Lakers Drop Pair of Games to Illinois State in ACHA Division I Weekend Series
BENSENVILLE, Ill. – The Roosevelt University ACHA Division I men's hockey team dropped a pair of games versus Illinois State University, losing by the score of 7-2 on Friday, December 10 and 4-2 on Saturday, December 11 at The Edge. The loss dropped the Lakers overall record to 3-15 on the year.
Illinois State began Friday's game with a flurry, scoring the game's first three goals within a three-minute span to lead 3-0 at the 8:29 mark. Quinn Haller got the Lakers on the board with a power play goal at 14:31 on assists by Zachary Brumm and Brett Dudek, and the first period ended with the Redbirds up 3-1.
Most of the second period was scoreless, but Illinois State added two goals late at 17:23 and 17:57 to take control of the game and lead 5-1 at the second intermission. The visitors continued their momentum, scoring the next two goals at 3:55 and 10:48 of the third period to lead 7-1. Roosevelt cut the deficit to 7-2 at 14:31 on a goal by Griffin Lehet with assists going to Haller and Cade Swygert.
The Redbirds scored first again in game two of the series, taking a 1-0 lead just under seven minutes into the contest. However, the Lakers answered back 22 seconds later to tie the game at 1-1 on Tyler Cepuritis' first goal of the season. Swygert and Gage McNeish earned assists on the goal. A minute and a half later, Illinois State regained the lead on a power play goal and took the 2-1 lead into the second period.
Just 34 seconds into the next period, Illinois State upped its lead to 3-1. However, Roosevelt pulled one back on a Bowie Slarks tally, his first of the year, with Brett Dudek and Lehet picking up the assists, and the period ended with the 3-2 score line.
The Lakers pushed for the tying goal in the third period and pulled their goaltender in the final minutes, but the Redbirds registered an empty-net goal at 18:45 to seal the 4-2 final score.
GAME 1 DETAILS
Score: Illinois State 3 2 2 7
Roosevelt 1 0 1 2
Date: Friday, December 10
Location: The Edge | Bensenville, Ill.
KEY STATS
- Quinn Haller scored his team leading eighth goal & picked up his fifth assist of the year
- Griffin Lehet registered his third goal of the season
- Cade Swygert earned his seventh assist this year
- Zach Brumm & Brett Dudek each tallied their second assists of the season
- Nick Kotz made 40 saves in net for the Lakers
- ISU outshot RU 47 to 25 in the contest
GAME 2 DETAILS
Score: Illinois State 2 1 1 4
Roosevelt 1 1 0 2
Date: Saturday, December 11
Location: The Edge | Bensenville, Ill.
KEY STATS
- Turner Cepuritis & Bowie Slarks each scored their first goals of the year
- Cade Swygert earned his team leading eighth assist of the season
- Griffin Lehet tallied his sixth assists of the year
- Gage McNeish registered his fifth assist this season
- Brett Dudek earned his third assist of the year
- Josh Brown stopped 38 shots in next for RU
- ISU held a 42 to 35 advantage in shots over RU
NEXT UP
The Lakers are now off for winter break and will return to action in the new year when they host Northern Illinois University in a pair of games on Friday, January 7 and Saturday, January 8. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:15pm on both nights at The Edge in Bensenville, Ill.