(WEST DUNDEE, Ill., Nov. 19) – The McKendree University D3 men's hockey team fell 5-4 to Northern Illinois University (NIU) Friday night in a shootout thriller at Leafs Ice Centre in West Dundee, Ill.
 
The Huskies took a 1-0 in the first period, leaving the Bearcats scoreless. However, the Bearcats found a flurry of goals in the second period. Freshman forwards Matt Adams (Amisk, AB, Canada/Hughenden Public School) and Stanislav Gavrus each found the back of the net before the halfway point of the second to take a 2-1 lead over the Huskies. NIU tied the game just over 10 mins into the second period, but McKendree wasn't done yet. Freshman forward Michael Weedman and freshman defenseman Brogan Walters each tallied a goal before the close of the second period, to hold a 4-3 lead heading into the third period. The Huskies scored the equalizer in the third period to tie the game up at four. At the end of regulation, the teams were deadlocked at four, so the teams played a five-minute overtime period that the Bearcats dominated but couldn't find the back of the net. At the conclusion of the overtime period the teams were still at a stalemate, so the game headed to a shootout. After three shooters, the Huskies prevailed taking a 5-4 shootout win over the Bearcats.
 
Sophomore goalie Zach Allen got the nod for McKendree, stopping 40 of 44 shots on goal for a 0.909 save percentage.
 
The Bearcats faceoff against NIU again Saturday evening at 8:15 p.m. at the Leafs Ice Centre in West Dundee, Ill.