Ann Arbor, MI - The
Illini were able to grab 4 more CSCHL points, taking
their total now to 12, as as 6 goal second period led
to the 7-0 downing of the Eastern Michigan University
Eagles. The Illini's goaltender Mike Burda picked up
another shutout for the season as he rejected all 21
of the Eagles shots on goal.
The Illini took control of the game
early in the first period, but Eastern Michigan's netminder
Erik Shardt frustrated the Illini shooters as he turned
away all 15 of the Illini's first period shots. On
the back end of the ice, the Illini defense kept the
Eagles is check, allowing them only five shots on goal
for the period. The goalie perfection led to the first
period ending as it had started, tied 0-0.
The Eagles cranked up the shots in the second period,
equaling the Illini with 13 shots on net, but it was
the Illini who figured out the way to get the puck
into the net. And once they did, the goals kept coming.
It was senior Drew Heredia that started the flood of
Illini goals, getting the puck to just slip under Eastern's
Shardt with just 30 seconds left in the Illini's first
power play of the second period. The unassisted power
play goal came at the 5:13 mark. A minute and forty-nine
seconds later the Illini's Matt Jennings would net
the second goal of the period as he skated down ice
along the boards before cutting and firing a shot that
would find the back of the Eagles net. Assisting on
the goal were Pat Mannina and Alex Park. At the 10:34
mark, and the Illini on the power play, senior Nick
Fabbrini would find the puck in the slot and the EMU
goaltender out of position and in turn put the biscuit
in the basket for the Illini's third goal of the period,
Jason Nemeth getting the assist. 53 seconds later,
and the Illini again on the power play, junior Jason
Nemeth would this time be the one finding the puck
on his stick, and firing a shot from from the goalies
left, put the Illini up by four. Picking up the assists
on the goal were Jordan Pringle and Nick Fabbrini.
Fabbrini was obviously having too much fun in front
of the, and just two minutes after his first goal,
71 seconds after assisting on the Nemeth goal, he sent
a shot from just inside the circle that found the back
of the EMU net. Feeling that Shardt had had enough,
Eastern Michigan pulled him out of net in favor of
Craig Haa. It wasn't too much later that the Illini
made him feel welcome, as sophomore Mark Ergun followed
the puck along Haa's stick and as it slid past the
end, sent it into the net at the 18:14 point in the
period. Getting the lone assist on the goal was junior
Pat Saliba. The teams would spend the last moments
of the period skating 4 on 4, but the Illini would
be the ones taking the 6-0 lead into the break.
The Illini slowed down the pace a
little in the third period, putting only 8 shots on
net, but still kept Eastern at bay, allowing them a
paltry 3 shots on goal for the period. An Eagles penalty
just past the halfway point in the period did lead
to Jason Nemeth's second goal of the game however.
The lone goal of the period came at the 13:14 mark
and had Johnny Liang assisting. The Illini held on
to keep the Eagle scoreless and take the game 7-0.
The Illini are now 10-0-0 on the season with one game
left in the series with Eastern Michigan before returning
home for the remainder of the semester.
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