Illini
sweep the Icers at home
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Jim
Rogers records a hat trick against the Icers |
January
20th, 2003 - Even the 15 hour bus
ride or the thought of going up against an undefeated and the number
one ranked team in the ACHA wasn't going to keep the Illini from
playing some of their best hockey of the season. Friday night
brought a packed house to the Icers pavilion, as one of the years
most anticipated games was to take place. In a very defensive match
up, Penn State was the first team to score as Brendan Roache was
able to slip the puck past the Illini's Tim Danlow. Jim Rogers
knotted the game up at one apiece, with assists from Brian Coleman
and Kyle Zabrin, as he took advantage of a Scott Graham rebound. The
period wound down with Danlow making a few great saves stopping a
Penn State power play opportunity. The Illini took control of the
second period as Jim Rogers, again teamed up with Zabrin, put the
Illini on top 2-1. Jeff Condis added to the Illini scoring drive,
with an assist from Todd Chrustowski, as PSU tender Graham gave up
another rebound. After a quick game of toss the stick was played
between old buddies Dan Lynch and Jack Weber, and Kevin Jaeger was
sent to the sin bin for holding, Jim Rogers took advantage of the
shorthanded Icers and scored his hat trick goal for the game, again
with an assist from Coleman. Penn State finally showed a little life
as Glenn Zuck scored on the Illini delay of game penalty. The period
ended shortly after Icer Brendan Martin and Dan Lynch of the Illini
had a short discussion on the ice. In the third, Brian Coleman
capped off the Illini scoring and sent the Icer fans heading for the
doors as he put in the empty net goal from down the ice and gave the
Illini a 5-2 win.
Saturday afternoons game had
another packed pavilion crowd as well and some Icer fans wondering
what happened the night before. Four minutes into the first period,
the Illini's Jim Rogers quieted the crowd as he put in his fourth
goal of the weekend, with assists by Todd Chrustowski and Joel
Superfine. PSU's Garret Divins, with help from Martin and Harbaugh
on the power play, tied things up at one. The Icers Glenn Zuck
showed why he is one of the leagues top scores as he ripped one past
Tim Danlow, and put the Icers up by one. Within 60 seconds, Mike
Roesch of the Illini again made it an even game as he teamed up with
Chrustowski and Coleman on the power play. The period came to an end
as the Illini, again on the power play, had Brian Coleman put yet
another puck into the Icers net, Chrustowski with another Assist.
Scott Kohler, with Andy Lubesnick, got the second period going the
Illini's way with an early goal and PSU's Glenn Zuck off the ice
with an apparent injury. The Icers Kevin Jeager and Paul Crooker
stepped up their play as the each scored against the Illini in the
period, thus sending both teams to the locker room with four goals.
The third period was a defensive stand off between the two teams, as
each were able to thwart power play advantages, and just as things
were looking like they were heading to overtime, Mike Roesch, backed
up by Tom Ennessy and Joel Superfine, scored the game winning goal
with just 42 seconds left in the game. Congratulations to the
Illini, Jim Rogers on his 4 goal weekend, Brian Coleman for a 5
point weekend, and Todd Chrustowski for a 4 point weekend, and of
course to Mike Roesch for the Saturday Game winner.
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