(DEKALB, Ill., Jan. 20) – The McKendree University men's D2 hockey team completed the sweep over Northern Illinois University on Saturday afternoon with a 7-3 victory.
 
The Bearcats improve to 18-4 overall in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) this season with the victory. With the victory McKendree is tied with Iowa State for first place with 36 points in the Mid-America Collegiate Hockey Association (MACHA).
 
 Northern Illinois opened the scoring in the contest with a goal at the 14:39 mark of the first period. McKendree answered quick with a goal from freshman defenseman Daniel Nordlander, just 25 seconds later to tie the game at one a side. The Bearcats scored again just over a minute later when freshman defenseman Aleks Ivasenko scored from in close. Junior defenseman Ty Watt (Barrie, Ontario, Canada/Rama Aces GMHL) extended the McKendree lead to two goals on a great passing play from junior forward Lazar Lestaric (Belgrade, Serbia/National Sports Academy USHS) and sophomore forward Levi Armstrong (Urbana, IL/Peoria Mustangs NA3HL). The Bearcats lit the lamp again after sophomore forward Tyler Wilson sent a pass to sophomore forward Dominic Naas (Neurensdorf, Zurich, Switzerland/Casper Coyotes WSHL) in the slot, who then buried the puck past the Huskies netminder. Watt scored his second of the game on a fortunate bounce off of the glass to give the Bearcats the four goal lead. Northern Illinois scored one more before the close of the first period, to draw the game closer. The first period closed with the Bearcats leading 5-2 over the Huskies.
 
Northern Illinois scored the only goal of the second period with just 1:20 remaining to cut the McKendree lead to two goals, with the Bearcats leading 5-3. McKendree struck quickly in the third period with a shot by Wilson from the right side, beating the Huskies goaltender 45 seconds in to regain the three goal lead. Sophomore forward Michael Weedman (O'Fallon, MO/St. Peters Spirit) extended the McKendree lead to four goals halfway through the third period, to put the Bearcats up 7-3. The teams remained scoreless throughout the remainder of the third period to give the Bearcats the victory over the Huskies.
 
Junior goaltender Andrew Best (Midland, Ontario, Canada/Cambridge Bears Junior A team) started in goal for the Bearcats turning aside 23 of 26 shots on goal for a save percentage of 0.885. The Bearcats are back in action against ACHA D1 opponent the University of Arkansas on January 26 and 27 in Fayetteville, Ark.