O'Fallon, IL - With 23 seconds remaining and a comeback nearly complete,
Matteo Salvatore delivered the finishing touch. Salvatore's unassisted game-winning goal capped a three-goal rally for the McKendree University M1 Hockey team, lifting the Bearcats to a thrilling 4-3 victory over Illinois State on Friday night at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex. Salvatore scored twice, while
Greyson Skirpan turned away 57 shots to help McKendree erase a two-goal deficit and secure the win in regulation.
Trailing 3-2 entering the third period, the Bearcats saved their strongest offensive push for the final 20 minutes. McKendree outshot Illinois State 20-11 in the frame, drawing even on
Jonathan Davenport's power play goal before Salvatore supplied the late heroics.
The Redbirds opened the scoring at 7:45 of the first period when Jacob Swiatek converted off an assist from Carson Pishkur. McKendree answered at 13:23, as
Trevor Voyda netted his second goal of the season with assists from
Bennett Uchacz and
Bradly Boyarski.
Illinois State regained the lead just 15 seconds later, however, with Angelo Massaro scoring to send the visitors into the first intermission ahead 2-1.
The Redbirds extended their advantage midway through the second period. Dominic Dager's power play goal at 11:43 pushed the margin to 3-1, leaving McKendree with a two-goal deficit.
Salvatore began chipping away a little more than three minutes later. With the Bearcats on the power play following at Illinois State interference penalty, Salvatore struck just eight seconds into the advantage at 14:50.
Jacob Begich and
Brady Nance assisted on his fifth goal of the season, pulling McKendree within one heading into the final period.
While Salvatore helped ignite the comeback, Skirpan kept the opportunity alive. The McKendree goaltender faced 49 shots through the opening two periods, including 30 in the second alone, and stopped 46 of them. He then turned aside all 11 shots he faced in the third, shutting out Illinois State over the final 28:17 of play.
The Bearcats rewarded that effort with a determined third period response.
An Illinois State interference penalty at 16:26 gave McKendree another opportunity with the extra skater, and Davenport capitalized in the midst of a massive scrum in front of the goal 25 seconds later. His unassisted tally, his first goal of the season, brought the Bearcats even at 3-3 with 3:09 remaining.
That set the stage for Salvatore.
With overtime approaching, Salvatore scored his sixth goal of the season at 19:37, giving McKendree its first lead of the night and completing the comeback. The Bearcats held firm through the closing seconds to seal the victory.
Illinois State finished with a 60-37 advantage in shots, but McKendree's third period surge, two power play goals and Skirpan's outstanding performance proved decisive. Voyda and Davenport joined Salvatore in the scoring column, while Uchacz, Boyarski, Begich, and Nance each recorded an assist.
The evening also included a farewell to athletic trainer John Rosecrans, who worked his final home game after just over four years at McKendree. Rosecrans was honored in a pregame ceremony that included a ceremonial puck drop. Following the victory, he joined the Bearcats on the ice for numerous hugs, shared memories, and a team picture, bringing a heartfelt close to a memorable night at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex.
