Illini face off against Iowa State

January 21, 2004 - A couple of the biggest, baddest, games take place this weekend here at the U of I ice arena as the Illini hockey club welcomes the Cyclones of Iowa State to the Big Pond. A rivalry which has existed and grown between these two clubs over time comes to a head as they battle for the second place spot in the CSCHL. Both teams have struggled since returning from semester break and would really like to put things together and get things going in the right direction before heading into the playoffs. The Cyclones spin onto the ice with a 17-14-1-1record on the season, of which a loss and shoot-out loss coming at the hands of the Illini earlier this season in Ames. In order to take these games, the Illini will need to keep their heads and keep the Cyclone scorers like Scott Hagen and Travis Fast in check and limit the number of shots on goal. The Illini forwards will also need to take advantage of their speed and home ice to put a lot of pucks toward the Cyclone net minders, who are allowing over 10 percent of the shots get by them and an average of 3 goals a game. All in all it should be a good battle on the ice for both teams.

As a reminder it is also Alumni weekend for the Illini hockey club. On Saturday at 11:00 am, stop by the U of I ice arena and watch as some of the old timers, like coach Cassel's himself, take to the ice to square off against old team mates and other Illini legends. The Alumni will then gather and enjoy a nice banquet following the game at 2:00 pm, where they can discuss the aches and pains of old age. You can then stop by the ice arena again at 7:00 pm as the Illini take on the Cyclones and the Alumni are recognized between periods. So stop by and show your support for the current players as well as your appreciation for the players of the past.