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By far the most popular Club Sports on Campus making them well deserving of their own home. Bring your Hockey Club discussion here. All D1, D2 and D3 Men's and Women's team will find a home here.
Here is a preview of the weekend activities in Champaign from the student fishwrap at Illinois:
Club hockey to host new Division I team
By: Jason Grodsky
Issue date: 10/19/06 Section: Sports
Illinois' Alex Park shoots the puck past an onlooking University of Central Oklahoma defender in a scoring attempt during Friday night's game at the Ice Arena. Illinois won the game 4-2 against the visiting Bronchos.
The Illinois men's hockey club will look to remain unbeaten this weekend against American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) newcomer Liberty University.
The ACHA's No. 3-ranked Illini (6-0) will welcome the No. 18-ranked Flames of Liberty (6-1) to the University of Illinois Ice Arena for a pair of games on Friday and Saturday both starting at 7 p.m.
"We have never played Liberty so we have to come out the way we always do, with a high-powered offense," senior goaltender Mike DeGeorge said. "Hopefully we can get the goalie nervous and get a lot of pressure on them early."
Last weekend the Illini passed their toughest test of the young season, squeaking by the unranked Central Oklahoma Bronchos 4-2 at home.
Illinois regrouped on Saturday night to beat the Bronchos 7-2, but now realize that the team has to come out with more intensity in their first games of the weekend if they are to remain unbeaten. So far this season the Illini have scored 12 fewer goals in Friday games than in Saturday games.
"We need to come out and set the tempo early," junior team captain Drew Heredia said. "After what happened last weekend, (we) can't let teams hang around, especially here at our own rink. We have to get off to a good start because it carries over into Saturday a lot of times."
Through six games the Illini have been led by Heredia. He leads Illinois with 15 points, recording five goals and ten assists on the season to date.
His 15 points are tied for seventh overall in the ACHA. Last season Heredia finished tied for fifth on the team with 35 points, and attributes his success this year to his teammates and the Illini offense.
"My linemates have been awesome," Heredia said. "Joey Resch and Johnny Liang are great players and are experienced. We're able to spread the puck and points around well. Overall we have a good offense going."
Another reason the Illini are once again having early season success is the play of DeGeorge.
After five starts in net this season DeGeorge has allowed just nine goals on 99 shots and has already posted one shutout for the Illini.
His goals against average is an outstanding 1.80 per game and he has a save percentage of 90.91 percent.
"I've done what I've been asked to this year," DeGeorge said. "On a team where we have this much offense it makes my job really easy. They are scoring just over six goals a game, so technically all I have do is let in less than five which makes it easy."
As for Liberty, the Flames are led by Dave Semenyna. Through five games Semenyna has recorded 11 points for the Flames and is tied for 11th overall in assists in the ACHA.The Flames will be the second ranked team Illinois has had to face this season. The Illini won their only other two games against a ranked opponent, beating then 18th-ranked Oakland University 7-2 and 6-3 on the Illini's season opening weekend.
"Liberty is going to come out looking to knock us off," DeGeorge said. "We are going to expect their best game because they are a new Division I team and they are looking to make a statement."
Champaign, IL - A penalty filled 60 minutes set the tone of the of the game and eventually was the downfall of the Liberty University Flames as they racked up 58 minutes of infractions. That aside, Liberty would control play for two thirds of the game, but the Illini would come up big in the third period to win the match 3-1.
It would be the Flames who put the first goal on the board in the first period seconds after the Illini finished killing off a 5 on 3 power play chance for Liberty. At the 8:57 mark, the Flames Aaron Mackenzie lifted the puck over the Illini's Mike DeGeorge to give his team the 1-0 lead that would last through the rest of the period. The Illini would have 2 5 on 3 chances and put 17 shots on net, but Liberty's Mike Binnie turned them all aside.
In the second period neither team would be able to stay out of the box or be able to put points on the board. The Illini would let 4 power play chances, which included a long 2 man advantage, slip away, coming up empty handed. The teams would head to the break with the same 1-0 score from the first period.
The Illini's power play finally put it together five and a half minutes into the third period as JJ Heredia would roof the puck over the glove of Liberty's goalie for the unassisted goal, tying the game at one. The Illini would be given another power play opportunity shortly after after the goal, and at 6:47 Jordan Pringle would get the puck in front of the net and slip it past the Flames netminder, giving the Illini a one goal lead. Assisting on Pringle's power play goal were the Heredia brother, JJ and Drew. Just over halfway through the period, the Illini would also take advantage of a Liberty power play chance. JJ Heredia would intercept the puck in the Flames zone and fire a rocket from the top of the slot that would find its way to the back of the net at the 12:47 mark. The Illini would hold onto their two goal lead for the remainder of the period to take the game 3-1.
here is the wrap from the saturday game. it is tough to lose both games, but we are obviously super competitive, and just did not get the breaks.
ILLINI 3 LIBERTY 2 OT
Saturday nights first period would be a defensive battle with neither team being able to start the scoring. Liberty would be able to net the first goal of the game partway into the second period, but the Illini would battle back to even the game just minutes later. Before the period would run out, the Flames would put another goal on the board, again giving the a one goal lead going into the third period. Drew Heredia would tie the game up two-thirds of the way into the final period, but that would be the only goal scored in regulation time. The teams would skate four players aside going into over time, and with less than one minute run off of the clock, JJ Heredia would give the Illini the 3-2 OT victory.
this was an undefeated Illini team. My guess is this opened some eyes around the D1 ranks, our guys deserve a lot of respect. I believe U of I is also ranked #2 - could be wrong on that one.
excellent job fellas.
EDIT: I'm not wrong- they are #2.
EDIT# 2: typo- thanx SLY
Last edited by PAmedic on October 23rd, 2006, 4:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
JLFJR wrote:Thanks for your input, PA! Very helpful.
They played the majority of the game (45+ minutes) shorthanded as well, if I remember correctly.
A couple guys on the team are good friends of mine and said the Illini crowd gave them a huge home-ice advantage and were extremely tough on the Liberty players.
Regardless, they played a perennial powerhouse team in D1 hockey and gave them all they could handle and then some. A great showing of our guys.
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