (Lebanon, IL/Wesclin ) registered a hat trick to lead the offensive attack for the Bearcats, who improve to 16-9 overall. McKendree will wrap up its regular-season slate Saturday afternoon against Northern Illinois. Face-off is set for 3 p.m.
 
Sophomore defenseman Steve Csanyi (Belleville, Ontario, Canada/Nicholson) added a goal and two assists in the effort for McKendree, while sophomore forward Ryan Sizer (Belleville, Ontario, Canada/Moira Secondary School) handed out four assists for the Bearcats.
 
The teams alternated goals in the first period as the teams played to a 3-3 stalemate after 20 minutes of play. Mueth netted his first goal of the night in the stanza. The score stood until late in the second period, when defenseman Brendan Whitt (Granite City, IL/Granite City) scored with 2:31 left until the final intermission to put the Bearcats on top for good at 4-3. Mueth followed with a power-play goal in the final minute of the second period to extend the McKendree lead to 5-3.
 
McKendree then put the contest away by scoring three more unanswered goals in the third period for an 8-3 lead. Mueth finished off his hat trick five minutes into frame before sophomore forward Billy Lamb (St. Louis, MO/St. Mary's) and Csanyi closed out the scoring for the Bearcats.
 
Freshman Andrew Best (Midland, Ontario, Canada/Cambridge Bears Junior A) collected the victory in goal for McKendree. Best was credited with 42 saves, including 27 while holding the Huskies off the scoreboard in the second period.