Jim Rogers & Tim Danlow, just two of the weekends stars.

November 16, 2003 - The Illini knew that if they struck quickly that they could dominate the games against Western Michigan University, and Junior Brian Coleman did just that. On Friday night, game one of the weekend series, Captain Jim Rogers won the face off against the Stallions and with just twelve ticks off of the clock Brian Coleman found the back of the Stallions net. This ties a record for the quickest goal from the start of a game set by now assistant coach Eric Penn in 1993. The Illini didn't let up, even as the Stallions put on pressure of their own and charged the net quickly. The Illini power play units showed to be quite effective this weekend, and Senior Kyle Zabrin was the first one to take advantage of a Western Michigan penalty. Teamed up with Ari Aberman and Scott Kohler, Zabrin found away to get the puck around the massive, 6'5" Stallion goaltender, and gave the Illini the 2-0 lead in the first period. In the second period the Illini found themselves on the other end of the power play, but Scott Kohler was able to break up a stallion charge and turn the tables on them with an unassisted goal. Shortly after the Illini found themselves with a two man advantage, but they were unable to capitalize on it quickly, but as one man returned the the ice the Illini found a break in the opponent penalty killing scheme and with a pass from Mike DeGeorge, Coleman and Rogers flew through the gaps and Rogers put another Illini goal on the board. At the 10:05 mark the Illini were charged a delay of game penalty because the Stallions complained about crowd rowdiness from the EE section which just happens to be above the visitors bench, security was called and for the remainder of the game the first two rows were emptied. Three quarters of the way through the period the Stallions were finally able to get the puck past DeGeorge on a power play drive, but it was too little too late as the wheels fell off of the Western Michigan wagon as frustration set in. In the last three minutes of the second, the Stallions acquired six penalties for slashing, roughing, and misconduct, costing them 20 penalty minutes. In the third period the new line of Rogers, Coleman, and Clay Estabrooke, showed how well they work together as they teamed up to give the Illini two more goals to add to the four already on the board, and giving Jim Rogers a hat trick for the game. The Illini weren't done yet though, and the power play units again took advantage of the frustrated Stallions. Brett Duncan was able to put an unassisted power play goal past the Stallion netminder, and Mike Roesch and Kyle Zabrin teamed up and put up the last Illini points of the evening making it the 8-1 Illini win.

In Game two on Saturday night the Stallions again came out charging and were able to break up the Illini's effectiveness at least for the majority of the first period. The Illini power play again stepped up and started the scoring for the Illini as Senior Pat Olson was finally able to put the puck upstairs past Western Michigans Will Lite, assists going to Brian Coleman and Brett Duncan. The second period started off quickly as the starting line up cruised into the Stallion zone and Andy Lubesnick put the puck in the net just forty-nine seconds into it, assisted by Jim Rogers. Freshman Alex Tauchen was able to break up a Western Michigan power play drive and got the puck to Brian Coleman who raced in and scored the shorthanded goal. Two thirds of the way into the period CSCHL Points leader Brett Duncan found the mark and with the aid of Pat Olson, put the Illini up by four. The third period again found The Illini power play unit working well and again found Duncan lighting the lamp as a Stallion was watching from the penalty stall, assists went to Justin Stock and Coleman. Olson and Duncan teamed up once more in the third, this time it was Pat that put in the score, his second of the game. As the period and the game wound down, the Illini power play unit was once again called on and once again they prevailed as Junior defenseman Brett Pachol let a rocket go from close to the blue line and blew past the goaltender, assisting once again was Pat Olson.

Congratulations to the team for some oustanding play, to Duncan, Coleman, Rogers and Olson who had a great weekend and are now ranked 1-4 as points leaders for the CSCHL, and to Tim Danlow for another shutout.