(WEST DUNDEE, Ill., Nov. 8) – The McKendree University men's D1 hockey team rolled through Northern Illinois University by the score of 18-2 on Friday night. Senior Dominic Naas (Neurensdorf, Zurich, Switzerland/Casper Coyotes WSHL) and junior Connor Brennan (Castle Rock, CO/Regis Jesuit High School) led the way with four goals apiece. Nine different Bearcats saw themselves in the scoring column.
 
The Bearcats advance to 4-1 overall and 2-1 in Midwest College Hockey (MCH) play. They will look for the sweep late Saturday afternoon at 4:50pm.
 
McKendree pushed six goals across in the opening period. Brennan scored twice, sophomore Otasowie Omoregie (Pickering, Ontario, Canada/), freshman Bryce Dirscherl (San Diego, CA/Thunder Ridge High School), senior Dominic Naas (Neurensdorf, Zurich, Switzerland/Casper Coyotes WSHL), and sophomore Nikita Sokov (Pervourlask, Russia/School #15) each contributed goals in the period. The Bearcats carried a 6-0 lead into the first intermission.
 
The first period wasn't enough as the Bearcats scored eight more times in the second period. Naas and sophomore Oliver Joensson (Malmo, Sweden/Kitas Gymnasium-Gothenburg) each scored twice, Brennan scored his third, freshman Connor Mullins (Whitby, Ontario, Canada/Donald A. Wilson Secondary School), junior Shayne Pluto (Calgary, Alberta, Canada/Central Memorial High School), and sophomore Cory Robinson (St. Charles, MO/) notched goals in the middle period. After two periods, McKendree took a 14-0 lead into the third period.
 
McKendree only recorded four goals in the third period to cap off an impressive 18 goal outing. Brennan and Naas recorded their fourth while Sokov and Pluto scored their second goals of the game in the period. Northern Illinois broke the shutout with two goals in the period.
 
Senior Lazar Lestaric (Belgrade, Serbia/National Sports Academy USHS) guided the offense with a game high five assists. Senior Michael Weedman (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt North High School) and freshman Oscar Andersson (Stockholm, Sweden/Vasa Real) each added three assists.
 
Sophomore goalie Wes Werner (LaSalle, Ontario, Canada/Sandwich Secondary School) made 21/23 saves in the win.