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Illini get ready for Robert Morris University
   
2008 ACHA Nationals, March 1-5
   
February 27, 2008 - The #1 Illini have had their sites set on the ACHA National Championship title since day one, and now that dream is just four games away. Of course there are 15 other teams that have the same goal in mind and will have something to say about how far the Illini will go. And the first team that will cross the Illini's path will be the Colonials of Robert Morris University.

The Colonials were ranked 18th in the last ACHA coaches poll, but earned an automatic berth into the tournament as champions of the Eastern Collegiate Hockey League. The Colonials went into the 2007 tournament also as the 16th seed, and came out as number 15, only after losing 2-1 in overtime to the number one seed at the time, Penn State. This season Robert Morris has amassed a record of 21-11-3, 11-1-0 in the ECHL, and is coming off of their league playoff wins against Buffalo and Niagara. The Colonials offense has been putting up just over 4 goals per game, but they will have to get past the Illini defense that has only been allowing an average of only 21 shots on goal per game, of which the Illini goaltenders letting in only 1.5 goals per game. Leading the Colonials in points is Jacob Javitt with 44 points (15 goals, 29 assists) followed closely by the teams leading goal scorer Luke Bennett with 40 points (23 goals, 17 assists). Of the 131 goals netted by Robert Morris this season, 36% have come by way of the power play, with Bennett leading that effort as well. On the defensive side of the ice, the Colonials have been allowing just over 30 shots on goal per game, of which just under 3.5 have gotten past their net minders. Robert Morris' main man between the pipes has been Jon Hoffman, who is currently sporting a Goal Against Average of 3.11 and a save percentage of approximately .912. Whoever gets the nod for the Colonials could have their hands full as the Illini are used to putting an average of 43 shots on goal, with nearly 6 finding the back of the net.

The Illini will be squaring off against the Colonials in the last game of the first round, which is set to face off at 8:30pm Eastern time on the main rink of the ESL Sports Centre in Rochester, NY. Web casts of all games will be made available by LiveSportsVideo, with WPGU's own Jon Hansen calling the plays for the Illini games.