(EAST ALTON, Ill., Oct. 22) – The McKendree University D2 men's hockey team defeated Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville Friday night at East Alton Ice Arena by a final score of 8-3.
 
SIUE opened the scoring at the 12:11 mark of the first period, but Lazar Lestaric (Belgrade, Serbia/Sesta) had a response for the Bearcats netting a goal with assists coming from Levi Armstrong (Urbana, IL/Urbana HS) and Ryan Sizer (Belleville, Ontario, Canada/Moira Secondary School). The first period closed with the teams tied 1-1. Freshman forward Travis Bobb (New York, NY/Bridgeton Academy) scored his first career goal with the Bearcats to open the second period, with Jason Beilke and Alec Nichols (Cedar Rapids, IA/George Washington HS) recording assists on the goal. The Cougars responded with a power play goal shortly afterwards, but the Bearcats weren't done scoring. Michael Weedman (O'Fallon, MO/Ft. Zumwalt North HS) beat the SIUE netminder just 44 seconds later, with Dominic Naas (Neurensdorf, Zurich, Switzerland/KV Zurich Business School) and Kristjan Toivola (Bellingham, WA/Bellingham Blazers (NPHL)) registering assists. SIUE scored kept up with McKendree adding a third goal, but Bobb scored his second of the game to give the Bearcats the lead. Just 32 seconds later Lestaric added his second goal of the game as well to make it 5-3, Bearcats. In the closing second of the second period, McKendree added a power play goal from Toivola with assists coming from Lestaric and Naas. Sizer opened the scoring in the third period for McKendree, adding his team leading seventh goal of the season on a pass from Naas. The Bearcats closed out the scoring on the power play on a goal from captain Ty Watt (Barrie, Ontario, Canada) with Toivola and Blair Davies (Georgetown, Ontario, Canada/Christ the King) notching assists to grab an 8-3 win.
 
Andrew Best (Midland, Ontario, Canada/Saint Theresa’s High School) got the nod for the Bearcats, stopping 38 of 41 shots for a save percentage of 0.927 and a goals against average of 3.00.
 
Bobb scored his first two goals of the season in the contest, to go along with his two assists for four points on the year. Lestaric had a three-point night, registering two goals and one assist to put his point total at 13 on the season. Toivola and Naas each had three points in the game as well with Toivola adding a goal and two assists and Naas notching three assists.
 
"Travis has been very good for us," said head coach Garry Henson. " He's relentless out there and it's great to see his hard work rewarded."
 
The Bearcats play again at 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, against SIUE at East Alton Ice Arena in East Alton, Ill.