Champaign, IL - In the
second to last game of the season, the #1 Illini
took on newcomer to the ACHA, the 24th ranked Bulldogs
of Adrian College. The Illini, fresh off their CSCHL
Playoff win, looked to continue working on their undefeated
season, and finish the regular season on a high note.
The Illini and the Bulldogs started off slow, feeling
each other out, looking for each others weaknesses,
and even with Adrian getting the first power play opportunity,
it was the Illini that found it first taking advantage
of the Bulldogs first penalty of the night. Just under
15 minutes into the first period, junior Tom Connell,
with Joey Resch and Johnny Liang helping set up the
power play, would fire a rocket from the top of the
circle that would zip past Adrian's goaltender Krichiver,
putting the Illini on the board first. Just two and
a half minutes later, at the 17:43 mark, sophomore
Matt Jennings would skate the puck in from the boards
to the side of the net, and finding an opening, slip
the puck into the Bulldogs net, Jordan Pringle and
Joey Resch assisting. The Illini would take the 2-0
lead into the break after out shooting the Bulldogs
11-7.
The Illini picked up the pace in the second period,
tripling up on Adrian's 6 shots on goal for the period,
with 18, 3 of which hit their mark. The first coming
just under four minutes into the period as senior Ricky
Gomez lofted a shot into the Bulldog's net from just
inside the blue line, Jason Nemeth picking up the lone
assist. At the 6:44 mark in the second, Tom Connell
would pick up his second goal of the night, wristing
in another shot from the top of the circle, Andy Betourne
and Daniel Cohen picking up the helpers. The Illini
would be given a second power play chance late in the
period and the Illini would once again convert on it.
Junior Jordan Pringle would find the puck in front
of the crease as Adrian's Krichiver would give up a
soft rebound and pay as Pringle sent it back past him
for the goal. Helping set up the power play and firing
the rebounded shot were Johnny Liang and Alex Park.
The Illini would kill off a late penalty end the period
up 5-0.
In the third period Adrian would try their luck with
a new face between the pipes, replacing Krichiver with
Sean McCarthy. The change would work for the first
7 minutes of the period, until senior Joey Resch would
pick up the puck, skating into the Bulldogs zone, and
turn, flinging the puck towards and into the net for
the unassisted goal. Adrian would battle back in the
period, and just 34 seconds after the Illini goal,
the Bulldogs Kalon Foss would send a shot over Mike
Burda's shoulder, finally putting Adrian on the board.
Adrian would pick up a second goal exactly one minute
later, coming off the stick of an Illini player as
it inadvertently steered the puck behind the Illini's
Burda, the goal credited to Adrian's Aukskalnis. The
Illini's Joey Resch would answer back, picking up his
second goal of the game, just 16 seconds after the
Adrian goal, as Jordan Pringle would skate towards
the net, passing across the slot to Resch, allowing
him to fire the puck into the net, Matt Jennings picking
up the second assist. At 12:12 in the third, and the
Illini once again on the power play, Alex Park would
wrist in a shot from the point that would find the
back of the net, putting the Illini up 8-2. Helping
set up the Park goal were Jason Nemeth and Drew Heredia.
Adrian would get two more power play chances before
the period was over, including a short 5 on 3 chance,
but the Illini turned them away, holding on to win
the game 8-2.
The Illini now improve there record to 33-0-0 with
only one game left in the regular season, once again
facing Adrian Saturday night on Senior night.
|
