Illini try to get the puck past Ohio's goaltender

  The Championship game took place in Ames Iowa as part of the CSCHL tournament and just after the consolation game between Iowa State and Eastern Michigan, where the Cyclones took the game with a 4-1 win. The Illini took the ice against the Bobcats for the 3rd time in just over a weeks span where the Illini had beaten the Ohio team twice in regular season play, but this one was for all the marbles. In the first period the Illini came out strong putting fifteen shots on goal and allowing the Bobcats only 3. Three quarters of the way into the period the Illini made one of those goals light the lamp behind the OU goal tender as Scott Kohler, assisted by Matt Breit put the Illini up 1-0. In the second period the Illini looked a little sluggish and the puck certainly didn't bounce their way, but the defenses held strong for both teams not letting the others much of a scoring opportunity. But with the clock winding down Ohio's Rico Day found a way to put the puck past the rock solid Tim Danlow, and ended the period with the teams knotted at 1. The Illini came out playing stronger in the third, but with strong defenses and outstanding net minding at both ends of the ice, the period produced no goals and very few penalties. The tension of the Illini fans grew as the clock went to zero and the game went into overtime. In the overtime period most of the play took place in the Illini zone as the Bobcats put on the pressure, but the Illini were finally able to break out of the zone and Brian Coleman shipped the puck to Jim Rogers who put in the second Illini goal and the game ender. Congratulations to Jim Rogers for the game winning goal, Tim Danlow for outstanding goaltending, and for the rest of the team for a great weekend of hockey action and the bus load of trophies that they will be bringing back home.