Illini take on Ohio

December 5, 2004 - Two fairly evenly matched teams took center ice this weekend as the Bobcats of Ohio University came to face the Illini, and the Illini came out just a little better than the Bobcats with a win on Friday night and a tie on Saturday. On Friday night the Illini were the first to strike, halfway through the first period, as Brett Duncan passed the puck over, in front of the Ohio goaltender, to Brian Coleman who put in into the net. It didn't take long for Ohio to respond as less than sixty seconds past before they had a goal of their own. Jim Rogers and the Illini power play unit would put Illinois back in the lead before the period was over with a redirected shot in front of the net, Duncan and Coleman assisting on the play. In the second period the Ohio skaters took control and were able to ties thing back up with a power play goal of their own, providing the only scoring of the period. The game stayed tied until just over five minutes remained in the game, when The Illini power play struck again, as Brian Coleman notched his second goal of the night, Mike Roesch and Brett Duncan assisting. With the final minutes ticking off the clock, and a couple of Illini penalties, Ohio, pulling the goalie, had a two man advantage for over a minute and a half and the Illini were able to hold them off securing the 3-2 win.
On Saturday the Illini again struck first as Brett Ducan weaved through the Ohio defense and scored an unassisted goal just a minute and forty seconds into the game. It wasn't until almost eight minutes into the second period before another goal was added, again it was the Illini power play coming through as Jim Rogers, teamed up with Mike Roesch and Brian Coleman, made it a two point Illini lead. Ohio was finally able to get onto the board three quarters of the way through the period as Brandon Hanley was able to get the puck past Illini goaltender Mike DeGeorge. The Illini held the one goal lead though the second and most of the third period, that was until Ohio, on a power play, was able to tie things up at two. With just over three minutes left in the game Ohio was able to strike again and took the lead for the first time this weekend. With twenty seconds left on the clock, and the Illini's DeGeorge pulled in favor of the extra attacker, the Illini's Jim Rogers put in his second goal of the night, tying the game at three and sending the game into overtime, Coleman and Roesch again assisting on the goal. The Overtime period went scoreless, thus requiring the shootout to settle the CSCHL match. Each teams first four shooters were unsuccessful at getting the puck into the net, and it wasn't until Ohio's last shooter, Brandon Hanley, that a goal was scored. Ohio's netminder, Baksh, was able to keep out the Illini's final chance thus giving them the shootout win.
The Illini's next games will not be until 2005, and so the Illini Hockey Club would like to wish Happy Holidays to all of the Fans, Families, and Friends that make the games possible.